Just watched the Stones in Exile documentary on DVD (we’re giving one away this week!) this afternoon.

It documents the legend behind the making of Exile on Main Street – where in the Spring 1971 the Rolling Stones were put into tax exile from England – unable to pay unpaid taxes which they had assumed were ‘taken care of already’ – Keith Richards bought a house in the south of France – and it was there that the recordings that were to become, arguably, the best Rolling Stones record were made.

The South of France section of the film, which is Stones produced and sanctioned, is the most fascinating, filled with vintage clips of the band at work and play, and audio testimonials from people who were there (including Keith’s ex Anita Pallenberg, who speaks frankly about Keith’s growing use of heroin) and hundreds of candid stills taken by French photographer Dominique Tarlé, who saysKeith told him, “You get high on the music and photography—I’ll take care of the rest.”

While the accounts from those on the periphery are filled with golden nuggets – if I were to amke any criticism of this doco, it’d be that I might have preferred to see and hear a little more from the men themselves – particularly from Charlie Watts – who, in the few appearances he makes, shines through as a very drole commentator.

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Manchester duo Hurts are, as they say, ‘the next big thing’ – and yeah, of course we hear that about a band everyday – but y’know, Better Than Love is actually pretty cool – we’ve mentioned Hurts on Cheese on Toast before and we’re sure we’ll be mentioning them heaps more in the future too.

You can download your MP3 for free from their official site here

Cheese on Toast went to the theatre last night to catch The Intricate Art of Actually Caring By Eli Kent.

Maybe you don’t get to go see many plays that often and are worried / skeptical that you’re gonna be wasting your time and money on same terrible am-dram – well, if so, cast your worries aside and go see this – playing at The Basement on Lower Greys Ave for the rest of the week (till Say 19th). It’s poignant, funny and provocative.

It’s a cast of two – Jack and Eli are friends who usually just hang out drinking beers and shitting the shit – but a friend of theirs dies prompting Jack to become more introspective and proposes a road trip for the two to visist James K Baxter’s grave in Jerusalem, New Zealand.

Performed by Jack Shadbolt and Eli Kent (who wrote the play) – the duo’s performance is outstanding and incredibly moving. It left me speechless.

Coasting are New York duo Madison Farmer (Dream Diary) and Fiona Campbell (The Coolies. Yes, that The Coolies – The Auckland Riot-Girl-Brat-Trio) and they are awesome.

Check out the music video for their single Kids – directed by Alice Cohen.

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And you can DOWNLOAD this tune here from Cheese on Toast!

If you haven’t seen this yet, you really should have.

Dinosaurs + Babes = yes!

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xx rebecca

New music video from Broken Bells – who are, just in case you didnt know – Danger Mouse & The Shins’ James Mercer.

And.. to make it even better – it features Christina Hendricks from Madmen in it

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Sali co-wrote / co-produced this sample-heavy political jammm with Goldilocks and it features the AMAZINNNNG M.I.A. as well (who’se new album /\/\ /\ Y /\ is out next month – watch out for the Official Album launch Party at Club To Death)

Them good folk at Stereogum have a download for ya ears

The awesome Michachu & the Shapes has done a luscious wei-rdemix (we just made that word up specifically for this track, but hey, it might catch on!) of Connan’s Unicornan – and you can download a free copy for legals over at RCRD_LBL – big upz to our pal Hannah who told us about this… not sure if it’s been around a while or not… but yum.

Ariel Pink’s Haunted Grafitti has a new album – Before Today – out now via 4AD – and this is the latest single and music video (directed by American independent film-maker Steve Hanft)

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Photographer Steven Klein (US & French Vogue, i-D, Arena / Calvin Klein, D&G, Alexander McQueen and Nike) has made his music video director debut with Lady Gaga’s latest single Alejandro.

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The Music Slut has a download of Allan Guterres Mix of the song for you Gaga fans.

Tono & the Finance Company make melodic and luscious pop music that’s actually really fucking good.

