I saw this last week and thought "No, I'm not gonna get it. $75, costs too much" But I kept thinking about it all week, so I had to go pick it up today. Excellent packaging gets me every time.

If you like Ramones, and you like 90's California punk, I also recommend the Ramones cover albums by The Queers and Screeching Weasel:

Animal Collective to Release "Grass" Single

The track has lyrics, but I can't decipher them and neither can you.

Here's the lyrics, transcribed by the patient people at the Animal Collective Discussion Board:

Update: The correct lyrics have been now posted. These come direct from the band itself. The previous lyrics were a guess done by fans. The previous version is still listed below, because they're laughable compared to the real ones. Thanks Ben.

Animal Collective - Grass

i was walking on feet
just like my fathers
and my knees were trying to reach you
at your mothers
cause my nose was screaming that you
smelled like a lover
but my hands were happy to treat you
like a brother then

we do the dance up on the plains
then i shake your shoulders
you push me down into the grains
who rubs our noses in the night? we do we do

pow pow now now pow pow now now

ive been into the plants and simple treasures
and i sew patches on pants and i get pleasure
and i dont make particular plans
cause they dont matter
if you keep on foolin in bed
with my sleeping patterns

we do the dance up on the plains
then i shake your shoulders
you push me down into the grains
who rubs our noses in the night? we do we do

pow pow now now pow pow now now

Whats with all the changes since the time i was aware
its like the apple eating people that we once were arent there
Did they empty out their pockets and debase their younger faces and you must make sure your happy when you leave your summer places

pretty little femur sitting in my cherry dream boat
id be sad if your rejected from my hip bone and my knee
if i sailed away from continents and touched my lovers hair then
you'd be very happy if i touched her there

pretty little femur sitting in my cherry dream boat
id be sad if your rejected from my hip bone and my knee
if i sailed away from continents and touched my lovers hair then
you'd be very happy if i touched her there
i was very nervous how i felt in there
i was very cautious what'd you say hey there
would you like to see me often
though you dont need to see me often
cause i'd like to see you often
though i dont need to see you often

we do the dance up on the plains
then i shake your shoulders
you push me down into the grains
who rubs our noses in the night?

Previous Guessed lyrics:

Well, I was walkin' on feet
Just like my father's
As my knees tried to reach you
At your mother's
My nose was sniffin' that you smelled
Like a lover
But my hands were havin' (happy?) to treat you
Like a brother

THANK YOU FOR THE PAIN!
Shakey shakey shoulders
Down to the river of the noses in the night

Well I've given up lips and simple treasures
As I cross across your bends and I get pleasure
And I don't tickle your limbs
'Cause they don't matter
But you keep on movin' in bed
With my sleepin' patterns

THANK YOU FOR THE PAIN!
Got shakey shakey shoulders
Down to the river of the noses in the night

What's with all the changin' since the time I was aware?
It's like the apple-eatin' people of the worlds were all there
They empty out their pockets and they're facing other places
And you must be sure you're happy when you leave some places
Three little people sittin' in my cherry tree
But I'd be sad to be rejected from (a hippo with?) amnesia
Sail away forgotten and to touch was almost heaven
You'd be very happy if I touched her there
Three little people sittin' in my cherry tree
But I'd be sad to be rejected from (a hippo with?) amnesia
Sail away forgotten and to touch was almost heaven
You'd be very happy if I touched her there
I was very nervous how I felt in there
I was very cautious--won't you say hey there
Would you like to see me often?
No, you don't need to see me often
Because I'd like to see you often
No, I don't need to see you often

THANK YOU FOR THE PAIN!
Now shake your shoulders
And go down to the river of the noses in the night

***

Here's the cover for the new album:

It's been a fantastic past month or so for pop singles. Here's a few I've been enjoying:

Robyn - Konichiwa Bitches
I had completely forgot about Robyn so it feels like this song came out of nowhere, and she's rapping! Not only is she rapping, she's good at it. Surprisingly good. Like wtf good. She even comes across as more menacing and fun than the humourless 50 Cent. Crash and Burn Girl and Be Mine! are two other tracks making the MP3 blog circuit right now, which are not rap, but fine pop tunes. Robyn's new album is only available as an import in North America, which means $$$ or rip.

Gorillaz - Dare
I'm glad they picked Dare as the second single instead of Dirty Harry, which is pretty much a copy of the first single. The lyrics are simple, but effective with the high pitch vocals. On the single, the Soulwax remix flat out out performs the DFA one. I still prefer this album cut best though.

Daft Punk - Technologic (Vitalic Remix)
Wheras here, the remix makes this song. Vitalic out Daft Punks Daft Punk. I wish there was a Vitalic remix of the entire Human After All album.

Rinocerose - Bitch
Like Vitalic and Daft Punk, french beats are always so easy to pick out. Here they're glammed up in a 80s AC/DC meets Prince way. With sexy results.

Annie - Chewing Gum
Even though that time honoured indie sentiment that "this should be on the radio" is cliched, but really, this should be on the radio.

t.A.T.u - all about us
Feels like a blended copy of their previous singles, but still good. I never really expected to ever hear from them again, so this is a pleasant suprise.

Rachel Stevens - I Said Never Again (But Here We Are)
Again, it's fun when lowered expectations, or no expectations, lead to pleasant suprises. Apparently this is "schaffel pop" and it's due for a revival. I had no idea what the hell schaffel was or that it was even around in the first place. From as much as I can decipher, it's a subgenre of glam pop like Goldfrapp. It's one of those terms that only dance music dorks use or know about. Soon enough there'll be Intelligent Schaffel Pop! Which means all the fun will be extracted out of it.

