So if there is anything I like more than people watching, it’s music blog watching. Oh, you may not care that Matt LeMay writes for Pitchfork again or that Google shut down a bunch of sites or which blogger reportedly hooked up with which blogger, but I sure do. Some people have soap operas, I have music blogs.

So imagine my surprise and interest when, upon stumbling into work this morning (I’m sick…boo!) and booting up my computer, I saw that one of the Holy Trinity of music blogs (Pitchfork, Brooklyn Vegan, and Sterogum) had undergone a major redesign. Like, drastically major. This, ladies and gentleman, is news of the highest order. But what does it mean?

Okay, so I’m going to be reaching into my training as a music blogtologist (it’s sort of like proctology, only you study a lot more asses) for some analysis here. Bear with me. Pretension will be abound below. …read full article…

This great news comes to us from our friends at 17dots (the links contains an interview w/ the band and them performing the new track) :

“An exciting announcement today from our good friends and eMusic Selects alumni the Rural Alberta Advantage. They’ve partnered with the fantastic T-Shirt company Threadless (who I was spending large chunks of my paycheck supporting for a while there!) to give fans the opportunity to name a heretofore untitled song.”

Evidently, the band has partnered with the t-shirt company Threadless, and are asking the Threadless users to suggest a title for the tune which they’ve been referring to as ‘New Song’. Check out the comment on Threadless Tee-V to see what song titles have been suggested so far and check out the song “after the jump” …read full article…

In celebration of Labor Day, Radio Exile will be taking a bit of a break today – one that we’re pretty sure that we’ve deserved for a while. Have no fear, we will resume our normal posting schedule tomorrow, so be safe and let’s meet up here again tomorrow, eh?

Photo: SMS at Johnny Rockets

There, deep in the nether regions of space, a small crack forms in the absolute blackness of nothing, before quickly bursting into a circular tear that burns through space like film celluloid. This tear is quickly followed by a glass-like shattering of the cosmos and the space-time continuum itself rips apart.

A gaping hole is formed. …read full article…

Throughout my weeks and months I collect songs by relatively unknown bands that are deserving of hype. I try to post a collection of these songs every week but some times life gets crazy and I don’t get around to it for a couple weeks. The common theme of this week’s Hype Device is that Pitchfork has stolen my thunder on 4 out of 5 of these songs. I made this Hype Device a couple of weeks ago and in the interim, P4K reviewed 4 of these songs. Damn them to hell, I say.

Oh well, at least they have good taste.

On with the show… …read full article…

Check out the Animal Collective remix of “Zero” “after the jump” …read full article…

This might be old news to some, but one of our favorite acts, Deer Tick [MySpace], have announced that they will release their second album, Born On Flag Day, on June 23 via Partisan Records. The follow-up to 2007’s debut, War Elephant, finds the band with three new members along with principal songwriter John J. McCauley III, who had recorded all the instruments himself on the debut. The quintet is currently on the road and will embark on a tour with Jenny Lewis in June in support of Born.

Tracklisting and tourdates “after the jump” …read full article…

The only thing you need to skip on this album is the history lesson. Metric’s [Official, Myspace] latest, Fantasies, stands on its own, without street cred previous releases may have brought to their name. Fantasies compresses the band’s talent into ten pop songs that find their root in sounds fostered by old stalwarts like The Eurythmics, and relative newcomers, The Silversun Pickups. Ultimately, the record summarizes these bands’ (and more) best parts with efficiency and startling honesty. Out April 7th this year, it will be your summer album. …read full article…

Any still frame with a smoking guitar player is pretty amazing (although, as a former smoker I would like to note that smoking isn’t cool, but it IS your decision if you’re over 18). Like the title says, this is a brand new video from All the Saints [MySpace] from their debut full-length Fire On Corridor X” on Touch and Go/Quarterstick Records.

Get this crazy track and check out the video “after the jump” …read full article…

Contrary to what people might be telling you, Zodiac Dust is not a crazy new drug or some David Bowie glam-pop tribute. In fact, it is the work of Brooklyn’s own Loop 2.4.3 [MySpace] that merges myriad elements of classical, jazz, rock and many other world musics. Loop 2.4.3 employs the gamut of percussion instruments, from marimba and steel drum to tom-toms, bongos and snare drums, temple bowls and wood blocks, opera gongs and electronics. That sounds weirder than the fact that I made a “How to Succeed in Business” reference on my own site, but it is really prety chill.

