[GIVEAWAY] win a copy of meet glen campbell

we're giving away one copy of glen campbell's 2008 album meet glen campbell, which has recently be re-released with exclusive bonus tracks! the album features 10 tracks -- each a cover of a song by the likes of john lennon, green day, tom petty & the heartbreakers, U2 and more; all done in glen's inimitable style -- and an additional 4 bonus tracks.

just send your name and email in to thepopsucker@gmail.com with "glen campbell giveaway" in the subject line. contest ends march 7, 2012.

track listing:
1. Sing (Travis)
2. Walls (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers)
3. Angel Dream (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers)
4. Times Like These (Foo Fighters)
5. These Days (Jackson Browne)
6. Sadly Beautiful (The Replacements)
7. All I Want Is You (U2)
8. Jesus (Velvet Underground)
9. Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) (Green Day)
10. Grow Old With Me (John Lennon)

exclusive bonus tracks:
11. Gentle On My Mind (2008 Remix)
12. Galveston (2008 Remix)
13. Wichita Lineman (AOL Sessions, 2008)
14. Rhinestone Cowboy (AOL Sessions, 2008)

you can also purchase the expanded edition of meet glen campbell on iTunes.

album info:
Upon its original release in August 2008, Meet Glen Campbell was met with worldwide critical praise, and Campbell promoted the album with interviews and performances for a broad spectrum of media, including an “AOL Sessions” concert. Meet Glen Campbell’s expanded edition adds three performances from that concert (Campbell’s classic hits “Wichita Lineman” and “Rhinestone Cowboy,” and U2’s “All I Want Is You”), as well as 2008 remixes of “Gentle On My Mind” and “Galveston.”

The influential singer, guitarist and stylist, who has long made others’ songs his own, did it again for Meet Glen Campbell, recording high-spirited, emotionally charged versions of tracks that have personally moved and inspired him. A true musician’s musician, Campbell’s distinct guitar playing, along with the clarity and emotion of his powerful vocal performance, come together to give new life to the songs he selected for Meet Glen Campbell.

Recorded at The Recording Studio and Jim Henson Studios in Los Angeles, Meet Glen Campbellwas produced by Julian Raymond (Rosanne Cash, Fastball, Shawn Mullins, Wallflowers) withengineer/co-producer Howard Willing. The album features musical contributions by Campbell contemporaries as well as younger rock and alt-country artists who joined him in the studio, including Cheap Trick’s Robin Zander, Roger Joseph Manning, Jr. and Jason Faulkner from Jellyfish, and Chris Chaney from Jane’s Addiction. Campbell’s sons and daughters, who regularly perform with their father, recorded backing vocals for the tracks, providing the album’s warm family tone.

illdotlogic: "won't be around"

every once in a while a song comes along with top 40 music production and hip-hop influences that i actually find enjoyable. such is the case with illdotlogic's "won't be around." it's exceedingly modern pop music, which is usually a turn-off, but illdot (alias alex horton) makes it work. and the song's got a big, irresistible hook. so there's that. you can check out the tune below and get his debut album, dreams in stereo, here.

bob sinclair: "rainbow of love" (feat. ben onono) and "fuck with you" (feat. sophie ellis-bextor and gilbere forte)

we live in a day and age when DJs become pop stars. calvin harris, david guetta, even back to timbaland. they become red hot for about 6 seconds, everyone scoops them up, the DJ exhausts his or her one signature beat for every star on the planet, then disappears. i think there's a lesson in here somewhere, but i'll be damned if i know what it is. several years ago bob sinclair had two massive dance hits: "love generation" and "world, hold on." in many ways he was before his time (granted by only a few years, but still...) both songs, but especially  "world, hold on," with its signature whistle, was everywhere. it was light years ahead, at least in pop music terms, of foster the people's "pumped up kicks" and other current whistle-inspired ditties. yet bob sinclair didn't blow up as some of his contemporaries. now, he's back with a new album chock full of freestyle goodies. "rainbow of love" tries to capture the innocence of "love generation," and moderately succeeds; while "fuck with you," featuring a great turn by sophie ellis-bextor, is bound to be -- and should be -- a great dance floor burner of 2012. 

bob sinclair - rainbow of love (feat. ben onono)

bob sinclair - fuck with you (feat. sophie ellis-bextor and gilbere forte)

rhye: "open"

rhye is/are keeping their identities under wraps for as long as humanly possible. that won't be easy in an era of instant information and zero privacy. still they/he/she/it is bound to try. the main reason, as recently told to china shop, is to make the music a priority and the personalities second, or even a distant third.with a debut track as exquisite as "open," it's clear that identities don't really matter. check it out below along with the perfectly matched, exceedingly sexy, slightly NSFW video.

