the ARCTIC MONKEYS

I posted on this guys back in September but a friend recently missed out on that post and I took down the mp3's so I am reposting on them with NEW MP3's.

These guys are really blowing up and the British press can't stop talking about them. Between loving how these guys started as grass roots through their website with their fans to being the next big thing since Oasis and Nirvana, these guys can't get enough accolades. Check out these write ups from the Guardian, a British newspaper.
"Have the Arctic Monkeys changed the music business?"
"Arctic Monkeys climbing high - thanks to the net"

THE BAND: Playing solely in Sheffiled, UK, the Arctic Monkeys have grown a huge, rabid fan base from just playing locally as well as being a open book to their fans via their website. Offering up free downloads and letting people swap back and forth, these guys made themselves openly available. Being of the age group that recognizes and appreciates what the internet can offer, they used it to great success. After just starting in February of this year and getting signed by June, the Arctic Monkeys are re-writing what is possible in the music business and making labels take notice.

THE SOUND: I think the Arctic Monkeys sound like a cross between the Libertines and Blur, heavier on the Libertines end. Punky and in your face with stories of Brit days and nights. I think they are worth a listen with the hype they are getting but I am interested to see if they take off in the States. They don't have the dance-ability of a Franz Ferdinand and which of the above named bands (Libertines and Blur) do you recall being a hit over here?

MP3 - Bigger Boys and Stolen Sweethearts EXPIRED
MP3 - Mardy Bum EXPIRED
MP3 - Still Take You Home EXPIRED
MP3 - A Certain Romance EXPIRED

BOOM BIP

A few weeks back you might recall I went to see Interpol here in town. I also mentioned somewhat enjoying the opening band, Boom Bip. I did some digging and found a bunch of mp3's by him that I like. I say him but I am still trying to figure out if Boom Bip is a him or a them. At the show there were 4 guys on stage but every article I find speaks to one guy, Bryan Hollon. He started out of Cincinnati, Ohio and is starting to cause some buzz with the underground. "Combining the palette of the laptop producer with hip-hop and rock", he creates nice atmospheric grooves like the first mp3, 'Eyelashings'. Cool stuff to listen to while staying busy at work or at home. I also really like the second mp3 I am posting, 'The Matter *(of our discussion)'. It is a mellow ballad against a dreamy electro backdrop. Vocals provided by Nina Nastasia.

You can buy many of Boom Bip's CD's on iTunes or at Amazon. BUY Blue Eyed in the Red Room.
MP3 - Eyelashings EXPIRED
MP3 - The Matter (of our discussion) EXPIRED

HAH!

From Drawn!:
Ever wonder where babies come from? Germany to the rescue! (Potentially not safe for work) Isn’t mother nature beautiful?
LINK

JARHEAD

I have heard about this movie coming out but just saw the trailer for it last night and it got me pumped - well, Kanye West's "Jesus Walks" was really the best part of it. All I really even know about the movie is that it is based on the book by Marine Anthony "Swoff' Swafford's time in the Gulf War. Directed by Sam Mendes.

Check out the teaser trailer here TEASER ...and the theatrical trailer here THEATRICAL

WTF

2 guys with a afinity for Backstreet Boys make a home video. BSB fans

HOWARD STERN PREPARES FOR LIFE WITHOUT LIMITS

From New York Times:

By JACQUES STEINBERG
Published: October 20, 2005
When Howard Stern crosses over in January to satellite radio and his own pay-per-view cable channel, he will do so from a new Midtown Manhattan studio loaded with the kinds of accessories that one would expect to find if the Playboy Mansion were given an extreme makeover.

A corner of the studio - which is located not at a gentleman's club but on the 36th floor of the McGraw-Hill Building at Rockefeller Center - has been outfitted with water-resistant walls and floors, for any gags that might involve whipped cream.

And just outside Mr. Stern's reach - as well as that of the Federal Communications Commission, which monitored him on commercial radio but no longer will - will be a stripper pole.

