Surely, you've already heard the new Radiohead album The King of Limbs (and you think either it's an utter disappointment or maybe it's a brilliant entry into their varied catalog.) One thing's for sure: The black-and-white video for "Lotus Flower," featuring head 'Head Thom Yorke herking and jerking as only the spindly singer can, is perversely awesome. If you've ever seen the band live or watched live performances, you know that this kind of dancing happens during the spastic climaxes of their songs, where Thom Yorke does the full body equivalent of be-bopping and scatting.
It seems the video is a winking nod to Yorke doing his spazzed moves, but leave it to the Internet to make a good thing even better. By remixing and re-cutting the video, people have turned Yorke's moves into a full-blown meme. Here are few of our favorites.
Well, kids, it's that time of year: end-of-year-list season. All of your buds at Wayward are compiling a list of the best concerts of 2010 -- after all, we were at most of 'em -- and we want to know where your favorite nights of debauchery went down. So, Kansas City, what artists rocked your shit this year? Was it a dinosaur-rock act at the Uptown? Or a steamy rock show at the Replay in Lawrence? Did you throw down to a hard-charging punk set at one of KC's D.I.Y. venues, or did you have a moment with a blues artist at Knuckleheads? We want to know!
(Runs index finger up and down over lips): Michael Bolton is playing a show in Kansas City next week!
Big deal, you say. Bolton's a hack. Always has been, you say. God, you are arrogant.
What's that? I'm sorry, I can't hear you over these large headphones I'm wearing, which are playing "Soul Provider" and "Steel Bars" on an endless loop.
Marilyn Manson watches a lot of TV. Who knew?
Apparently, the shock-rocker is a creeper-level fan of what is clearly the best show on television: Eastbound & Down. (I'm a music writer, not a film critic, and admittedly have terrible taste in television. Decry my credibility as you wish.)
Apparently, Manson has been repeating entire chunks of dialogue in public, and frequently dresses up like the show's lead (awesome) character, Kenny Powers. (See right.)
Now, he wants to be on the show, too.
The xx -- the vaguely goth British band of 20 year-olds writing sparse, furtive pop music -- has exploded in the past year. Now, they're cashing in on success (for Amnesty International, that is) by auctioning off one of their minimalist shtick: one of the X lightboxes used in the band's live set.
In the past year The xx have toured the US and the world in support of their debut album, xx, for which they recently won the esteemed Mercury Prize. Joining the trio on stage at many of these shows were two large, black lightboxes each emblazoned with a simple and large "X."
You can bid on the boxes here (or drop 5 G's on them, if you're so inclined.)
Hazy garage-rock outfit the Conquerors is one of my local faves, and since it is a slow news day, I am here to report that they just uploaded two songs to their way-dormant Myspace page. I heard about the Myspace songs because I'm a Facebook fan of the band. Here in the biz, we call that a Face-to-Space assist. Social media baby! It works!
Homer's Drive-In: the oldest drive-through in the metro
Don't mess with the Army, feds remind two local businesspeople
Soundgarden's sludgy sound, last night at the Midland (review)
Potbelly Sandwich Shop opens June 4 on the Plaza
KCPD will breathalyze patrons at Tanner's tonight
Parisi's Pete Licata is a World Barista Championship semifinalist
Kansas City is not a top-five beer city
WWE's Monday Night Raw returns to Kansas City October 14