Goldfrapp - Oh La La
While I've never quite been a huge Goldfrapp fan, not for disliking her or the music, but because I just haven't got around to listening to anything by her other than a single here or there. So I'm ill-equipped to label this song as a regression from her past work. It's nothing spectacular, but it's servicable and good enough for those mixtapes you make for friends that will only ever get played once out of courtesy.

Ladytron - Destroy Everything You Touch
In terms of style, Ladytron is usually grouped with Goldfrapp. I've always considered Ladytron a cut above Goldfrapp, but thought they've always lacked that one hot single that can sell an album. With "Destroy Everything You Touch", they've finally got that track. It even has a goth tinge to it, like Kylie's "Can't Get You Out of My Head", which I adore. It shows everything Ladytron is capable of. Which is making one of the best singles of the year.

Franz Ferdinand - Do You Want To
The backlash to this song is unwarranted. The last album was a pleasant suprise because it was sloppy and off, yet polished, but also immediately catchy. Here the complaint seems to be it's too polished and it's not immediately catchy. Which is true, but doesn't mean it sucks. It's a grower. Listen to it seven times.

Only issue I have is that the song is called "Do You Want To", but he actually says "Do You Wanna". My favourite song with the line "Do You Want To" still remains Youth Brigade's punk rock chugging palm-muted masterpiece "Violence".

Animal Collective - Grass
Holy shit, I can't stop listening to this. Yes this is Pop music. So giddy, alive and exhilirating. Thank you for the pain!

Stars - Ageless Beauty
A friend hates them because they're "so pretentious" live. I've always been fine with that and marked it as part of their gimmick, which is songs about unrequited love. Ageless Beauty is the strongest track from last years Set Yourself on Fire, and it's about, well, unrequited love. The kind that makes you think you can save the world. Next time someone asks you what's your favourite love song, instead of stumbling and thinking of Celine Dion or Whitney Houston, and you know, the fact that you've never been in love, just say Ageless Beauty.

The New Pornographers - Bleeding Heart Show
Power pop, indie pop, it's still pop. It's the end of this song that gets me. With Neko singing over the "hey la"'s, maybe I can fucking save the world.

The National's website has a ton of fantastic photography that all appear via a random script. I looked through all 497 of them, here are some of my favourites:

Their latest release is Alligator, of which I can't say enough good things about. They'll also be in town on October 2 at the Media Club with Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. See you there.

Girl listening to 'Casimir Pulaski Day' for the first time and crying in the parking lot

I've had this work conversation many times.

I always liked Aphex Twin's sense of humour. From the Wikipedia entry for his Analord Series:

It should be noted that tracks on Analord 8, 9, and 11 appear to be deliberately named after spyware and Trojan programs, possibly in an attempt by James to discourage the file sharing of his new tracks. Some anti-spyware programs will delete so-named files automatically, and some fans have found this very frustrating.

Relapse has posted a collaboration betwen Isis / Agoraphobic Nosebleed - Boris, a cover of a Melvins song from a forthcoming Melvins tribute album. Isis usually isn't this loud, so I'm wondering who did what here. Agoraphobic Nosebleed is a pretty shitty band name, even for metal.

The Relapse mp3 page also has Mastodon - Blood and Thunder.

How cool is Max Weinberg? Not only does he play for Springsteen, he guests drums for Death From Above 1979 and goes to Ozzfest to see Mastodon. During the desk bit, Conan asked Max what he did during the break the previous week and Max mentioned that he went to Ozzfest with his son. Conan asked what bands he liked and instead of saying Black Sabbath or Judas Priest, Max says "Mastodon, Shadows Fail, Lamb of God", to which a confused Conan replies "Lamb of God?! What kind of name is that?" and did an impromptu bit about metal kids chosing band names from the Bible.

Apologies to all who no longer know what I'm talking about any more. It's you, not me.

There's also a negative side.

Vanmega was at Tuesday's Ryan Adams spectacle of a rock concert. Quinn from From Blown Speakers was also there. I was considering going, but glad I didn't. If I want to go see an asshole in concert, I'll riot outside the cancelled Guns N Roses show. At least I'll get my money back.

Also, just like yelling "Freebird!", I officially declare yelling "Play Summer of '69!" at Ryan Adams funny again.

Animal Collective - Feels has leaked. While I'm not a fan of any of their slow, long, boring songs, I love the fast, infectious, nonsensical ones. Last year's "Who Could Win a Rabbit" was one of my top tracks, this year will be "Grass". It starts off like Worlds Apart era Trail of Dead, gets into its summertime groove and ends with blasts, literally. I usually never listen to anything on repeat, but here it is, beat, on repeat, repeating on me.

Update: Fluxblog posted Grass today.

prefixmag interviews "neo-folk" band Grizzly Bear:

PM: I didn't realize Sufjan Stevens was Christian. Grizzly Bear: Yeah, he's a hyper-Christian. I really like his music a lot. He kept singing about "he" and "him," and I thought he was gay at first. Then I found out he was talking about God.

Newly RIAA approved FatWreck reports that Lagwagon will have a new full length out in November. The relics of my punk rock youth, I still have a place for thee.

Because life is too short to listen to Coldplay, Insound is offering a download of British Sea Power - Please Stand Up, which is in the Top 5 for singles of the year.

Coolfer's got the download for Rinocerose - Bitch, also, one of the Top 5 singles of the year.

Worst thing about Tiny Mix Tapes: the trying too-hart to be funny news headlines. Seriously, it's lame.

Check out the cry.on.my.console remix of Lady Sovereign - Random. It's technically the Josh Console remix, as the cry.on.my.console name is for bootlegs and mashups, but cry.on.my.console is the best DJ name I've heard in years, so I'll call it that.