While Mr. Stern will also be taking plenty of gadgets with him from his syndicated terrestrial radio talk show - including the Tickle Chair, which is not to be confused with the Tickle Post - he will be leaving one noticeable piece of baggage behind: the increasingly tough restrictions imposed on him in recent years by his bosses (at Infinity Broadcasting) and the F.C.C.

Read the entire article here Article

THE KILLERS CAN'T STOP RELEASING HOT FUSS

From MSN Entertainment:

On November 22, the Las Vegas new wavers will release Hot Fuss — for the THIRD time — but in a boxed set format. Most boxed sets come from aging musicians who have hours of unreleased material to share, but The Killers, seeing yet another opportunity to cash in (maybe it has something to do with their hometown), are instead re-re-releasing each song on it's own 7-inch vinyl.

That means the box set will contain 11 records, one for each of Hot Fuss' songs, but that's not all! The vinyl's b-sides contains rare songs or covers like Morrissey's "Why Don't You Find Out Yourself" or an acoustic rendition of "Smile Like You Mean It." It isn't a total cash cow, though — there will only be 5,000 sets available worldwide.

According to Billboard.com the band have started working on their next album (likely titled Hot Fuss) that — if they stop systematically killing each and every one of the songs from their debut — should come out sometime in 2006.

Track list for the Hot Fuss boxed set:
"Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine"/"Somebody Told Me" (Josh Harris remix)
"Mr. Brightside"/"Under The Gun"
"Smile Like You Mean It"/"Show You How"
"Somebody Told Me"/"The Ballad Of Michael Valentine"
"All These Things That I've Done"/"Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself"
"Andy, You're A Star"/"Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town"
"On Top"/"Mr. Brightside" (Thin White Duke remix)
"Change Your Mind"/"Glamorous Indie Rock\s&\sRoll"
"Believe Me Natalie"/"Smile Like You Mean It" (acoustic)
"Midnight Show"/"Who Let You Go"
"Everything Will Be Alright"/"Get Trashed"

TOM VEK

Tom Vek hails from London and plays a ton of instruments. You can tell from the demos below, he worked through having minimal recording equipment and sticks with it. He pushes through a variety of 80's sounds: fuzz, garage rock, funk and raw beats. His debut CD, We Have Sound is out October 25th BUY We Have Sound.

Here are three mp3's, demos and one track off of the CD, that I have picked up over the past few months by him. Interesting sound but I don't know how much he will catch on here outside of the indie circle. Worth a checking out for something new.
MP3 - CC (You Set The Fire In Me) EXPIRED
MP3 - Mains Ignition Remix EXPIRED
MP3 - If You Want EXPIRED

ANOTHER GOBLET OF FIRE TRAILER

All you HP fans - if you weren't aware yet, another Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire trailer has been posted. Much more extensive than the last 2 and shows the other Wizardy schools arriving. Looking forward to this. TRAILER

Also, you can see all the posters for the movie at DarkHorizons.com darkhorizons.com

ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI

All right little Test Pilots...we had some minor bumps in the road over the last few days, hence the lag in in posted MP3's. Hopefully not too many of you popped the roof and ejected. I think we have found another way of posting stuff for you kiddies to download and sample stuff so let's get back in this...

ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI link are a band I am just learning about. MOKB recently had a full WOXY appearance by them and I downloaded it GET IT to check them out. I had always heard about AinH but never HEARD them. Two songs from that WOXY appearance, "Maybe You Can Owe Me" and "Do the Whirlwind" caught my ear so I checked out the full length album they are from, In Case We Die BUY IT. Good stuff with a handful of standout tracks.

A little background on the band chopped up from VH1.com: link: AinH is a indie pop octet Melbourne, Australia. The band's musical instrument knowledge is wide and varies and you can hear it. From synths and samplers, to glockenspiel, tuba, clarinet, and recorder along with more predictable drums, bass, and guitar. AinH began in 2000, crafting a mix of indie, electronic, and pop that they recorded and occasionally performed live. I think they get carried away with the sound effects some times but they do have their spots.
MP3 - Maybe You Can Owe Me EXPIRED
MP3 - Do The Whirlwind EXPIRED

I FEEL JIPP'D

Is that even spelled right?

