Today we’ve lost one of the greats. I’m incredibly devastated at the death of MCA today. I’ve been a Beastie Boys fan since I was ten years old. My love for hip-hop spawned from listening to Ill Communication and Hello Nasty. Paul’s Boutique is one of my favorites of all time. And Adam Yauch was without a doubt my favorite Beastie Boy. His raspy, laid-back delivery shined alongside the more frenetic, high-pitched sidekicks Ad-Rock and Mike D. He was a profoundly gifted lyricist, a dedicated Buddhist, a devoted human rights activist, and a legendary artist and musician.
Naturally, watching YouTube videos of Beastie Boys performances only strengthens my sadness. Knowing that with the loss of Yauch means the loss of the world’s greatest rap group, and knowing I’ll never get the chance to finally see my favorite hip-hop trio perform live puts a significant mark on today’s news. With the untimely death of MCA, the Beastie Boys are no more. All we have now is the music and the legacy they leave behind, which will undoubtedly influence millions for years to come.
Seminal post-hardcore band At the Drive In reunited and played their first show in 11 years right here in Austin, and I heard the whole thing. I didn’t get tickets to the intimate 400-capacity show, but I joined about 100 alley rats behind the venue, who were holding their own private party amongst dumpsters and barbed wire, moshing and singing along to every word. The moment when the band finished their last song and hopped in the van to make their getaway was straight out of A Hard Days Night with the addition of several camera phones. It was incredible. And now there’s videos of the actual show, which looks like it was exactly how I imagined. Can’t wait for Thursday, when I’ll be making the trek to Marfa to watch these guys in an even smaller venue.
Another “One Armed Scissor” with cooler editing, but worse sound. I thought these guys hated crowd surfing…
Great news, all! The News Team will assemble again! Hollywood has finally agreed to make an Anchorman sequel, and who better to report the great news than the legendary Ron Burgundy.
Someone found a video of Nine Inch Nails doing a performance of “Down In It” on the super retro and hilariously campy Dance Party USA – the big-haired version of American Bandstand and Soul Train. The group look marvelously out of place lip-synching and fake-playing instruments to an obvious album track of the band’s dark industrial groove, while the studio crowd dances like they’re listening to Katrina and the Waves. Oh, and Trent rocks a scrunchie. You have to watch this.
“Smashing Pumpkins” (I put quotes around this because the real band is long gone) have announced the latest release in destroying their 90’s alt-rock legacy and stroking the gargantuan ego of frontman Billy Corgan. Oceania drops June 18th, and we can expect it to be overzealous, unfocused, uninspired, and devoid of any hooks or even a hint of songwriting strength heard on Gish, Siamese Dream, or Mellon Collie. While we patiently wait for the inevitable, enjoy this sampling of what once was.
