Leaky Pipes

Oopsie! Indie chanteuse Joanna Newsom's hotly anticipated new album, "Ys," leaked onto the Internet last night (Aug. 30). The source appears to be an advance copy nicked from an unprotected server belonging to online music site Pitchforkmedia.com, according to comments left by the user "Schmewk," who uploaded the album on Indietorrents.com. When reached for comment by Jaded Insider, Pitchfork editor in chief Ryan Schrieber would neither confirm nor deny the accusations about the origin of the leak. "Ys" is due Nov. 14 via Drag City and includes string arrangements by Van Dyke Parks.
 

None Of Your Bizanski

So, yeah, we checked out that killer Wolf Parade video for "I'll Believe in Anything" that Stereogum posted but then some guy commented/sniffed, "It's not as good as the 'Modern World' video though," so we were forced, FORCED, to check out that video, which was (in fact) awesomer. So we dug up the director, Adam Bizanski, and discovered his treasure trove of other amazing animated/stop-motion music vids.

Check out his work on Zero 7's "Left Behind" featuring Jose Gonzalez, the Shins' "Pink Bullets" and "Papercats" by a very impressive Yoni Bloch, who we'd never heard of but now are glad we have.

Play Here! We'll Steal Your Gear!

After finishing a show in Brooklyn on Tuesday night (Aug. 29), Dinosaur Jr. went and got their gear stolen.

Naturally, any band would be devastated, but reading the laundry list this morning, however, made us feel particularly queasy:

1959 Fender Jazzmaster SN# 38927 - decal coming off. cracked headstock at top near low E peg. color black with purple/bluish sparkle coming through. adonized pick guard gold metal. tuneomatic bridge gold, tuning pegs gold.

1961-3 Fender Jazzmaster SN# 62012 - purple sparkle, black pickup covers. headstock repaired, a whole new piece of wood was glued on for the top part of the headstock under the tuners and up a 1/2" , along the whole top of the headstock. gold tuneomatic bridge, gold tuners

1964-5 Fender Jazzmaster SN# L21581 - orange, white pearl pickguard, stickers all over it, original tuners.

We'd be tempted to sell our mothers for  guitars like these. Which reminds us, we need to call our mom.

Dino Jr. may (but likely will not) take comfort in the fact that the Raveonettes, Black Mountain, the Decemberists, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Matt Pond PA, Cibo Matto plus scores of other indie bands can sympathize: each has had their gear lifted whilst in New York within the last few years.

Talk Ain't Cheap

This oughta spice up tomorrow's MTV Video Music Awards: Jaded Insider hears that none other than ZZ Top guitarist Billy F. Gibbons will make a guest appearance during the broadcast with the Raconteurs for a cover of ZZ's immortal "Cheap Sunglasses." Sayeth the Bearded One, "I'm really looking forward to getting into some good blues-toned guitar work with Jack [White] and company. These guys are the real deal and it'll be nice to play the VMA's again. ZZ did the first one, if memory serves."

Gibbons certainly seems to stay in tune with new and notable rock bands, having been spotted hanging backstage last fall at New York's Irving Plaza after a Black Keys show. Jaded Insider was there to watch Gibbons let the Black Keys' Dan Auerbach try on his signature shades, while Dan's father, having flown all the way in from Akron, Ohio, looked on in amazement. Let's not forget that Billy also guested on Queens Of The Stone Age's last album, "Lullabies To Paralyze," where he dirtied up the already creepy "Burn the Witch."

Express Delivery

Jaded Insider watched Kanye West treat a theater full of American Express cardholders to an exclusive show last night (Aug. 29) at New York's Nokia Theatre. Surrounded by violinists, cellists and his DJ A-Trak, West ran through "Heard 'Em Say" and a solo piano version of "They Say" before bringing out the first of many guests, John Legend, who performed "Ordinary People."

Common bounded on stage, and he, Legend and West offered up "Get 'Em High," "Go" and "The Light." "Don't you think by now I need my own American Express commercial? I do, I agree with that," West told the crowd. Pharrell arrived later to play his recent collaboration with West, "Number One." The evening closed with "Touch the Sky," as West asked the audience to jump even if it meant dropping the guns tucked into their pants.

Further downtown, we bid farewell to Nasty Little Man publicist Lizzie Garlinghouse, who is moving to San Francisco this week. Backed by a jaw-droppingly tight trio of punk karaoke musicians who went from Minor Threat to Led Zeppelin without batting an eyelash, she belted out the Go-Go's classic "We Got the Beat" with panache. Major props to the guy who nailed the Buzzcocks' "Ever Fallen in Love?" a few minutes earlier. Pete Shelley would've been proud.