Speaking of De La Soul - Toys!

Kidrobot is no stranger to hip hop. In 2007, they dropped a limited Madvillain figure that replicated the figure from the beyond-awesome "All Caps" video. Now, they're dropping these beauties: Posdnuos, Trugoy and Pasemaster Mase in deluxe vinyl. Not the vinyl the boys are used to dropping, but wonderful nonetheless. You can see them at the official Kidrobot site here.

In the meantime, since I mentioned it, why not watch that Madvillain video?

Yeah? Yeah:

Listen: Gorillaz - "Superfast Jellyfish" (f. Gruff Rhys & De La Soul)

The new Gorillaz album, Plastic Beach, drops Tuesday, March 9, in case you didn't know. A full-length review is coming Monday, but for now, get lost in this funk-fest. It features Gruff Rhys (of Super Furry Animals) and De La Soul, who featured on previous Gorillaz track "Feel Good Inc."... and kiiiiiiiillllllllllllllleeeeeeeddddd iiiiiiiittttt.

Speaking of which, where the hell is the new De La record?

Bowie won't scratch Peter Gabriel's back

According to the Guardian, David Bowie has been the only artist to officially declare that they will not cover a Peter Gabriel song for the latter's follow-up to the terrible Scratch My Back.

Why not, you ask?

Your answer:



Kudos to Bowie for being the bigger man, and not seeking revenge for this monstrosity on one of Gabriel's tunes.

Of the artists whose work Gabriel butchered, only the Magnetic Fields and Paul Simon have gotten back to him thus far. The Arcade Fire were supposedly covering "Games Without Frontiers," but it looks like they've dropped out. Thom Yorke has been on and off about the entire thing, and many of the other artists have yet to even comment on the matter.

Jimi Hendrix pens letter to "Little Girl"

That there is correspondence from the late Jimi Hendrix to an object of affection known only as "little girl."

And if that isn't the hand-writing of an artist, what the hell is? There's nary an errant mark on the page, and the "f" in flower looks itself set to burst forth into magnificent bloom.

Thanks to Letters of Note for the heads up!

Those into this might be interested to know also that Hendrix's first post-humous album since 1988, Valleys of Neptune, will be out next Tuesday, March 9.

OK Go's second video for "This Too Shall Pass" might even be better than the first

OK Go might not make the most fascinating music in the world (although Of the Colour of the Blue Sky is certainly their best), but their commitment to making grin-inducing music videos? That is nothing short of spectacular.

Rogue Wave - Permalight... 68/100

I’ve never been able to fully commit myself to liking Rogue Wave, probably because they’ve never been able to commit themselves to a sound or cohesive idea of what the band really is.

On indie record label Sub Pop, the band always sounded just a little too much like label partners the Shins with their softer, folksy tunes and higher-energy, electronically-aided peppy numbers. Now, seems like the band might be making a shot at the majors, care of surfer-cum-troubadour Jack Johnson’s label Brushfire Records.

It’s not all bad, to be honest. In terms of straight-up pop rock, Permalight is quite catchy, if not a hint on the simple side, and is downright perfect to soundtrack, say, your day at the beach. With its upbeat acoustic guitar strums and simple, straight-for-the-throat hooks, it occupies a space in the musical spectrum from which a song can grab your attention without one having to pay it any.

Problem is, once you’re paying attention, the hook is over. Nearly all of the songs on Permalight are centred around the repetition of the same hooks, which make even short, sweet tracks like the two-and-a-half-minute “Per Anger” and the three-minute title track seem much longer than they are.

The album’s only sophistication derives from its clean, spacious production, which gives the band an air of stylishness not dissimilar to that of pep-rock peers Vampire Weekend.

So yeah, Permalight might make for some fun background tunes, but once your friends leave? It’s time to change the disc.

Nice album cover, though...

Frightened Rabbit - The Winter of Mixed Drinks... 64/100

I’m sorry, I just don’t get all the accolades surrounding Glasgow’s Frightened Rabbit. The Winter of Mixed Drinks is tolerably consistent, but what makes this band worthy of the near-universal acclaim it seems to earn?

If you’re wondering what the band sounds like, think Snow Patrol if they cared an iota about making their music interesting. Because yeah, the tumbling melody of “Not Miserable” is cool, and there’s some definite charm to their ramshackle musical nature, but in the case of Frightened Rabbit, it might just be too much about the Scottish accent and not enough about the fact that they really aren’t doing anything thought-provoking.

The Winter of Mixed Drinks is the perfect album for listening to at Starbucks while you sip a latte with an open book and your headphones on waiting for somebody to ask you what you’re listening to that you can say “Frightened Rabbit,” they can look puzzled, and you can say “they’re from Scotland.”

Kapish?