Every month, 33 1/3 editorial assistant Kaitlin Fontana will compile the best, weirdest, most interesting music and sound news from the past 30 days and serve it up to you in one handy, easy to digest list. May we present 33 Things that happened in January?
1. It’s OPEN CALL time again, 33 1/3 fans!
2. “The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what we share with someone else when we’re uncool.” RIP, Philip Seymour Hoffman (1967-2014).
3. If you’re overwhelmed when considering all of the culture you might consume this year, keep The AV Club’s most anticipated pop culture events of 2014 list close by.
4. Yes, this is your official Britpop album ranking from 1993-1997, at least as far as Buzzfeed is concerned.
5. SPIN talked to Sharon Jones about cancer, going onstage bald, and many other things besides.
6. Did you get a text about how cute and talented that Bruno Mars fellow is from your mom after the Super Bowl halftime show? Us too.
7. Some people were very upset by the Grammys, in particular the Lou Reed tribute, but we were more upset about Tay Swift’s weird dancing. That Imagine Dragons/Kendrick Lamar thing was pretty cool, though.
8. What stings more than a scandal taking down your office and, potentially, your dreams of being President? If you’re Chris Christie, it’s probably The Boss making fun of you on Jimmy Fallon:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKHV0LLvhXM?rel=0]
9. Eternal Question, Attempted Answer: Are the Pixies the Pixies without Kim Deal?
10. We released our first ebook-only Sound Studies title, Seth Kim-Cohen’s Against Ambience, which “diagnoses–in order to cure–the art world’s recent turn toward ambience.” Pick your copy up on Amazon.
11. If you’re in San Francisco, you can go see our author, Marc Weidenbaum, read from and discuss his forthcoming 33 1/3 title, Aphex Twin’s Selected Ambient Works Vol. II in March at City Lights.
12. Sigh. Here are 20 Songs That are Secretly Depressing.
13. Need some help getting out of bed after listening to all that secretly depressing music? Let the Iron Sheik be your alarm.
14. “I liked L.A. It was an amazing music town then, almost more than it was a movie town.” Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Whisky-a-Go-Go by revisiting this in-depth profile from a 2000 issue of Vanity Fair.
15. Lest you forget: The Savages are awesome. More proof, if you needed it? Their new video, which is based on Albert Camus’ The Stranger.
16. Take a walk down memory lane with all of the covers from the Village Voice’s Pazz and Jop Poll.
17. Did we mention we have an OPEN CALL FOR 33 1/3 PROPOSALS right now?
18. You, too, can spend an evening with Beyoncé’s muse, Boots.
19. The Slowdive reunion we didn’t know we needed but we definitely did is happening. The shoegaze pioneers are gearing up to play their first show together in 20 years.
19. The Lonely Island and Tegan and Sara collaboration we didn’t know we needed but we definitely did is happening. It’s for the LEGO movie, and you’re welcome.
20. Here are Liam and Noel Gallagher’s isolated vocal and guitar tracks from “Rock N Roll Star.”
21. Conor Oberst is writing a country album instead of finishing his Masters of Folk screenplay, “an allegory about how the Internet is destroying humanity.” You made the right choice, Conor.
22. Meanwhile, seminal New York music journalist Will Hermes is writing a biography of Lou Reed tentatively titled Lou: A New York Life. You made the right choice, Will.
23. Did Pharrell steal a riff from Franz Ferdinand? Alex Kapranos thought so. Then he changed his mind.
24. If you’re seeing a film at SXSW this year, you can scratch that Andre 3000 as Jimi Hendrix square off your Rock N Roll Biopic Bingo board.
25. What happens when Rookie magazine music editor Jessica Hopper comes up with an idea in the shower? Oh, just an all female “We are the World” style anthem called “Go Forth, Feminist Warriors,” is all.
26. “There’s no such thing as a wrong note as long as you’re singing it.” RIP, Pete Seeger.
27. Open Call! Open Call! Open Call!
28. Mötley Crüe is splitting up. In other news, the 4,000 remaining backcombs in America just deflated.
29. Scientists have reason to believe that every time Bey and Jay perform “Drunk in Love” live, someone, somewhere gets pregnant. And by scientists I mean me.
30. The White House petition to deport Justin Bieber back to Canada has over 200,000 signatures, so Obama feels compelled to respond, for some reason. Hey man, how about tackling that Syria business instead?
31. Have you guys checked out All Music Books? It’s like a Goodreads for music book nerds. It’s pretty great.
32. There once was a call that was open/
And writers were wishin’ and hopin’/
For their proposal to be chose/And for, we suppose/
Much subsequent fame and some fortune [approximate rhyme].
33. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldpPnxDbJ6g?rel=0]
