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"Drugs!" - These guys

The Strokes have posted a new video for the new song “Taken For A Fool.” I gotta say – I think I may have turned the corner on The Strokes. For the longest time I didn’t like them but the last bit of new stuff I’ve heard I have liked.

The new video is a trippy little thing that features the band in quadruplicate performing the song while some dark, psychedelic shit goes on around them. Which, I guess, is probably what most of the band sees on a normal day.

Check out the video for “Taken For A Fool:”

While I am enjoying the recent Strokes stuff I’ve heard I am not sure they are deserving of a tribute album. But I guess I’m in the majority there as Stereogum has put together a tribute album. Ok…

The album does have some really great artists participating so… there is that. Owen Pallett, The Morning Benders, Peter Bjorn and John, Real Estate, Wise Blood and many more lend their talents to The Strokes songs for this tribute album. You can download it here.

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"I'm very good at my job" - This guy

Owen Pallett released his Heartland album well over a year ago but today we got another video for a song from that album. Yay! That album is fucking great (I think… Music Boxer Matt didn’t think so) so I think it’s super great that there is a new video and I think it’s even more great that the video is for one of the greatest songs from Heartland, “The Great Elsewhere.”

That’s a whole lot of great happening here.

The video is kinda “art-schooly” with all it’s shots of “nature” but whatever. It’s still decent and the song, as I stated above, is just really great.

Watch Pallett’s video for “The Great Elsewhere” here:

There should be more videos from this album.

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It’s Thanksgiving everyone!

I know we were talking shit about Thanksgiving earlier this week – and we stand by that shit talking – but that’s no reason to be all humbug about today. So in the spirit of Thanksgiving we are gonna list some things that we (the Music Boxer staff) is thankful for.

One of the things I am thankful for is Owen Pallett and the fact that I finally got to see him in concert earlier this year. This dude is awesome and is making awesome music both on his own and with others (Arcade Fire among others). Here’s a sample of his awesomeness:

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So we are all back to where we are supposed to be. No more trips to Los Angeles. No more running up to Denver. No More weddings. At least for a couple weeks. It’s also Fall. You can tell because it’s getting quite nipply at night. You know what I mean? You totally know what I mean.

Anywho, this week we have a bout featuring a couple of string sections. The first, Lost in the Trees has like… 25 (not really) members and the second, Owen Pallett, just has one dude. Despite the number of actual band members, both produce some luscious string arrangements that are perfect for the changing leaves and the chill in the air.

So there you go. A couple of string sections go head to head. Owen Pallett versus Lost in the Trees.

Last week’s winner, The Decemberists, has been sent to the winner’s circle.

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Monday. Blah. You kn ow what I mean? You totally know what I mean.

But there is some good news this morning. I haven’t posted very many tour dates on this site for a while. Not sure why… just haven’t. But my inbox is flooded (not literally – that would suck) with people letting me know band’s are heading out on tour. So rather than posting each of these individually, here is a big ass list of bands that are going on tour this fall and a link to their tour dates. This obviously isn’t a full list of EVERY band that is going on tour… because that would be a stupid long list. Anywho, here you go:

James
Eels
Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos
Jonsi
Foals
The National
Frightened Rabbit
Owen Pallett
U2
Stars
Guided By Voices

Like I said… there are a ton more, that’s just the ones I had in my inbox.

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"I don't get it" - The guy on the left

Domino Records is giving away a free Owen Pallett EP this week. Who said record labels are worthless? Would something that is worthless give away something as awesome as six Owen Pallett songs? Maybe, but that’s neither here nor there. The thing that matters is that Domino is giving away a free EP of six Owen Pallett songs. But you have to hurry. This isn’t going to be free forever.

Click here to go get the free EP.

The songs are mostly remixes (three remixes of “Lewis Takes Off His Shirt”) but that’s OK because it’s free.

Pallett is also getting ready to head out on a U.S. tour supporting (at different times) Arcade Fire, Spoon, Dirty Projectors and The National. Awesome.

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"I can play the violin better than you" - This guy

We’ve posted a couple of the A.V. Club’s videos of bands covering other bands because it’s a cool series that’s happening and today we have another one for you. A couple weeks ago Owen Pallett stopped by the A.V. Club’s studio and recorded a sweet-ass version of Guided by Voices’ “Game Of Pricks.”

Check it out:

Awesome.

Click here to check out the full series. I highly recommend the Ben Folds covering Elliott Smith and The Antlers covering Pink Floyd.

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