Today at Flavorpill, we watched food fight itself and cats listen to Devo. We met the girls of eBay. We weren’t sure why anyone would want to put their face on a condom wrapper. We had a super rare Bigfoot sighting. We found Marlene Dietrech’s personalized letterhead absolutely stunning. We kind of wished that minotaurs were the new vampires. We listened to Lissie cover Kid Cudi’s “Pursuit of Happiness.” We found out how Lost executive producer Damon Lindelof would clean up the BP oil spill. We judged James Murphy by his iTunes playlist. We were scared by all 10 different versions of evil Pac-Man. We wondered what kind of depraved thieves would steal a 5-foot-4 ballerina’s slippers. And finally, we decided that tentacled characters are the best characters. Especially Dr. Zoidberg.
Of course, your weekly mixtape consists of June’s obligatory summer jams. But this time, we’re also including some low-key tracks you can listen to inside and enjoy the underappreciated wonders of air conditioning. These ten tracks, featuring the latest from the Morning Benders, Francis and the Lights, Tanlines, and more, will help get your mind off that shirt sticking to your back. After the jump, Right Click + Save As to download the songs individually or scroll to the bottom for the entire mixtape.
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Yes, there were actually music videos this week other than the crammed-full-of-crazy video for “Telephone” that Lady Gaga finally released last night after weeks of anticipation. (And if you haven’t already seen it, follow along with our in-depth coverage here). While “Telephone” might rival “Thriller” in terms of fanfare, there were plenty of other music videos released this week that deserve your attention. After the jump, you can go graveyard-dancing with Morrissey, stumble through the gravity-defying world of Kid Cudi, and discover how much better flying would be if the airlines all employed Kate Nash. It might even make you forget about that telephone currently ringing off the hook.
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Let’s just say that this week’s mix features surprises. From breaking news (The New Pornographers, Broken Social Scene) to breakaways (The Apples in Stereo, Sia) to breakouts (Galapaghost, Barbara), the next ten tracks will give you even more of an excuse to curl up inside and avoid the nor’easter. Right Click + Save As if you prefer to order your music a la carte, or download the mix in its entirety here.
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HBO’s newest series, How to Make It in America, officially debuts on Valentine’s Day, but they’ve already leaked the pilot online. The show — which stars Bryan Greenberg and Victor Rasuk — focuses on two New York City guys in their twenties who are trying to break into the fashion industries; art galleries, plaid flannels, and Wilhelmina models all naturally figure in. Executive producers include Rob Weiss (who inspired the insane director, Billy Walsh of Entourage), Mark Wahlberg, and creator Ian Edelman, among others.
Watch the pilot, and then download “How to Make it In America: The Mixtape” courtesy of KiD CuDi (who also stars), DJ Green Lantern & Broke Mogul (DECON) after the jump.
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This week’s mix might help you remember bands who have been off the radar doing non-band things. It might jog your noggin and make you feel nostalgic for more decade music. It might even give you something new to play to break the ice when your friends are are all over and you didn’t remind them that it was BYOB. Oh, it just happened? Go ahead, save the day.*
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1. Kid Cudi is leaving Lady Gaga‘s Monster Ball Tour to focus on his next album and acting commitments. He will perform at scheduled dates through the end of January. [via Billboard]
2. Up in the Air, Inglourious Basterds, and Precious led the 16th annual SAG Award nominations. [via indieWIRE]
3. Sarah Palin was spotted in Hawaii wearing a John McCain campaign visor with his named blacked out. She coyly claims she was trying to go incognito. [via The Awl]
4. Morrissey has released an official statement in which he apologizes to fans for his last album, Swords, calling it a “meek disaster.” [via NME]
5. Good news: Your Big Mac will soon come with a side of free WiFi. Will McDonald’s become the new Starbucks for bloggers? [via Geek Sugar]
Bonus link: The decade’s best unread books
We first told you about Virgin Mobile’s innovative FREE.I.P. program back in July. By volunteering your time to help homeless youth, you were entered to win a free flight and ticket to their Virgin Mobile FreeFest. Well, they’re launching the second installment of the FREE.I.P. series, and this time around they’re offering you the chance to win tickets to Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball Tour.
If you’re like us, then of late Lady Gaga has become more than just a pop star. She is a way of life. Her incredible stage shows and even more outrageous costumes have put her at a nexus of performance and pop-culture commentary. (If you don’t believe us, analyze “Bad Romance.” ) But, unless you were on this bandwagon early, there’s no way you’re scoring tickets to her sold-out Monster Ball Tour.
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1. Lady Gaga has announced her Monster Ball tour dates with Kid Cudi; the multimedia show will be in the style of the first-ever “pop electro opera” and she’ll kick things off on November 27 at the Bell Center in Montreal. [via MTV]
2. Think twice before you poke someone on Facebook. It could land you in jail. [via Gawker]
3. Damien Hirst topped ArtReview’s list of the 100 most influential people in the art world last year. Now he’s at number 48. [via Bloomberg]
4. Wes Anderson has responded to accusations that he’s a sociopath and directed Fantastic Mr. Fox (which the Hollywood Reporter liked) over email. [via Slashfilm]
5. FOX has renewed Seth MacFarlane’s Family Guy spin-off, The Cleveland Show, for another season. [via TV Guide]
The summer of lo-fi music has come to a close — it’s getting cooler out, and we need to refresh our iPods with some new music. So give your fingers a little warm-up stretch and get ready to “Right Click, Save Link As,” because after the jump we present 10 essential downloads from our latest Viva Radio show that we consider required listening at Flavorpill HQ. Enjoy! Read More »
