Sprawl Of Glass: The Arcade Fire x Blondie Mashup You Should've Seen Coming

The Hood Internet - Sprawl Of Glass (Arcade Fire x Blondie) by hoodinternet

The Hood Internet has done a mashup of Blondie's Heart of Glass and Arcade Fire's Sprawl II.  Now that someone's done it, it seems so obvious, but I honestly never realised how similar these songs are before this. The mix is easy--maybe a little too easy to make it all that impressive. But it picks up in the second half. 

And I apologize in advance for the weird sex dream you'll inevitably have tonight about Win Butler's head on Debbie Harry's body. Tomorrow morning's gonna feel awkward.

Boss Stuff on the Interwebs: Wednesday Links 26/01/11

• I'm already on the record as saying how much I love a good music documentary. Big Fun in the Big Town goes back to 1986's "up and coming" hip-hop movement in NYC. It features a young  Run DMC, Grandmaster Flash, Ice-T, Biz Markie, LL Cool J ...the list goes on, the documentary looks great, and guerolitomusic just reminded me that the word "fresh" needs to make a comeback.

• Six months after a cautiously positive review, and just one month after naming it the #2 best album of last year, Stereogum has a nice long article complaining about Arcade Fire's The Suburbs. Not that I care either way, but pick a side. Then just wait for the next single to come out to milk the album for pageviews, like the rest of us.

• Wondering what "progressive shoegaze" is? Hyperbole will demonstrate with Melbourne band Leagues and a sweet picture of Wonderwoman. 

• The Kills are planning a world tour and a new album. Details at Electric Comic Book. 

• What's Protocol has The Swell Season, The Frames, and City & Colour. Saves me three posts right there.

• So the creator of the musical abomination that is Glee got pissy with Kings of Leon and Slash because they won't let the show use their music. gleesucks.com is the only necessary rebuttal to that bitchery (Spinner) 

You Can Argue but You Can't Win: Mr Shuffleupagus' Favourite Albums of 2010 (Part Two)

Time for my five favourite records of 2010. I'm telling you, as much fun as it is to do, ranked lists are tough. So feel free to put anything you think I missed or any lists of your own in the comments where I can judge appreciate them.

Or if you hate me personally, just go ahead and put that in the comments. It all brings extra site hits, so I win either way.

If you missed #11-#6 you can find them here. And #5-#1 are:


#5. Local Natives, Gorilla Manor
There is not a track out of place on this album-- it has a distinct, memorable sound and is confident as hell. After all, it takes balls to go toe to toe with Talking Heads, and even more talent to come out ahead.
And those drums, man. Those driving drums make every song impossible to turn off.

#4. Arcade Fire, The Suburbs

Even a couple months ago, I thought this album was only alright and never would have predicted it being on this list. But for reasons beyond me, I kept pressing play and the more I listened to it the more I wanted to listen to it. It's not that it grew on me-- it's more like I began to get it.
And yes, I know that sounds really, really pretentious.

(For personalized video go here. Type in your childhood address, watch, cry, repeat.)

#3.Beach House, Teen Dream
Back in the summer my best friend announced that "this is the most beautiful album of the year."
"It's only August," I said. "Give it a bit."
Goddamn. He was right.

(I put this up, because the "official" video is creepy as fuck.)

#2. The Black Keys, Brothers
It doesn't matter what kind of music you listen to--everyone likes the Black Keys. So if you don't like this album you must be a tone-deaf Nazi. It's the only way.

#1. The Tallest Man on Earth, The Wild Hunt
You know an album is special when you stop a conversation to find out what's playing, which is exactly what I did the first time I heard Kids on the Run. And if I owned this album in a non-digital format, it would be worn out. It's honest without being hokey, upbeat without being inane, spare but not simplistic, wistful not moping, classic not tired...and all in Kristian Matsson's trademark warble that threatens to break your heart. Every. Single. Time.

Who Knows Where Thoughts Come From? They Just Appear: The New Spike Jonze/Arcade Fire Video Looks Familiar

Back in high school, I didn't attend classes so much as I arrived at them, my mind left long behind in the car where I'd just smoked up with my buddies.  How I graduated on time, with decent marks I'll never know, but let that be a lesson to you kids: high school is obviously total bullshit.

Anyway, it was during one of those long lunch hour parking lot sessions that I told my friend the pipe was "cashed". I mentally patted myself on the back for the awesome invention of some awesome slang that I had never used and had surely never heard before and then headed off to class. 

Immediately after that day,it seemed to me that that word spread like wildfire. Everyone was using it. And for about four months I felt cool. After all, I thought, something I invented is popular! Right?! I invented that word! Didn't I invent that word? I definitely don't remember hearing it anywhere before so the first time I said it must be the first time anyone ever said it.. Or wait...Did I? ...oh, dude, there's a Laffy Taffy in my purse! Yeah, whatever on that word. I probably picked it up subconsciously.  Maybe I never even said it in the first place. Dammit this stuff gets stuck in your teeth so bad...

Why did I think I'd invented a word when there is virtually no chance that I did? As a great man* once said: "Who knows where thoughts come from? They just appear." Mmhmm. 

And sometimes, the same great thought occurs to more than one person at a time. How else to explain the fact that the fan-created video for "The Suburbs" bears a striking similarity to the real thing directed by Spike Jonze? The former was uploaded back in October, and the latter released last week. Take a look.


Fan video:

Official Video:

Obviously they aren't exactly the same. And the lyrics do send the mind in a direction something like this no matter who you are. So this is less a "who was first" thing and more a "poetic imagery doing exactly what it's supposed to do" thing. Still. It's freaky. Or maybe I'm just high.

In any case, I really like the official video. And at the very mention of Spike Jonze I feel compelled to direct traffic to his greatest work, my favourite commercial ever. 

*If you've never seen this movie--or even better, if you have, go here for an amazing synopsis.