Nonetheless, I just read that "Bloc Party have announced details of the release of a deluxe version of their debut album Silent Alarm through Wichita Records on October 17th 2005.

The new version will be available with a free bonus DVD featuring a 50 minute tour documentary filmed during the band's recent sell out tour of the US plus all of the band's promo videos to date and 5 tracks recorded live at Belfort, France in the summer of 2005. The band's singles Little Thoughts & Two More Years will also be included on the updated edition.

Fans who have already purchased the album will be able to get the bonus DVD for £4.99 from the bands fan club website on the day of release, (www.blocparty.com/marshals) and a week later on their main site, (www.blocparty.com). This version will also include the exclusive bonus track Two More Years (MSTRKRFT Remix)."

AT LEAST they will offer the DVD via the fan site (which I joined). I wonder if that will be delivered on a disk or not. Nonetheless, lovin' Bloc Party.

LOST SPECULATION

On a tip from my friend Heather, I checked lost-media.com and there are a few screen caps of Hurley drinking the milk AND WALT IS ON THE CARTON OF MILK AS MISSING.
WALT ON MILK CARTON

Also, she said it was rumored that Hurley bought the cardboard company Locke worked at and in another forum I saw someone thinking the Mr. Cluck boss and cardboard company boss were the same people. Here are links to the screen caps so you can decide for youself.

Boss from Walkabout

Boss from Everyone Hates Hugo

NEXT O.C. COMPILATION FEATURES STARS, LCD SOUNDSYSTEM and GORILLAZ

Pitchfork reports:
In four previous compilation soundtrack albums, artists like the Futureheads, Spoon, A.C. Newman, Interpol, Modest Mouse, and famously, Death Cab for Cutie, have all been exposed to the Children of Newport Beach.

On November 8, that tradition will continue, as Warner Brothers will release Music from The O.C. Mix 5, which features such Pitchfork all-stars as LCD Soundsystem, Of Montreal, Stars, and Rogue Wave. Back once again is Frou Frou's Imogen Heap, whose "Goodnight And Go" appeared on Music >From The O.C. Mix 4. This time around, her song "Hide and Seek" (which received an orgasmic five-star rating from our own Amy Phillips a few months back) closes out the CD. There's also a new version of the show's theme song, Phantom Planet's "California".

Look at it this way: With "The O.C." choosing our music for us, it gives us more time to answer the important questions in life. Namely, 'OMG how will Marissa deal in that smelly old public school??' Daft punk is playing at Seth's house:

01 The Subways: "Rock & Roll Queen"
02 Kasabian: "Reason Is Treason"
03 Shout Out Louds: "Wish I Was Dead Pt. 2"
04 LCD Soundsystem: "Daft Punk Is Playing at My House"
05 Rogue Wave: "Publish My Love"
06 Youth Group: "Forever Young"
07 Of Montreal: "Requiem for O.M.M."
08 Gorillaz: "Kids With Guns"
09 Kaiser Chiefs: "Na Na Na Na Naaa"
10 Stars: "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead"
11 Phantom Planet: "California 2005 (Whistling)"
12 Imogen Heap: "Hide and Seek"

(TESTPILOT SIDEBAR: I absolutely love the Imogen Heap song "Hide and Seek" and look forward to getting that. Also, Greg - you can finally have the "California 2005" track you have been hunting for!)

A VERRRY LOONG POST OF RANDOM MP3'S

Here a bunch of mp3's from a variety of bands. Some of them have been around for awhile and some of them are just starting out. Think of it like the Frito-Lays Snack Pack you get with Doritos, Cheetos, Ruffles and Fritos - all the good stuff and not too much of just one!