leonard friend: "everything for the sake of everything"

get lost in leonard friend's assets.

leonard friend's bio has the makings of a motion picture. from his facebook page:

In the winter of 2010, frustrated songwriter and multi instrumentalist Alex Feder -- previously known as the frontman of Brooklyn band The XYZ Affair -- nearly gave up on his childhood ambitions and quit music. Instead, he chose to move across the country to Los Angeles and create R&B singer Leonard Friend, a musical altar ego named after his grandfather, who abandoned a promising career as a big band saxophonist when he entered the family's traveling salesman business.

that story is like the bastard child of death of a salesman and dreamgirls. the type of story you'd be forced to read in high school but wouldn't mind because it had such a great soundtrack. and that soundtrack would surely be lynyrd frynd, friend's debut EP. the climatic, defining moment of the story, the song everyone will remember, the "and i'm telling you i'm not going"-by-way-of-happy loman, would definitely be "everything for the sake of everything," a soaring pop number. plus it has a great string arrangement, too, which always wins points with me.

gemini club: "by surprise"

gemini club's newest, "by surprise," is a straight-up indie pop gem with a big hook and some nice electronica touches, specifically the (backwards-sounding) voice manipulation during the bridge through the outro. you can download the song and pre-order their new EP, here we sit, here.

amanda mair: "said and done"

there's something special about amanda mair. her talent as a singer-songwriter belie the fact that she's only seventeen. when her debut single, the haunting pop piano ballad "house," was released last year on labrador records critics called her a swedish kate bush. it's nearly impossible for musicians to avoid comparisons to other well-established artists, however it's my estimation that amanda mair is simply amanda mair, someone in her own right. 

"house" was one of my top 100 songs of 2011 and i was eagerly awaiting her eponymous debut album which was recently released in sweden. thanks to the wonders of the intrawebs i was able to secure a copy here stateside. there's quite a lot of similar haunting piano ballads that fill the ten-track record. "doubt," which surfaced online last year as well, is excellent; but it's the lead track, "said and done," that really sets the tone. unfortunately there isn't anything that comes close to its majesty. eastern strings and a lively percussion arrangement accentuate mair's breathy vocals. a light but noticeable lisp offers a nice juxtaposition to an otherwise mature offering.

mp3: amanda mair - said and done

geri miller: "mama, look at me now" (from trash, 1970)

a visit to my favorite used record store, newbury comics, is mandatory every time i travel to the east coast. in fact a trip usually necessitates a visit to at least four of their locations in massachusetts. usually more than once. yes, i'm that obsessive. they've got everything: music, movies, comics (obviously), video games, t-shirts, great prices, excellent selection. oh! it's a music and movie lover's paradise. 

as i was strolling the aisles on my last visit, a box set caught my eye. it was plain white, save for the red and gray typeface on the front, with a photo of a long-haired, shirtless stud -- who didn't look unlike flea from red hot chili peppers -- gazing seductively, cruelly, almost pathetically back at me. intrigued, i picked it up. the paul morrissey collection, it read. a four dvd box set of the paul morrissey-andy warhol-joe dallesandro trilogy with the films flesh (1968), trash (1970), and heat (1972).

i hadn't seen any of these movies, but i had heard of them. i knew who joe dallesandro was and andy warhol needed no introduction, but i wasn't familiar with paul morrissey. the descriptions on the back of the box sounded interesting enough, but having just plunked down cash on a dvd set of family guy, i decided to skip purchasing the paul morrissey collection. still, there was something about the box set, and joe dallesandro's surly gaze, that lingered in my memory. so upon returning to san francisco i purchased it, via newbury comics, of course.

as the old saying goes: "they don't make 'em like this anymore!" in case you haven't seen it, i won't give away too many details save for the fact that it became clear within the first few frames of both flesh and trash that these films were made solely as vehicles to see joe dallesandro naked. not that i'm complaining. as much as pretty boys and muscle studs are not my thing there's no doubting that joe dallesandro is one fine specimen. his acting isn't nearly as neat and perfect as his pecs, biceps and glutes, but it works for the roles in all three films.

flesh feels more like an exercise in student filmmaking, although there is a delightful appearance by candy darling. heat is the most mainstream of the three, with oscar-nominee sylvia miles co-starring in a sunset blvd. parody. trash, which rolling stone chose as the best film of 1970, fares best of all. it's is a deeply disturbing, often funny and graphic account of a junkie's quest for his next fix. there are standout performances from everyone, specifically holly woodlawn, whom famed director george cukor tried to in vain to secure a write-in nomination for a best actress oscar on her behalf.

