Month: January 2010

Categories
FREE MP3s

MP3 At 3PM: Sonoi

Sonoi2877Sonoi is a trio from Chicago with a pretty substantial background in the music business. You might already know guitarist/vocalist Adam Busch and bassist/keyboardist Ryan Hembrey from their work in art-pop group Manishevitz, and drummer Pierce Doerr has had compositions featured on This American Life. As Sonoi, the three have already shared the stage with the New Year, MV & EE and the Plastic People Of The Universe. Now, the band is set to release its self-titled debut on April 27 via Low Transit Industries, and the album’s first single premieres today exclusively on magnetmagazine.com. “Sherry Fall” is a blissful pop song with an underwater gurgle of guitars and earnest vocals.

“Sherry Fall” (download):
https://magnetmagazine.com/audio/SherryFall.mp3

Categories
TAKE COVER!

Take Cover! Hüsker Dü Vs. The Byrds

When is a cover song better than the original? Only you can decide. This week Hüsker Dü takes on the Byrds’ “Eight Miles High.” MAGNET’s Edward Fairchild pulls the pin. Take cover!

When the original version of this song was released, it was temporarily banned from U.S. radio due to perceived drug references. At the time, the Byrds steadfastly denied the allegations, and it was only years later the band admitted that at least part of the song was inspired by its members’ drug use. When Hüsker Dü released its version, the trio had its own controversy to deal with: What was a hardcore-punk band doing covering a song by some acid-headed hippies? Oh not much—just breaking down walls and destroying convention. Read our 2005 cover story on Hüsker Dü, the Replacements and the ’80s Minneapolis scene.

The Cover:

The Original:

Categories
GUEST EDITOR

Sam Phillips’ Fan Dance: Gordon Matta-Clark

SamPhillipslogoIt’s not as much of a journey from religious music to Jerry Lee Lewis and the Die Hard movie franchise as you might think. For someone who began her recording career as a Christian artist, Sam Phillips has had a very secular professional life. Born Leslie Ann Phillips in 1962, she cut her last album of religious music, produced by future husband T Bone Burnett, in 1987. (Phillips and Burnett divorced in 2004.) Phillips then jumped ship to the Virgin label in 1989 and began recording albums of thoughtful-yet-stirring music to document her new life as Sam Phillips. Critics’ fave Fan Dance, her 2001 debut record for Nonesuch Records, featured lovely string arrangements by the legendary Van Dyke Parks. Phillips is currently in the middle of a year-long multimedia project called Long Play and also has a tune placed in Oscar-contending film Crazy Heart with Jeff Bridges. In addition, Phillips will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our Q&A with her.

gordon-matta

Phillips: I think Gordon Matta-Clark was arrested for cutting big shapes out of condemned buildings. There are some recordings I’d like to cut some holes in … but that’s not the only reason I like his amazing work. I have often wished I could arrange for the roof of a club or theater to open up while I’m singing to let the sky in. There are books of his building sculptures and pieces of them that have shown up at museums. He had an amazing ability to see art and beauty in unlikely places. Video after the jump.

Continue reading “Sam Phillips’ Fan Dance: Gordon Matta-Clark”

Categories
VIDEOS

Film At 11: Electric President

MAGNET is proud to premiere the video for Electric President‘s gorgeous “The Violent Blue.” The song is the title track from the Jacksonville, Fla., duo’s third album (on the Fake Four label). Electric President’s first two LPs were issued by the Germany-based Morr Music, so The Violent Blue is the band’s debut U.S. release. Amazingly, this sci-fi-leaning video was shot for only $150. Enjoy.

Categories
TIVO PARTY TONIGHT

TiVo Party Tonight: The Low Anthem, Silversun Pickups

tivosilversun4096Ever wonder what will happen during the last five minute of late-night TV talk shows? Here are tonight’s notable performers:

The Late Show With David Letterman (CBS): The Low Anthem
Rerun from January 14. These Providence, R.I., natives performed “Charlie Darwin” from Oh My God, Charlie Darwin, which was MAGNET’s number-one album of 2009.

Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC): Silversun Pickups
Silversun Pickups will do a song from newest album Swoon. The band will begin its 2010 U.S. tour with Muse in February.