With seemingly limitless scientific ingenuity, it should have been easy to guess that the one thing the brainiacs at NASA don’t know how to do is be popular. NASA’s rep has been on the decline since word of an economic slowdown hit and resources began going to the war in Iraq. Then there was the moon bomb that wasn’t. But with today’s unmanned (and successful!) rocket mission, NASA has a lot to crow about once more.
Noise Pop 17 is taking over San Francisco next week and we are all set to give away tickets to some of this year’s buzziest shows. Here’s how it works: Tell us about your most hilarious, audacious, and/or embarrassing act of music fandom and publish it as a comment on this post by 10 p.m. this Sunday, February 22nd. Make sure to leave a valid email address so we have a direct way to contact you.
The top three entries will be announced on Flavorwire on Tuesday the 24th and will each receive a pair of tickets to the following shows as prizes:
Although the contest is technically open to all Flavorwire readers, please note that these concerts are in San Francisco and we don’t have the bones to fly you all the way across the country to hang out with Kool Keith. Thus priority will be given to local residents and/or those contestants planning on being in the Bay Area during Noise Pop. (In other words, if you’re a lucky winner and then reveal that you’re Chicago-based, we’ll be mad.) And yes, spelling and grammar count, but not as much as all out hilarity and copious self deprecation.
Just when we thought the collaborative efforts surrounding N.A.S.A.’s upcoming debut album The Spirit of Apollo (Feb 17) couldn’t get much crazier (Kool Keith + Tom Waits! David Byrne + Z-Trip! Karen O + Ol’ Dirty Bastard!), we got an email from their publicist about the album art — five interchangeable covers featuring work by Sage Vaughn, Mark Gonzales, Shepard Fairey, Marcel Dzama, and the Date Brothers.
View them all after the jump, and let us know which one you like best in the comments (we’re rather partial to Vaughn’s disco ball, but that might be because we have one hanging in the Flavorpill office).
1. NASA FEATURING TOM WAITS AND KOOL KEITH, “Spacious Thoughts”
Waits growls and Keith spits — a weird combination that makes us wonder who else to expect on this debut from SPIKE JONZE’s brother, SAM SPIEGEL. [Pitchfork]
2. MARNIE STERN, “Don’t Stop Believing” (Journey cover)
The divisive CMJ 2008 darling gives us a good excuse to crank it up to level 11. [Stereogum]
3. PURSE SNATCHERS, “It Woke Me From Slumber”
Indie rock boy meets indie rock girl; they get married and start indie rock side project. [Barack Rock]
4. AESOP ROCK, “Citronella”
The hip-hop equivalent of the New York Times’ Week in Review section. [Daytrotter]
5. LOCH LOMOND, “Blue Lead France”
Happy hippie music from a sprawling troupe out of Portland. [RCRD LBL]