the opening scene has warhol regular geri miller blowing a flaccid joe dallesandro. he can't keep hard because he's constantly doing heroin (keep in mind this was pre-viagra, kids) so miller decides to do a nude dance to turn him on. this is the song to which she dances. she also sings it.

imperial teen: "out from inside"

i'm too tired to write anything clever so i'll just give it to you straight: a spectacular indie pop song from san francisco's imperial teen off their new record, feel the sound. if you're in san francisco, they're playing cafe du nord on feb 24, as part of noise pop, and amoeba records on feb 25. you can also catch them at SXSW on march 16. word.

burning hearts: "the beast"

my dvd player recently broke. while i was awaiting my tax refund so i could purchase a new one, i was relegated to watching old vhs tapes. (i don't watch TV so that wasn't an option.) actually it was quite enjoyable because i got to revisit some absolutely wonderful and terribly wretched TV movies and miniseries i taped during the now suddenly hip 1990s. no lifetime movies here, folks. these were network television made-for-TV movies, the bastard child of the film industry. 

i can understand why i may have kept the good ones -- 1991's she says she's innocent (aka violation of trust) starring katey sagal and hey, dude's david lascher, and all of kathie lee gifford's christmas specials, of course -- but it's anyone's guess why i kept the terrible ones, like peter benchley's the beast. benchley is the author of jaws and his 1991 book the beast, which is little more than jaws with an octopus mixed with a dash of jurassic park, was adapted in 1996 for a two-part(!) made-for-television movie event. as far as the acting goes, there isn't even enough star wattage to work up a static electricity charge. william peterseen (who?), karen sillas (whose last name is spelled incorrectly on the dvd cover at right...classy!) and charles martin smith (wtf?) are in charge of looking scared at an obviously fake giant octopus. sadly, the film isn't even good on a camp level. 

but here's a beast you can enjoy. from finnish duo burning hearts' new LP extinctions, out today in north america, is "the beast." by the way, luckily my tax refund came just in time and i bought myself a spiffy new blu-ray player.

milano sun: "already gone"

there's a great AM '70s song by exile called "kiss you all over." exile was more of a country-rock band, but they scored a #1 pop hit in 1978 with "kiss you all over." the way lead singer jimmy stokely seductively croons the opening lines is very similar to the way sweden's milano sun approaches the opening lines of their new track "already gone." as one might have guessed from the cover art featured above, the track is as fresh and warm as a summer's day. with just a touch of sadness.   

fun.: "some nights"

oh, wow. golly. um... where to begin. there's a lot going on in this song. 15 seconds into the song i expected blue swede to come blaring in with their infamous "ooga-chaka" chant. they don't, so we're treated to a jukebox karaoke rocker that mixes influences from everyone from boston ("more than a feeling" anyone?) to reo speedwago, foreigner, and toto. all autotuned to perfection to please the palates of modern youth. i miss music.

the belljars: "you will know"

from sweden, the land of indie pop magnificence, comes the belljars a five-piece conglomerate consisting of former or present members from bands such as amandine, the bombettes, the medalist, isen biter and sista brytet. lo-fi is the name of the game with the belljars, whose four-track debut eponymous EP is out now. "you will know" is very much in the acid house kings vein, so fans should take note. plaintive, wailing vocals, lovelorn lyrics and a beautiful string arrangement are highlights of the track.

superhumanoids: "geri"

well, this is all kinds of pretty.

matt corby: "brother" (lancelot remix)

the '90s are huge right now. the decade seems to have inspired lancelot, the australian DJ/producer/songwriter whose remix of fellow aussie matt corby's "brother" sounds like a deep house remix of a martin page AC hit by way of dr. alban. cannot. stop. listening.

christopher norman: "connect me"

is this song the greatest homage to levar burton? ok, probably not. but every time i hear "connect me" by christopher norman i'm reminded of the old "reading rainbow" theme. that not only dates me as a child of the '80s, but it makes me like the song even more. the adorbs michigan-based norman (mister norman, if you're nasty) has a background in techno production which lends itself to "connect me," which pops like a pleasurable bolt of electricity. the track is from his forthcoming EP3, the aptly titled third EP he's released in the last year. you can listen to the tune below, then snag it for free here.

frankie rose: "know me"

everyone's buzzing about frankie rose. so let's give a little background before we take a listen to "know me," shall we? frankie was an original member of crystal stilts, the vivan girls, and dum dum girls. that's quite a pedigree. now she's set to release her second solo album, interstellar, on slumberland records next week. her first was the 2010 eponymous release frankie rose and the outs.

