Audiostraddle Weekly: Tegan & Sara & Muppets, Oh My!

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TEGAN & SARA, MUPPET-STYLE:

Our favorite singing lesbian twins Tegan & Sara recently appeared on the CBC’s kids show Mamma Yamma and did a special acoustic performance of “Alligator” (thanks to Intern Daphne for the tip!). With some slight lyrical adjustments, it’s now kid-friendly and about a million times more fun than The Wiggles. Enjoy “Alligator” (now actually about alligators — crying alligators?) from their performance on the CBC below:

NEW CRYSTAL CASTLES VID:

Electronic duo Crystal Castles have a new video out for “Celestica” from their sophomore album, Crystal Castles (II). A little more tame than screams of “Doe Deer,” but solid Crystal Castles nonetheless. Watch it below:

LADY GAGA’S NEXT ALBUM ALREADY FINISHED:

In her interview with Rolling Stone, Lady Gaga revealed a few interesting tidbits — one being that her next album is already finished. It’s due out early next year and will be more focused on politics. Read more at MTV News.

BLINK 182 SET TO RECORD NEW MATERIAL:

Mark Hoppus, singer and bassist of my beloved Blink 182, announced on Monday that Blink 182 will be hiding away in the studio to record new material. Get excited, loserkids!

PASSION PIT COVER TONIGHT, TONIGHT

Passion Pit have done a cover of the Smashing Pumpkins’ “Tonight, Tonight” for the Levi’s Pioneer Sessions and in case you were wondering, it’s totally worth signing up and downloading it. There are actually a whole lot of great tracks on there, check the Sessions out if you haven’t already.

UPCOMING RADIOHEAD RELEASE:

Radiohead guitarist Ed O’Brien told BBC 6 that the band is almost done with a new album. He says it’ll sound very different from In Rainbows and might even be released before the end of the year. Read more about Radiohead’s potential release at Pitchfork.

THE XX ANNOUNCE TOUR:


There were some mixed feelings about my Bonnaroo spotlight on moody London band The xx, but I’m going to tell you about their fall tour anyway. The xx will be playing Europe through September, with a brief stop in Chicago for Lollapalooza, but then are crossing the pond to join Warpaint on a North American tour. See full dates for The xx at Pitchfork.

DRAKE

i wish marco and spinner had been involved in the album cover

Via Yahoo: “Only three debut albums by rap artists have had had bigger first weeks than Thank Me Later just achieved. 50 Cent’s Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ sold 872,000 copies in its first week in February 2003. Snoop Doggy Dogg’s Doggystyle sold 803,000 copies in its first week in November 1993. Puff Daddy & the Family’s No Way Out sold 561,000 copies its first week in July 1997. (Note: 50 Cent’s album was preceded six weeks earlier by an album, Guess Who’s Back?, on another label, but it was his official debut, as this is Drake’s.)”

FREE MIXTAPE FROM GUCCI MANE:

A month out of prison, rapper Gucci Mane has put out a mixtape called Mr. Zone 6 in collaboration with DJ Drama and featuring guest appearances from Bun B, Yo Gotti and Waka Flocka Flame. Download Gucci Mane’s Mr. Zone 6 for free at Live Mixtapes.

JENNY & JONNY:

Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley has teamed up with her boyfriend/singer-songwriter Jonathan Rice to form power-pop duo Jenny & Johnny. It’s ear candy! They’ll be touring the U.S. (minus Arizona due to boycotting) in September, supporting various acts including Pavement, Superchunk, and Belle & Sebastian. You can download their single, “Scissor Runner,” for free using the widget below or go to their

website:

BIG BOI LEAKS ANOTHER TRACK:

First, Big Boi has admitted to leaking tracks off of his own album, the much anticipated Sir Luscious Leftfoot: The Son of Chico Dusty. He’s not without reason, though. Jive has pushed back the release date multiple times. The latest track to leak is the funky, summer jam “Follow Us.” You can download it for free at Paste Magazine. Who is ready for the whole album to come out already?

SCISSOR SISTERS COVER KYLIE

This week the Scissor Sisters released a country music cover of Kylie Minogue‘s new single, “All The Lovers.” Check it out –

50 ALBUMS THAT CHANGED MUSIC:

The Guardian UK has released a list of 50 albums that changed music. Topping it is The Velvet Underground‘s 1967 classic The Velvet Underground and Nico, which includes two of my favorite songs of all time, “Sunday Morning” and “I’ll Be Your Mirror.” Music geeks or others looking to explore some of the influential albums of history might be interested in checking out the rest of it. See the full list of 50 Albums That Changed Music at The Guardian.

NEW ALBUMS

Robyn: Oops, I was so busy listening to Robyn’s Body Talk, Pt. 1 that I forgot to mention it came out last Tuesday! Favorite tracks: “Dancing On My Own” and “Don’t Fucking Tell Me What To Do.” What are your favorites?

Eminem: The Detroit rapper released his much praised album Recovery this week. Although Eminem was sober when recording his previous record Relapse, he says this one better reflects his mental state. Listen to or read Eminem’s interview with NPR about Recovery, sobriety, and his support for gay marriage.

Kele: The Bloc Party frontman released his debut solo album, The Boxer, produced by XXXChange of Spankrock. There’s plenty of gems to go around on this dance record.. Favorites: “Tenderoni,” “Rise,” “Yesterday’s Gone”

The Roots: Hear The Roots’ How I Got Over streaming now at MySpace.

Sia: We Are Born is out now. What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments!

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Jess G.

Jess is a writer/producer with a knack for audio and online production. She grew up in California and now lives in Washington, DC, where she recently graduated from Georgetown University. Jess' jacket collection is obscenely large, and so is her music library. In her spare time, Jess enjoys riding her bike in the city, blogging, writing songs, and eating good food.

Jess has written 44 articles for us.

27 Comments

  2. I think I will always have a place in my heart for Scissor Sisters. They were the first “gay” band I listened to (whatever that means), and I obsessively talked about them to all of my 14 year old friends in 9th grade. I am looking foreword to the new cd so much and fingers crossed I’ll finally get to see them live thereby making this the best queer music year ever. Seeing Tegan and Sara twice? An Horse? A new Magnetic Fields CD? Friggin spectacular.

    ALSO

    I love the alligator vid to pieces and pieces. Even Momma Vegetarian saw it and was singing along at the end. Have any of y’all see the Pancake Mountain vid of them (and Northern State!)? It’s probably my favorite thing ever.

    Reply to This Comment

    • I saw the Scissor Sisters live at the Brixton Academy in London yesterday, it was frakkin legendary. I quite love their new album already, I heard some people were disappointed with the first single “fire with fire” but it’s a great anthem, and so many new songs are amazing!
      Totally awesome :D

      Reply to This Comment

  4. I’m obsessed with the new Robyn album, but my faves are Cry When You Get Older and Dancehall Queen. But I can’t get enough of the entire album.

    <3 Mamma Yamma! My nephew watches that!

    I have so many feelings about Jenny and Johnny ranging from YES! to No Canadian dates?!!

    I need to hear the new Sia.

    Blink 182 recording new material brought my day DOWN!

    Reply to This Comment

      • I will totally admit that they are one of the first bands I truly loved as a young teen, but I feel like they have to do something epic to get my attention again. Mostly, I’d just prefer them to do away with the whole dick and masturbation jokes. Not that it offends me, I just think it’s kind of played out.

        Great remix though, and Travis is obvs a brilliant drummer.

        Reply to This Comment

    • On the tour for ‘Acid Tongue,’ Jonathan Rice was lead guitarist/backup vocals in her band. They’ve got good dynamic, I’d say. He sang the Elvis Costello’s part in “Carpetbaggers” and some others.

      Reply to This Comment

  12. Radiohead! Radiohead! Radiohead! Anyways how is Sia’s? I’d say it is easily the best original cd of the year. Gotta stick with The Rolling Stones’ remastered Exile on Main Street as the best cd release. Rocks Off. Sweet Virginia. Etc. But new stuff. Sia’s. The Fight is a great opener. Clap Your Hands is a great anthem. Be Good To Me, Hurting Me Now and both versions of I’m In Here – awesome stuff.

    Reply to This Comment

  13. i got a ticket the other day for the xx’s upcoming tour and am excited to see them live! also bought a ticket yesterday for vampire weekend in the fall, which i am also looking forward to.

    fyi world, tickets for jay-z & eminem live and together in NYC on september 13 go on sale to the general public today (June 25) at 10am EST. it’s going to be epic. like seriously, fucking epic. and in less than 5 hours from now i am going to attempt to spend my should-be-for-furniture money on a ticket.

    Reply to This Comment

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