The Roots’ How I Got Over has been pushed back to early 2010, according to a just-Tweeted missive from ?uestlove. “sorry yall. i know its a pain in the ass,” he added. “but i know you guys want this album RIGHT as opposed to RIGHT NOW!” [?uestlove/Twitter] More »
Above, The Roots and Eric Idle collaborate on the Monty Python hit “Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life” on last night’s all-Python edition of Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. If you’re one of those people whose ears burst into flames when people whistle simultaneously but off-pitch consider yourself warned (hey, I know a few people who have that affliction), but otherwise, this is pretty charming, and had me bopping along in my seat. I’m actually shocked that the Internet didn’t explode the minute this clip was put online—it has so much to offer the geek niche! What is wrong with you, information worker bees? [Late Night With Jimmy Fallon] More »
The title single from How I Got Over, the forthcoming album from Jimmy Fallon’s house band The Roots, is a fantastic little slice of soul that’s dragged along by a nimble organ part. The attendant video—in which we get to see the seedy side of urban life, courtesy some gorgeously shot street scenes in deep Brooklyn—is pretty simple and effective, allowing the song to fully shine as it should. [OnSMASH via Nah Right] More »
Popping in on this Labor Day to say that if you missed me chatting with National Public Radio’s Guy Raz yesterday about five albums to look forward to this fall—including this Friday’s release of Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3, as well as albums by Miranda Lambert, Annie, the Roots, and Hope Sandoval—you can hit up NPR’s Web site to hear it. And feel free to tell me what you thought I forgot! Time constraints, you know. [NPR] More »
Oh man, it’s almost Labor Day weekend! Which means barbecues, earlier sunsets, and the close of summer in the American mind-set. (Not to mention the ever-closer encroachment of the Video Music Awards! Ack!) So what better time to look back? Feel free to share your favorite musical experiences of the Memorial-To-Labor-Day period in this space, while you are (I hope!) waiting to go outside and enjoy the last crackles of summer. My list—which ranges from shows to finding out bits of news—after the jump. More »
Last night’s Diesel : U : Music show at Webster Hall was a hot ticket, thanks to a bill stocked with highly bloggable acts like Clipse and the Roots, and rumors swirling all week that Jay-Z—in the tri-state area for his All Points West appearance this evening—was going to surprise the crowd by bringing the house down. We sent Jeff Rosenthal of ItsTheReal.com to suss out the rumors and scope out the scene; as it turned out, Jay didn’t show up, but one of his town-running cohorts did. More »
The Late Night With Jimmy Fallon blog has posted a new list of tracks that the show’s house band the Roots plays for introducing guests, and some are quite inspired: “Is She Really Going Out With Him” for Jessica Biel, “Loser” for the Pratts, the band’s own “You Ain’t Fly” for Jeff Goldblum, Lady GaGa’s “Poker Face” for Joan Rivers. (OK, maybe that one’s a little mean.) But as a fervent American Idol watcher, my favorite selection is probably the one hand-picked in honor of Randy Jackson’s favorite noun: DMX’s “Get At Me Dog.” I wonder how many times he said that word during the accompanying interview? Maybe we should put the over/under at around 20? [Late Night With Jimmy Fallon] More »
It’s time for another look at upcoming albums that have had their release dates pushed back, a condition that’s growing ever more chronic as the bottom seemingly falls out of the music industry. Today, we look at albums by JoJo, The Roots, and Lil Wayne (yes, again!) that are allegedly coming soon, although not as soon as originally thought. More »
In case you missed it: Last night’s Late Night With Jimmy Fallon had an extended segment in which Mark-Paul Gosselar reincarnated himself as the poufy-haired, brick-phone-carrying wisealeck Zack Morris, the character at the center of NBC’s Saturday-morning sitcom Saved By The Bell. What ties this into a music blog: The Roots not only killed the SBTB theme, they backed up Morris–er, Gosselar–as he busted into his old band the Zack Attack’s chestnut “Friends Forever.” It’s been quite a ’90stastic couple of days for ?uestlove and the gang–first they’re bringing Donnie Wahlberg and Jordan Knight onstage in Philadelphia, and now they’re playing backup band for Zack Morris. What’s next–swapping out their Highline Ballroom residency for one at the Peach Pit After Dark? [Hulu via Brokedown Palace] More »
Tomorrow I’ll be tripping down to Philadelphia to attend The Roots Picnic, an all-day affair masterminded by Jimmy Fallon’s sidemen (haha, jk guys) and featuring two sets by the band; TV On The Radio, Santigold, and Antibalas are also on the bill. But perhaps the most intriguing part of the day’s festivities will be the start-to-finish performance of Public Enemy’s It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back–yes, they’ve done it before, but this time, the musical duties will be handled by the Roots and Antibalas. This and the impending relaunch of Unplugged have made me wonder: What albums most deserve a live re-imagining, whether it’s the transformation of samples into band arrangements or the classic Unplugged treatment? I’ve actually been mulling over this question all day, and can’t think of anything off the top of my head–unless Freestyle’s Greatest Beats, Volume One counts. (It should!) After the jump, a few musical experts offer their suggestions. Please feel free to expand further, and if you’re going to the picnic, come say hello! More »