"know me" has been gaining much praise in the blogosphere lately. there's a lot of glimmer and shimmer to it; like a kind of eerie dream that lingers with you long after you've woken. its melody is dripping with '80s-alternapop references, but none that are so obtrusive that they remove you from the moment. and what a sweet moment it is.

[VIDEO] the limousines: "the future"

san francisco's best indie band, the limousines, have unleashed their newest hot-as-balls music video for "the future," which is featured on their debut album, get sharp. the duo, currently on tour in europe opening for the sounds, fully-funded and released the video themselves. there's a delorean, a spectacular car crash, morbid curiosity, and spurting bloody wounds. need you know more?

in case you do, lead singer eric victorino filled us in on some of the behind-the-scenes details after the jump:

first and foremost, tell me the inspiration behind the new video and also why you decided to fund and release this yourselves.

we wanted to focus on the sentiment of the song. we're temporary beings. the things that matter are loving, smiling, fucking, none of the other shit. we all die; some of us live a little first. gio wrote the video and when we sent it to the label they said no to the concept and the budget, so we decided to spend our food and rent money to make the video ourselves, the way we wanted to. thanks to the donated time and resources of our family, friends and director david dutton, we were able to make something we are really proud of.

you deal with a lot of heavy stuff in the new video (suicide, murder, even a nazi), but you handle it all with a dose of humor too. in many ways it feels like a companion piece to your last video for "internet killed the video star." do you think it is?

i feel like it's really different from the zombie video, but it has a similar feel in that almost everyone who starred in this one were in the last one.

was it filmed in the bay area? (that looked like a caltrain that ran over the girl near the end)

it was filmed all over the bay area - from the east bay to the south bay to the santa cruz mountains.

speaking of the future, what's next for you guys? you've been doing some heavy touring the last year, and you mentioned that you recently left your record label. but will we see a new limos record in 2012? (pretty please?)

we are going to be thinking about some new music when we get home from the europe tour for sure. got a lot of cool ideas and inspiration coming...

btw, i'm curious why you chose jan 3. 2152 as the date in the future you programmed into the delorean. a quick facebook check tells me jan. 3 is your birthday. coincidence? ;)

you're a sharp one, sir.

i have a lot of time on my hands.

betablock3r: "hot damn"

a beta blocker is a medication commonly used to treat anxiety and panic. the band BetaBlock3r works in much the same way. you'll be too busy dancing and moving your body to tunes like "hot damn" that the only thing you'll be feeling is good. (link to download below player.)

download "hot damn" here

the best of whitney houston

much will be written about whitney houston over the next week. it's likely many will focus on her trials and tribulations when they reference her untimely passing at the age of 48. but her music is for what she'll best be remembered, and rightfully so. her voice was a gift and it was fortunate for us that she was able to share it with the world. here, in no particular order, are some of whitney's greatest moments.

"exhale (shoop shoop)" - 1995

"greatest love of all" - 1985

"my love is your love" - 1998

"it's not right, but it's ok" - 1999

"i wanna dance with somebody" - 1987

the national anthem - 1991

"i will always love you" - 1993

"all the man that i need" - 1990

the chevin: "champion" + miadis remix

"people love a rising star." that we do. although new york giants fans might take to this song a little better than patriots fans at this particular moment. either way the chevin, a four-piece from leeds, is one to keep an eye on this year. their debut EP, champion, was just released in europe. even if you don't live there, i highly suggest you seek it out. the title track is the standout, but it's not necessarily indicative of what's on the rest of the EP, and each of the five tracks is excellent. also check out the killer remix by miadis below.

top of the Pop Sucker: the week's most read stories

here are the week's top 10 most read stories. have you read 'em all?

1. electric guest: "american daydream"
2. [CAMP!] kathie lee gifford: "finders keepers"
3. eric saade: "love is callin'"
4. the bianca story: three tracks from coming home
5. the knocks: "magic" (feat. gary go)
6. marilyn chambers: "benihana"
7. james vincent mcmorrow: "higher love"
8. the sins of lana del rey
9. bear in heaven: "the reflection of you"
10. julien-k: "colorcast"

julien-k: "colorcast"

though their hometown is long beach, california, everything about julien-k screams european. from their electronic elements, to the chord structure, and pop know-how. hell, there's even a look to the band members that makes one think of some gothic german rock band. julien-k was originally started in 2003 by amir derakh and ryan shuck of orgy. (orgy scored a hit in 1999 with a cover of new order's blue monday.) but julien-k's sound is much softer, more accessible, as evidenced on "colorcast," a song bursting with sonic hues which comes from the band's recently released sophomore album, we're here with you.