THE ARCTIC MONKEYS
These guys are new and out of the U.K. Journalists are saying these guys will be bigger than OASIS! U.K. fans and the press are going bonkers for these guys but from what I have heard, I don't see them breaking into the US very easily and gettng on the radio since they rock like the Libertines (who really didn't take off here) and lack the hooks and harmonies like Oasis had. Nonetheless, here is a good track from them.
MP3 - A Certain RomanceEXPIRED


THE MYSTERY JETS
Another UK band getting a lot of attention. I first heard of them after they did a cover (a good one at that) of Bloc Party's "Pioneers". Overall, they have a good sound and range from lovey-dovey slow ballads like "Ageless" to shout out sing alongs like "Zoo Time" and "Alas Agnes".
MP3 - Alas AgnesEXPIRED
MP3 - Bloc Party Cover - PioneersEXPIRED


WOLF PARADE
These guys were discovered and signed by Isaac Brock, lead singer of Modest Mouse, who also does A&R work for Sub Pop. They are a 4 piece indie band from Montreal, Canada and I would say they have some MM sounds in them with some extra distinctiveness tossed in there. Kind of hard for me to put a finger on the sound but I picked the 2 best songs I heard:
MP3 - I'll Believe in AnythingEXPIRED
MP3 - Dear Sons and DaughtersEXPIRED


METRIC
I found this mp3 on one of the blogs I frequent and can't get rid of it. I listened to a couple songs by this band but keep coming back to this one. The guitar line that rolls slowly in, rocks out in the middle and then rolls you back out is unforgettable and will have you playing it over and over again in your head!
MP3 - EmptyEXPIRED


THE REINDEER SECTION
I first heard the song "Cartwheels" on a O.C. mix CD and I thought to myself, "This singer sounds like the guy from Snow Patrol..." Well, after some research, I discovered that the Reindeer Section is the band Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol put together spontaneously after a drunken gig, asking a variety of people from other bands to join him. They toured briefly and recorded 2 CDs I think, but not sure if they will come back or not.
MP3 - CartwheelsEXPIRED
MP3 - Will You Please Be There For MeEXPIRED


MATT POND PA
I know, I know. These guys have been around forever and I gave them a shot before but couldn't get into it. However, my good friend, MikeBarn of FarmBarn Studios, Farmbarn Art Co., INSISTED that I listen to their entire album, Emblems, a few solid times before making a decision. Finally I did and I really like what I hear. These guys are nice and mellow and will sit nicely on the bookshelf next to Death Cab and others.
MP3 - Lily TwoEXPIRED
MP3 - Bring on the EndingEXPIRED

EASY, COWBOY!

Whoa. I am guessing everyone liked the Magic Numbers mp3's or some of the other ones because in basically 2 days, the testpilot jumped from having 400+ visitors to almost 5,000 visitors!!! So...hope you enjoyed everything! UNFORTUNATELY, everyone about killed my bandwidth and since I share my work site jonathanschmitt.com with this site for hosting, I had to let all the mp3s go for now.

BUT DON'T WORRY - I am going to post more soon, I just need to take them down sooner.

NEW KING KONG POSTER

Awww.....

MIX-TAPE BADNESS

From Stereogum:
2 room mates made a bet to see who could come up with the worst mix tape. The loser (guy who didn't have the worst tape) had to walk around downtown while blasting the worst tape. HILARIOUS!
Bad mixtape

NINTENDO REMIX

Awesome. Check out these tracks and others like it at Nintendojofr
MP3 - Supa Mario
MP3 - Contra Remix
MP3 - Woodman
MP3 - PacMan Techno

PROJECT FOX

From Drawn.ca ...
Imagine this: Volkswagen plans to reveal its new Volkswagen Fox in the spring of 2005 in Copenhagen. Rather than let the auto-industry journalists that would be covering the event stay in your everyday, run-of-the-mill hotel room, Volkswagen creates Hotel Fox. After taking over the Parks Hotel in downtown Copenhagen, Volkswagen brought in 21 designers, illustrator, and urban artists to completely makeover the joint, in turn, giving birth to Hotel Fox. Needless to say, each room is a unique piece of art, worthy of a gallery space… but one that allows you the freedom of walking around in your underwear…

Project Fox

LOST UPDATE - the ISLAND...SOLVED!