Not sure you believe me? We head on over to Dunedin’s Radio One to listen to and download a copy of Tuesday Evening and hear for yourself.

Also, Tono & the FInance Company are going on tour soon:
5 June – Chicks Hotel, Port Chalmers w./ The Maybe Pile + guests
24 June – El Santo, Lyttleton w./ guests.
25 June – Goodbye Blue Monday, Christchurch w./ guests.
26 June – Whammy Bar, Auckland w./ Mimsy Cable & The Nocturne Bells.
1 July – Mighty Mighty, Wellington w./ Titty Titty Bang Bang.

Karen Elson is about to release her album Teh Ghost Who Walks on her husband, Jack White’s record label Third Man Records. You can listen to a stream of the whole thing over at XL Records

Watch the official music video – shot, live at Third Man Studios in Nashville.

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Amazing. We’re featuring the album (with a giveaway) at Eavesdrop next week (Wednesday 2 June)

Oh look! A brand new single from Johan T Karlsson aka Familjen from a brand new album! När planeterna stannat means “When The Planets Stopped” and is the lead single from the forthcoming new album Manskligheten (pronounced mans-klee-hay-ten, means Humanity) – out June 28th.

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The Arcade Fire are releasing, apparently, a double A side 12″ of two brand new songs.

Zane Low dropped them on his Radio One show. That guy does have an awesome job.

Over at OneThirtyBPM they have what appear to be radio rip mp3s of them. The Suburbs seems quite standard (bit great) Arcade Fire, while Month of May sounds an interesting change of direction.

Season 3 of True Blood is set to start screening in US on 13 June 2010.

Check out this mini-sode video featuring Bill.

Link

Woah – this is awesome.

LCD Soundsystem just finished up a four night stand at Manhattan’s Terminal 5 to officially kick off what is rumored to be their last tour ever – closing with their epic New York I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down which transitions into a tribute / cover of Jay Z & Alicia Keys Empire State of Mind.

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I seriously got chills at that special point watching this. Amazing.

If the trends of the last year have encountered any problems, one would be restraint. “Glo-fi”, “chillwave”, and the likes of Neon Indian and Toro Y Moi melt down the circuits of synthpop into a vapor of tropical, soulful shoegaze glop. While the brilliance of fluid, summertime minimalism that still makes you wanna dance is something of an art, I find myself wondering lately where all the drums and noise have gone.

This might explain why it feels so refreshing to once again hear the hankering for the 4/4 beat on Sydney duo Naked on the Vague’s new single, These Days, off their second LP, Heaps of Nothing. Instead of echoing drum machines and suppressed measures, Naked on the Vague have added a true rhythm section for the recording, which attacks the listener like the quick foray of a quivering hi-hat. Matthew Hopkins and Lucy Phelan move through dark post-punk melodies amidst scrambling, mimicking baselines and warm keyboard refrains that yield to fits of noise at just the right moments.

Naked on the Vague capture the bleak, yet coherent and dynamic sound that gloomy lo-fi groups such as Blank Dogs or Dum Dum Girls wish they could pinpoint. It’s almost winter in the Southern Hemisphere, and though your Deadbeat Summer track might have you dreaming of New Zealand beaches January, it could be nice to embrace the grey skies and heaps of nothing winter with Naked on the Vague.

Download the track These Days over at Rose Quartz, here.

posted by Jeff Bell

Click here to watch a video of LCD Soundsystem performing I Can Change, from their latest album, live on Later With Jools Holland.

The Naked And Famous have a brand new video, directed by Special Problems – for a new song from their forthcoming debut album.

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The Naked And Famous are playing two dates shortly with Kids of 88 and Computers Want Me Dead – 26 May @ SFBH and 28th @ Kings Arms. Plus they are supporting Temper Trap on 1st August.

*sigh* do remember how awesome Pains of Being Pure At Heart were earlier this year? Or were you one of the fools who didnt make it along to that show?

They have a brand new video out for Higher Than The Stars which comes from the late 2009 EP from the same name.

The video has them playing with a whole bunch of Plushies and it’s awesome!

Check it out here