Headlines for November 20, 2009
By: Roisin Bonner
Beck Joins Radiohead-Fiery Furnaces Fray
There's a new player in the bizarre skirmish between The Fiery Furnaces' Matt Friedberger and Radiohead. Beck has thrown down, composer style. A few weeks ago, Friedberger ridiculed the Radiohead song "Harry Patch" (written about the last surviving British World War I veteran), mistakenly thinking it was about Harry Partch, an avant-garde musician. After realizing his mistake, the band released the following "explanation:" "Matt has not heard the Radiohead song about Harry Patch, but if he did, he is sure he wouldn't like it...Matt would have much preferred to insult Beck but he is too afraid of Scientologists." Beck took it to heart apparently, and has written the song "Harry Partch", drawing on the musician's 43-tone scale. You got served, Friedberger! Visit Beck's website to hear it in all its bleepy glory; plus, he has also released a super-weird and awesome video with Charlotte Gainsbourg. Find it at the link above.
Vampire Weekend Ramps Up to Contra Release With New Vid
Everyone's favorite "Upper West Side Soweto" group has released their latest video. With the release of their sophomore album imminent (January 12), Vampire Weekend has been trickling out tracks and generally getting Brooklyn hipsters all keyed up. Newest in the pre-launch marketing is the video for "Cousins", a catchy little ditty that shows the boys playing their instruments in fast-motion in an urban alleyway. Check it out below.
Catman Conquers Cancer
KISS drummer Peter Criss, better known as the guy in the cat makeup, has opened up about his battle with breast cancer. Two years ago, Criss noticed a growing, painful lump in his left breast and consulted a doctor. Since then, he has undergone a number of surgeries and is now cancer-free, attributing his success to taking early action. The experience has prompted Criss to become an advocate of male breast cancer awareness. In an interview, Criss discussed his own preconceptions about breast cancer, saying; "Men are men—women get breast cancer. Or so I thought... It has nothing to do with macho." Well said, Pete.
BlueBeat Beatles Ban
In the ongoing battle over the rights to sell music by the Best Band Ever (The Beatles, duh), EMI has scored a victory. BlueBeat.com, the only online source for buying Beatles tunes (at 25 cents a pop! What a deal!), has been slapped with a preliminary injunction by a federal judge in L.A., according to the Times. The site's owner claimed that the songs for sale were not actual Beatles songs, but "psychoacoustic simulations" (?). EMI claimed that BlueBeat did not have the right to sell Beatles songs under any name.
Video: "Cousins" by Vampire Weekend