FOR ALL THE LOST FANS:

I think my friends and I did a good job of putting this together, at least about the islands story:

Basically as we saw in the film, the sector Desmond was in was sector 3 of 6, meaning there are 5 others out there on the Island. In the film, they discussed everything the Hanso Foundation studies and as this Disney created site shows (http://www.thehansofoundation.org/), there are 7 total projects, leading us to believe the Island seperated into 6 sectors where each is DEVOTED to one of these studies (not sure which one is left out...). Looking up all of these projects (definitions found through Google), you can start to see where a lot of what we have seen comes into play.

FROM THE HANSO SITE:
The Hanso Life-Extension Project: attempts to extend human life beyond the current maximum lifespan (also fictional company appearing in vanilla sky) NOT SURE ABOUT THIS YET

The Hanso Foundation Electromagnetic Research Initiative: A magnetic field caused by an electric current. COULD BE REASON FOR LOCKE'S ABILITY TO WALK...MAYBE THE TIME HE COULDN'T WALK, HE WAS TOO FAR FROM THAT AREA OF THE ISLAND...?

The Hanso Quest for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence: life that may exist and originate outside our planet Earth. Its existence is currently hypothetical: there is as yet no evidence of extraterrestrial life that has been widely accepted by scientists. NOT SURE ON THIS ONE YET...

The Hanso Mathematical Forecasting Initiative: Forecasting the weather through digital computations carried out by supercomputers. A EARLY EPISODE HAD THE CAST DISCUSSING THE FAST RISING WATERS AND NO ONE KNEW WHY...

The Hanso Cryogenics Development Imperative: The science of low temperature phenomena. ETHAN RHOM CREATION...SOMEONE ELSE YET TO DISCOVER...?

The Hanso Juxtapositional Eugenics Development Institute: the study of hereditary improvement of the human race by controlled selective breeding KIDNAPPING AARON AND CLAIRE...ETHAN RHOM AGAIN...?

The Hanso Accelerated Remote Viewing Training Facility: ESP information identifying a physical location or object at a distance from the receiver. Sometimes used synonymously to clairvoyance, it could actually involve any ESP capacity (telepathy, clairvoyance or precognition.) WALT, WALT, WALT, WALT!!!! THAT IS WHY THEY KIDNAPPED - RESEARCHES FROM THIS SECTOR NEEDED TO STUDY HIM!

ALSO, Zoology was mentioned in the film but is not listed as one of the projects. Zoology would explain the polar bears and the branded shark...?

ALSO, someone suggested on the Fuselage message boards that 'the Others' are the original scientists from the Hanso project gone mad...much like my friend suggested, the person that Hugo got the numbers from in the hospital (the guy who repeated the numbers over and over again), he may have been a scientist who went mad over the numbers...

ALSO, I think a lot of people think Desmond inserting the numbers every 108 minutes is a test being done by Hanso unto itself, to see how long someone would do it, much like Jack suggested...

the MAGIC NUMBERS

This is another band that I have been listening to since the Spring but I am just getting to post about. The Magic Numbers are a four piece British indie band originating from Ealing, London. The band consists of two pairs of brother and sister, who came together as a band after the guys started writing songs together.

I really like their demos, posted below, which are a lot more downbeat and quiet than the album. After listening to the whole album, I noticed their sound changed all-together, sounding more up-beat and Beach Boys-ish with all of the harmonies. I am still not sure where I stand on this group, given the two different sounds but I do like what I hear.

Their self titled album came out in the UK in June but is getting a US release next Tuesday, Oct 4th. You can buy that here, amazon.com and also check out their site for more info, themagicnumbers.net

DEMOS
MP3 - Oh SisterEXPIRED
MP3 - Hymn For HerEXPIRED
MP3 - Wheels on FireEXPIRED

This is a slow song from the new album, HIGHLY RECOMMEND MP3 - I See You, You See MeEXPIRED