the mj rip roundup

Here's a compendium of some of the best footage and commentary on Michael Jackson's death found around the net over the last week, sourced from the Daily Swarm, Nerve/Scanner, Stereogum, Buzzfeed and elsewhere. Enjoy and remember.

A tantalizing, haunting and uncannily heartbreaking snippet of rehearsal footage from a few days before his death:


Three kings: Jackson, James Brown, Prince onstage together..


The video for 'Liberian Girl' is an 80s celeb bonanza:

Michael Jackson - New Music - More Music Videos

The Lupe Fiasco Commemorative Dance-off is the least depressing thing you'll see all week:


Car dancing with Brett Rattner in happier times:


Amazing footage of the origins of the moonwalk:


In case you were wondering, Bubbles is fine:


The famous Korean Prison Thriller dance with a cast of hundreds:


..and too soon? Hitler on Jackson:

The many faces of Michael Jackson...morphed by People Magazine.

The 3 best observations about the death of Michael Jackson according to Nerve/Scanner here.

A well-argued dissenting opinion on all the hagiography here.

Another insightful thought here.

A take from WFMU here.

Billboard on how 'Thriller' changed the music industry here.

And takes by the New York Times and Slate on the end of the 'monoculture' that Jackson represented.

RIP Michael.

photoshop, photoshop, what hath thou wrought?

This is giving me nightmares like Wes Craven. Click on the image to mega-size. Trust me, you'll be sorry you did. This post inspired by here.

Dark Night Of The Soul

The indie realm is abuzz over the mysterious new Sparklehorse/Danger Mouse collaboration with a guestlist that reads like a who's who of who's cool: David Lynch, The Flaming Lips, Iggy Pop, Frank Black, Suzanne Vega, Vic Chesnutt, James Mercer of The Shins, Julian Casablancas of The Strokes, Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals, Nina Persson of The Cardigans and Scott Spillane of Neutral Milk Hotel and The Gerbils. This is so up my alley, I'm kinda freeking out..

Best album of the year? Stream it here via NPR and decide for yourself.

Pet Shop Boys vs. Gerhard Richter

The new Pet Shop Boys album is out today, with cover art inspired by German minimalist artist Gerhard Richter (most famous, I think, for his modern take on the stained glass window). So just for fun, as a compare and contrast..
Here's a Gerhard Richter:
Here's the new Pet Shop Boys' album:

Bylarm Festival

Went to snowy Oslo Norway for the Bylarm festival a few weeks ago. Here are some pics:
Electropop star Annie


Erlend Oye of Whitest Boy Alive packed the house.
Christian Fennesz played an inspired set with the jazz band Food.

The singer of Fjorden Baby was so manic, I've completely forgotten what the music sounded like.



Technical metalheads Blodspor were like aural coffee.
Motorik Finns K-X-P were a festival highlight.




The Prince-like stylings of Juvelen in the tiny club Mono.
Jenny Wilson
The snappy Eurofunk of The New Wine


Arabot

Gonzoid IDM with Captain Credible.
Ost & Kjex: hausmusik with a gospel choir and A Clockwork Orange style.
Post-Interpol popsters The New Violators.

Don't try this at home: Scandinavian rap.
Hair-blowing noise jazz from the Peter Brontzman Tentet.
Olafur Arnalds, Iceland's answer to Michael Nyman, meeting fans after the gig.

Let's hear it for the fans..
Seen but unphotographed: Lindstrøm, Diskjokke, Skwee Music Night, First Aid, Rockettothesky

Oslo

Went to Oslo for the Bylarm festival a few weeks ago. Lots of snow and great music. Shows pics on the way. In the meantime, here are the touristy pics:
The view from Stratos.

Hotel window 6 AM.

Oslo street.

Vigeland Sculpture Park.

One of the statues at Vigeland.

The monolith at Vigeland.

Close up of the monolith.

I think this is a fjord, frozen over.


Somewhere over Norway.

disco

I kinda love this picture. That is all.

Depeche Mode 'Wrong'

Nightmarish new Depeche Mode video just hit Youtube in all its early David Fincheresque g(l)ory:And here's an interview with the director.

Mega Video Round-up

Here are some videos old & new:
Just heard the first great record of the year: Fever Ray (aka Karin from The Knife), and it's just my speed: slow disco, icy electronics, spooky vox, Suicide, Violator, etc. The video reminds me of Ringu.
When I Grow Up from Fever Ray on Vimeo.
Time to bust out the checkbook. Portishead are free agents and no longer signed to Island. They should do the Radiohead jangle and release their next record themselves. Anyway, this video came out last year and is on some melancholic animation jag. These folks have long reached 'can do no wrong' status in my book. Check it if you haven't seen it. (Embed disabled, so check it here)

Portishead - The Rip
by portishead

New video from Doves sports an epic twang.
The release of Norman Cook's BPA (Brighton Port Authority) record is giving me a thin excuse to post this great video from last year featuring David Byrne, Dizzee Rascal and bunch of sexy black boxes:
Thelma Aoyama's 'Sobaniirune' was the second most downloaded song from last year ON EARTH (1st was Lil Wayne's 'Lollipop') and nope, you haven't heard it, right? Here it is (you'd think all those downloads could've paid for a better video):
And here's last year's 6th most downloaded song. It's from Japan and has got something to do with kids and baseball. Honestly, I haven't watched this all the way through.
Full list of last year's biggest songs here.

20 Year Anniversaries

File under: things that make me feel kinda old..
The Beastie Boys Paul's Boutique (w/ a 10 outta 10 at Pitchfork, no less)

Stone Roses (1st album)

The fatwa against Salman Rushdie..

Where did 20 years go?