Less Than Jake Interviews Bodyjar and Vice Versa

Less Than Jake

Roger Lima of Less Than Jake and Cam Baines of Bodyjar took turns interviewing each other for MusicFeeds:

I’m not sure, to be honest, we had a massive break-up that lasted 3 years until Descendents asked us to tour, so we got back together and made ‘Role Model’, which did well. Then for some reason, we decided to have more time off when we really should have maybe done another album quickly, but we never seem to do anything the right way; we prefer the hard and weird way of doing things. Besides, that having kids thing has been popular in our band, also I opened a skate shop called Locality Store in Melbourne.

Review: Phoebe Bridgers – Stranger In The Alps

Phoebe Bridgers

The connection found amongst shared interests within pop culture can be the catalyst for some of the strongest bonds in life. A terrible day capped off by the most mundane social event, spent staring at carpets with a drink in hand, can be altered by the moment another human mentions a band you love or nonchalantly slips a quote from your favorite sitcom into conversation; ears prick up from across the room, time stops for a second, a small spark and a “me too” moment occurs. In January of this year, 23-year-old Phoebe Bridgers released “Smoke Signals,” and it managed to hone in on that precise feeling. Packed with references to Bowie, Lemmy, Thoreau’s Walden, The Smiths, and a guitar line that emulates the Twin Peaks theme, the song encapsulates the warm-glow of discovering a connection via a first conversation with someone. It’s a masterclass in introspection and nostalgia that transcends boundaries in a way that it could soundtrack any one of our very own memory trips.

It’s this intimate, conversational approach of Bridgers that makes her debut album Stranger In The Alps a gut-punch of a triumph. The sheer candor and familiarity as foundations are rare to find but the listener has a goldmine here, resulting in one of the most rewarding and affecting records of the year.

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Crooked Media Announces New Website and Network

Crooked Media

Crooked Media has launched a new website, podcast, and network of contributors:

That’s us and that’s it. We’re proud of what we’ve built so far and excited for what’s next. Truth is, none of us expected to be doing this. Crooked wasn’t born of some master plan or a slick PowerPoint presentation with a battle-tested business model. We bet there were people like us who were frustrated and looking for something more. That people have responded has meant the world to us. And we couldn’t get through this roiling clusterfuck of a presidency without all of you.

The website looks good and the contributor network is full of great voices.

Brandon Flowers Comments on Las Vegas Shooting

The Killers

Brandon Flowers of The Killers has released a statement about the Las Vegas shooting:

I’m a Vegas boy. I always have been and — even though I just moved my wife and kids to Utah — I always will be. This past Sunday on a flight home from Australia, I flew over my hometown. Forehead to the window I looked down on Las Vegas and felt a prick of nostalgia. I thought about my mother buried below, I thought about my friends in Henderson, and I even traced Flamingo road down to where it meets the 95 and pin pointed my high school, Chaparral. I could see the city as a whole, but I couldn’t look close enough to see what was about to unfold. It’s hard to believe it’s real. My prayers go out to those whose lives were taken and to everyone else affected by this nightmare. I’m devastated for my community and for all of the people who gather together to see live music. Some of the happiest moments of my life have happened at concerts. They are a rite of passage, a holy communion, or just the kind of escape from the stress and the grind of daily life that so many people need. My heart swells when I hear the stories of people putting their lives on the line to help each other — defying the stereotypes of what people say Las Vegas is all about. We’re all long lost brothers and sisters. I miss my town, I miss my mom, I miss these victims I didn’t even know, but I look forward to getting together with you real soon to keep their memory alive.

Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr. Were Close to Being Charged With Felony Fraud

Legal

ProPublica:

In the spring of 2012, Donald Trump’s two eldest children, Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr., found themselves in a precarious legal position. For two years, prosecutors in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office had been building a criminal case against them for misleading prospective buyers of units in the Trump SoHo, a hotel and condo development that was failing to sell. Despite the best efforts of the siblings’ defense team, the case had not gone away. An indictment seemed like a real possibility. The evidence included emails from the Trumps making clear that they were aware they were using inflated figures about how well the condos were selling to lure buyers.

This country is being run by the the worst people.