Charting the Charts

Oh God. A bunch of shit I don't care about occurs on the Billboard charts this past week.

Weezer's new AMAZING album (...cough cough...) debuted at #4, down from #2 for their previous album, Make Believe. 

Disturbed, a band I intentionally avoid listening to, debuted at #1, proving that rock is alive, you know, just not in the way that it's actually "rock 'n roll." Journey inexplicably charts in at #5, Jewel debuts at #8, and the S & the C soundtrack continues to be hot shit, at #7 in its second week.

On the less-than-top-ten part of the chart, Leona Lewis, Madonna,  and other shit I don't care enough to mention have gone gold. 

Singles-wise, Modern-Rock-wise, Weezer continues to reign atop that chart with Pork & Beans, proving... that... I don't know, people like Weezer regardless of quality? I got nothing. The Offspring continues to surprise me with their continued existence at #2 with Hammerhead, a song I have yet to hear anywhere. I'm disappointed that the Foo Fighters have become the lazy-masters of Rock, because they used to be great, and now are, well, less than great. They're at #3. Linkin Park, Seether, Flobots, Nine Inch Nails, and Death Cab for Cutie are up there, and Salute Your Solution is hanging firm at #9, with Mr. Gwyneth Paltrow's band serving up flavor at #10 with Violet Hill.

Also, there are no vowels in the first four letters of Mrs. Paltrow's first name. I guess "y" is a sometimes vowel, but it's weird typing a name with seven letters and only one is a vowel. 

Next week, things continue to happen!

-RoboNixon

Charting Music

Here's the Billboard music round-up.

Frank Sinatra's best-of, "Nothing But the Best" is in the top 10, at #6, falling from #4 last week. Death Cab for Cutie is at #10, down from #5 last week, and #1 the week before that. I'm not a big fan, but good for them. I like it whenever a rock album tops the charts. It's like a dying beast throwing out its limbs with its final breath.

Madonna's at #11, and after 5 weeks, still has yet to move 500,000 copies. Her primo-days are long gone, my friends. Kid Rock's latest has gone gold, making me die a little inside, Jack Johnson has gone platinum, making me sleepy inside, and Alvin & the Chipmunks refuses to leave the charts, has gone gold, and hovers around #24 (up from #29 last week). That movie is evil, so I imagine someone selling their soul cut a smooth contract that guaranteed theatrical and musical success.

We eat each other's shit for laughs.

REM hovers at #66, and The Raconteurs are out of the top 100. Bummer.

As far as singles go, Weezer reigns supreme with Pork & Beans at #1 on the Modern Rock chart, which makes me sad, but is followed up by a new Offspring song at, surprisingly, #2. Wow. I thought they spontaneously combusted or something. Good to have you back, guys. Be good. "Salute Your Solution" by The Raconteurs rounds off the top 10.

And there's your music minute.

-RoboNixon

Surprise!

The new Weezer album, "Weezer," is, evidently, terrible.

Like none of us saw this coming.

I haven't heard it yet, but I have to say, I find no reason to buy this album. I don't like the single, and their albums have been on a downward slide since Matthew Sharp left the band. Weezer, you have finally lost RoboNixon. 

Goodbye Weezer. (sniffle) Goodbye forever.

Weezer reviews: AV Club, Rolling Stone, NYTimes

-RoboNixon

Pork & Beans Music Vidja

Here's the music video to Weezer's single, Pork & Beans. As RoboRoommate v.2 said, it makes the song better. Which is true. Because the video is great. The song is, sadly, still mediocre. 

Here's to hoping the rest of the album is better (but with equally as cool music vids).

-RoboNixon

Musings and Music

Weezer is coming out with a new album?! Really?! On June 17th? This year? Really? What about that whole "Rivers-Cuomo-Being-Crazy" thing? Oh, crazy-awesome? Sweet! 

Anyway, the new single is out today [EDIT: er, uh, by today I mean April 22]. It's called "Pork & Beans" and I haven't heard it. There is a clip you can listen to here, but it's not long. I'll probably find it on the series-of-tubes in the near future and link to it for your listening enjoyment.

Also, for you Weezer obsessees, drummer Patrick Wilson (not the dude from Little Children) has a online thingie-majigger.

As for other new-album news, The Dandy Warhols appear to have a new album, Earth to the Dandy Warhols coming out on May 5th. They also have a series of youtube videos on their website with snippets of songs. I have included a thingie here. I don't really know what it is -- it sounds kind of like future-music you hear in movies when they enter the future-mall and it's future-lame, but I'll reserve my judgement until the actual album is released. Their last album, Odditorium was 40% awesome, 60% lame-o. Let's hope they at least flip those percentages for this new one.

Earth to the Dandy Warhols. May 5th.

Actually, it just sounds kinda like bad 70's porn. At least until the theoretically-an-actual-song-clip at the end. This "pimp" for the new album is cooler. It has a space-suit. I like shiny things.

Even cooler is a video on Current about my other favorite Portland band, The Thermals. They explain their new album, The Body, the Blood, the Machine, while walking around the perpetually overcast reaches of town. There's some sweet performance video. Also, I think their bassist is cute. Cute in the "she plays bass, and she's a chick - totally cute!" kinda way. Anyway, you should check out the video, because it explains the album and has some sweet tuneage.

Also, for you Los Angeles children out there, I'd like to point you in the direction of The Long Blondes, who are playing at the Troubadour on June 4th. They are grood, and I plan on being there.

And on a final note, sadly, Electric Six are no longer touring, at least until October. In a "please understand that if we keep touring we will spontaneously-combust"-type post, they reveal that their new album will come out in what will now officially be called Rocktober of 2008. And that lead singer/songwriter Dick Valentine has discovered a new love that will take him away from his band-mates.

I can't speak for what my bandmates will do with their time, but I have recently discovered Las Vegas. I had never been there before last month (our show last year at the Beauty Bar doesn't count) and now I want to move there forever. I intend to fly there twice a month, by myself, hanging out for days on end, by myself....in Vegas. This is how I'm going to spend my time off. I always wondered what I'd do when I take time off from the band. The answer: I'm going to Vegas by myself. A lot.

And whatever happens there, let it inspire a Dance Epidemic.

-RoboNixon