Sound fun? Come check out more “after the jump” …read full article…

Hey guys, we’ll be updating the site later today when we get into our offices, but this morning we have a great opportunity to tour Red Bull Arena and see the state of construction with club and league officials. Tom will be updating his SXSW coverage shortly, so be on the lookout for that. Happy Spring (unless you’re in New York where it is snowing?)

…and we missed the tour bus that left from Giants Stadium. Ugh. Now we’re headed to work. After last night’s loss (3-1 to Seattle) we weren’t in a good mood – this makes matters worse.. Thanks Jersey traffic, you suck.

What up, peeps? I got the Radio Exile staff out to a show tonight out – we’re drinking and watching one of favorite NYC-based acts, Murder Mystery.

I hope you’re out and about as well, but if you’re not, you should come chill with Elie, Tom and I. Rad?

(Edit: We had a great time, thank you to Murder Mystery for having us; everyone there really seemed to enjoy themselves and we did too. Also, Adam’s “little sister” is kinda hot. No doubt.)

Hospice, the long-awaited full-length from Antlers is receiving a wondrous ovation, of sorts, tonight. If you’re up for some free, tasty booze, they’re having a listening party from 9-10 tonight at Le Poisson Rouge. Tom and I are here, so feel free to come up and say hello if you see us.

Come inside and say hello if you were there …read full article…

This guy, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson [Myspace] had the unfortunate duty of playing in Toronto a few Wednesdays ago – I say unfortunate because it was -35 outside and I can guarantee very few people were in the mood to brave it to see a relative unknown from Brooklyn. It’s a shame, though. On a warmer night, he would have had a better time. The audience would have too, as Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson has a great set of sad little numbers here. …read full article…

The Rock Hall inductees were announced yesterday.  Metallica and Run D.M.C. lead the class [Billboard]

Peter Bjorn & John and Animal Collective receive the remix treatment [PMA]

One of my current favorites, Deer Tick, recently covered “Still Crazy After All These Years” by Paul Simon [PTST]

Thoughts on the relationship between fashion and music [The 405]

Great musicians lost in 2008.  Rest in peace [Noise Addicts]

Congrats to Charles Hamilton on his first solo cover (after he was previously one o’ many on XXL). This time, Charles earns the cover of Fader, and it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. Bloggers either love or loathe this cat, but we know which side o’ the argument Radio Exile stands on because we’re posting this. Go us and go Charles.

Check out his Soulja Boy diss video “after the jump” …read full article…

Check out this insane lego interpretation of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” [FP]

The new Animal Collective record apparently leaked over Christmas.  The quality is a paltry 128 kbps, but go to town [Idolator]

Best-of lists are pretty much everywhere at this point.  TLOBF takes a look at some records that flew under the radar this year [TLOBF]

John Lennon’s likeness was re-appropriated for this advertisement selling the “One Laptop Per Child” initiative [TMS]

Today we mourn the loss of John Lennon, murdered in 1980 outside The Dakota apartment building in Manhattan.  Mark David Chapman was recently denied parole, yet again.

EMI must have great confidence in Lady Sovereign.  The sinking label offered the UK rapper her own imprint, dubbed Midget Records.  Its maiden release will be the artist’s new album, Jigsaw, scheduled for delivery on April 9th [Billboard]

Too much “tweeting” can get you in trouble with MC Hammer.  Twitter is just 2 Legit 2 Quit.  Yeah, I went there [Buzzgrinder]

4AD has a holiday sampler its distributing online [TLOBF]

Information is now available on the new Black Lips release.  200 Million Thousand will be in stores sometime in February [Music Slut]

The image that heads today’s links is courtesy of Ironic Sans, whose work I am a big ass fan of. I found it on Laughing Squid, whose site I love intensely. *POOF* You’re cooler.

I don’t like when rad bloggers go away. I miss them. That’s why it’s so nice to see Alan back at the helm of his site, Sixeyes, and posting gnarly mixtapes. This one features Cat Power. Her name is pronounced like mine, but spelled Chan. Rad.[Sixeyes]

Starsailor revealed their 2009 UK Dates today. I am excited. I like them. I wish I had gotten this news as well. I hate when I am left out (i.e. Letters to Cleo invites, Zunes) [The Music Slut]

Today, I am falling so very much in love with the work of Bradley Schenck. His future-retro pop art is effing brilliant, so brilliant that I want to vomit. Hopefully, he’ll see this and offer me something nice. I have free ad space to offer? [Retropolis Transit Authority]

If you like winning stuff, you could win an autographed a copy of Gnarls Barkley’s new EP? Might you know a fan who would like this? [Arjan Writes]

Last bit o’ business, find out who won last month’s contests “after the jump” …read full article…