(Thanks, Adam)

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I'll be gone until August 3, so until then, you'll have to get your musical randomness elsewhere. I've been trying to cajole my coworkers into updating while I'm gone, but it doesn't look good. So there's that.

I was going to center this post around Chantal Kreviazuk's cover of "Leaving on a Jet Plane," as featured in "Armageddon" and the trailer for "The Terminal," but as I played the video, I realized that I hate her version (In my head, she sounds a lot more like Bjork singing it, and it's disappointing that real life doesn't comply).

So instead, I'll leave you with this, a song I've put on every mix tape I've made since I burned this CD three years ago.

Be nice! I'm off to get some fine wine.

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Anthem/Atlantic recording group Rush will make a very rare national television appearance on Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report” on Wednesday, July 16th at 11:30pm ET/PT. The band will be performing their timeless hit, “Tom Sawyer.”

Get excited!

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Radiohead has released a new video for their song, "House of Cards." It's, well, kind of cool. They're making a lot of fuss about it because they didn't use cameras in the making of the video at all. Instead they employed a 3-D motion capture system that "produce structured light to capture 3D images at close proximity." (Although, let's get philosophical here: isn't a camera at its essence a machine that uses light to transfer a live panorama into a static image?)

This video explains the technology further. OK, it's neat, but I don't get how a light-receptive sensor is not a camera. But I'm obviously getting caught up in semantics here.

The grainy, bare-bones electronic aesthetic of the video is a good fit for Radiohead's sound, and it's cool to see Thom Yorke's lonely, Max Headroom-ed crooning to no one.

And, of course, this being Radiohead, there's more. They encourage you to download the data here to create your own video and post it here.

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Seattle label Sub Pop Records (who got relevant by signing bands like Nirvana and Mudhoney in the late '80s, and stayed relevant with The Shins, Flight of the Conchords, No Age and other hipster fare) is celebrating its 20th anniversary this weekend with a big old concert in Redmond, Washington. I didn't make it out there, but I did find this video, courtesy SLOG , of Sub Pop claiming the Space Needle for its own.

Pretty cool.

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Billy Joel's "Lullaby (Goodnight, My Angel)" is actually the song that got me thinking about this. Alexa is also commemorated in (obvs) "The Downeaster 'Alexa'." I hate this song. Almost as much as I hate "Captain Jack." Maybe Billy Joel should stay away from nautical themes. But I'm getting off track...

Madonna "Dear Jessie." This song is actually about the song's co-writer Patrick Leonard's daughter, Jessie.

Pretty straightforward, Ben Folds writing about his daughter Gracie. He also wrote "Still Fighting It" for his son Louie (who is in the video), which if you listen to the lyrics, is a really sad song for your dad to have written you.

Lauryn Hill "To Zion." This is a beautiful song.

The Beatles "Good Night." According to wikipedia, John wrote this for Julian but asked Ringo to sing it, and George Martin to make a "really cheesey" arrangement.

John Lennon "Beautiful Boy." John's song for Sean is much nicer.

They Might Be Giants "Never Go to Work." The Johns have released two whole albums for kids: "Here Come the ABCs" and "Here Come the 1, 2, 3s."

What am I missing?

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I was just sent the following photo. What the heck is that about?

Mysteries revealed after the jump ...

Here's a sneak peak:

Much lighter than Islands, right?

BTW, see Islands at Siren Fest next week. It's gonna be awesome.

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So this song popped into my head just now, and I started wondering: How many music soundtracks is this song on. A lot, I bet.

According to IMDB, the song was used in the following films:
• Dan in Real Life
• Jersey Girl
• Along Came Polly
• Mr. Deeds
• Grosse Pointe Blank
• Look Who's Talking

But two other songs kept popping up on Mr. Townshend's entry.

"Won't Get Fooled Again" has appeared in a whopping 14 movies, tv shows and video games (Rock Band). It's the theme song to "CSI: Miami" and was featured in an episode of "The Simpsons. This is also not counting any Who specials or documentaries.

Baba O'Reilly (not "Teenage Wasteland") has had nine appearances on the big and small screen (no video games), including the theme for "CSI: New York."

Both "Baba" and "Fooled" are on the soundtrack to "Summer of Sam."

And now you know.

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Here's one of a cocktail making machine from Boing Boing:

If you make me a video, you win a prize. (Warning: the prize will probably be a crap CD off the slush pile.)

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I've written about them for the paper before, but local string quartet Ethel combines just about every genre to come up with a really cool sound. Listen.

And now East Village Opera Company is working on a project where they reimagine great arias as rock operas. It's pretty awesome, especially if you're familiar with the originals. Their "La donna e mobile" (done in a Queen-reminiscent style with a mid-eastern beat) made me laugh out loud. I'm not sure what this means about me. (Yes I am; It means I'm a dork.)

You can hear a couple of selections on their MySpace page.

If that's too much new for you, here's a more traditional version of the Habanera from Carmen, done by an orange.

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"Modern Guilt" drops Tuesday, songs leaked last week and I got my copy today!

Predictably, I love it ... I mean, it's awesome. I do pretty much love love love everything Beck has ever done (although "The Information" was underwhelming and forgettable), so, you know, bear that in mind when you read my endorsement review.

The first three tracks -- "Orphans," "Gamma Ray" and "Chemtrails" -- have been floating around the internet for a few weeks, so they already feel somewhat familiar. You can hear Danger Mouse's production all over this baby, but not in a way that's distracting. It's just part of the evolution of Beck's ever-hip sound.

"Guilt" is driving and slick and sad. Whereas "Guero" was an all-out party (and "Guerolito" was just unnecessary), this new album is very aware of actions and consequences. The lyrics are more straightforward than usual, and there are actual sentences that convey actual, if not straight-up meaning, at least a feeling. But there's still plenty of Dadaist word salad to be had: "And we could live inside a hollow tree/Grow up old and bury the sea" -- from "Replica," a frantic little number which features Beck keening over a jacked up BPM.

At just less than 40 minutes, the album feels even shorter than it is. The songs clip by at a frenzied pace with a surprising dark intensity. The bleeps and bloops of previous efforts are there, but "Guilt" is very much rock and roll.

Also, Cat Power is employed beautifully on "Orphans" and other songs.

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Enjoy!

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Britney Spears' "I'm not completely bonkers" comeback was entertaining (in a positive, non-schadenfreude way), but she did not make the Emmy shortlist. Oh well, we're rooting for you anyway Ms. Spears.

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