Likely Looks: M.I.A. - Story To Be Told

M.I.A. once again has made a video and let it go viral...this time around for her track Story To Be Told.

Taking the Captcha style and placing words from the lyrics boxed around a white bird, the song wails as the words fade into the background. Its simplicity allows M.I.A. to get across her favorite thing these days...a message.

Check out the clip here:



M.I.A. kicks off her North American tour today with label mate and protege Rye Rye.

Live Review: The Charlatans @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg September 14, 2010

Being a band for 20 years has its ups and downs and for The Charlatans this definitely has a lot of truth to it. With the release of their 11th album Who We Touch the band decided to make a rare trip Stateside to play several shows around the country for the first time in around 4 years.

The band gave fans exactly what they wanted while making sure they showcased their new material, which is bound to become certified "fan favorites" tracks in the future. Opening with Then from their debut album Some Friendly, Burgess seemed surprisingly happy on stage and more engaging than usual with his Beatles-esque bowl cut and perfectly pitched yet slightly whiney vocals.

Breaking out tracks like North Country Boy, How High and White Shirt created crowd singalongs as people danced and sang in unison, drinks in hand. Mixing it up with tracks from lesser known albums such as This Is The End and Oh! Vanity as well as their new single My Foolish Pride and Smash The System still kept the crowd's interest but it was those classic Charlatans tracks that kept the energy up and the crowd fully engaged.

Ending as usual with Spronston Green, the band's 90-minute set was evidence that The Charlatans can come back to the US anytime...and the fans will be right there with them.

For a taste of The Charlatans live check out their performance of White Shirt from the night before at Bowery Ballroom:

Likely Looks: The Charlatans - My Foolish Pride

The Charlatans are back with a brand new album, Who We Touch and a shiny new single and video to accompany it.

The band recently released their video for the single My Foolish Pride which sees Tim looking like he did back when Some Friendly came out...a.k.a massive mop top. Still suits him though!

The video features Burgess traveling on trains, walking through stations and clearly reminiscing about a former love which sadly it seems at the end he is after all, alone.

Check out the video here:



The band is also hitting the road for a North American tour through the month of September. With a catalog like theirs, missing them is an absolute shame. Here are the dates:

09/08 - Chapel Hill, NC @ Cat's Cradle
09/09 - Washington, DC @ Black Cat
09/10 - Boston, MA @ Royale
09/11 - Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell's
09/13 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
09/14 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
09/15 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda's
09/16 - Montreal, QC @ Cabaret
09/17 - Toronto, ON @ Lee's Palace
09/18 - Chicago, IL @ Double Door
09/20 - San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo's
09/21 - Costa Mesa, CA @ Detroit Bar
09/22 - Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey

Likely Listens: Brie Stoner

With the fall season coming our way soon, the perfect soundtrack seems to have come from Brie Stoner and her brand new release, the Delicate Hour EP.

Sounding like a cross between Neko Case and Mazzy Star, this Midwestern girl has a voice as smooth as honey and is pretty much love at first listen.

Check out her video for her song Together Forever here:



I can't wait for more from this girl!

M.I.A. Embarks On North American Tour

M.I.A. may have had to jump on the backlash train slightly with her latest release /\/\/\Y/\ (a.k.a MAYA without the crazy stylized writing) but that isn't stopping the British/Sri Lankin singer from hitting the road in support of it.

Tagging along is Rye Rye, an artist on her N.E.E.T. record label and protégé of the singer.

Hopefully, the shows won't be anywhere near her performance the HARD New York festival which left many fans not so thrilled about standing out in the heat all day to catch her.

Here are the tour dates:

Sept 21, Montreal Metropolis
Sept 22, Toronto Sound Academy
Sep 25, Washington DC V Festival
Sep 26 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
Sep 27 New York, NY Terminal 5
Sep 29 Chicago, IL Vic Theater
Sep 30 Chicago, IL Vic Theater
Oct 3 Ithaca, NY Cornell University
Oct 4 Boston, MA Royale Nightclub
Oct 5 Boston, MA Royale Nightclub
Oct 9 Austin, TX Zilker Park - Austin City Limits
Oct 12 Oakland, CA Fox Theater

Likely Looks: Kings Of Leon - Radioactive

Say what you want about Kings Of Leon but somehow since the release of 2008's Only By The Night the band keeps coming back with hit after hit.

Their latest single, Radioactive is off their brand new album Come Around Sundown out October 19th and once again they recorded a smash.

Everything in this video screams Kings Of Leon...from the sepia tones to the Southern setting and of course the brilliant song.

Right now, Kings Of Leon is basically unstoppable and I'd gladly like to see this train keep moving for a longggggg time

Check out the video for Radioactive here:

Reasons To Love Eastbound And Down #3525 - Marilyn Manson

Eastbound And Down is one of the best shows on television...and has gotten even better because somehow they've convinced Marilyn Manson to be on the show sans makeup and in a baseball uniform.

Yea, pretty amazing if you ask me...and the kicker is he HAS A MULLET! You heard me correctly...m-u-l-l-e-t.

Apparently Manson is so obsessed with the show that "he goes so far as to dress up like Kenny," according to co-director David Gordon Green and even repeats entire pieces of dialogue said by Kenny Powers.

Whatever floats his boat but his appearance on the show is something I highly approve of and I cannot wait for this episode to air.

Now for the photo...

Likely Looks: Marina and the Diamonds - Shampain

Marina & the Diamonds is back with her brand new single and video for Shampain, the fifth from her album The Family Jewels

Teaming up with director Kim Gehrig (who has also directed videos for Goldfrapp, Calvin Harris and others) clearly shows her love for a little Michael Jackson circa Thriller and 80's makeshift prom dresses...in the ever-so-quirky Marina style.

Check out the video here: