(I really hope Nick Drake fans have a sense of humor about the title of this blog…)

Like Brian Wilson, Syd Barrett and a thousand artists whose names you’ll only read about in blogs and hip magazines, Nick Drake just wasn’t made for his times. Decades after his passing, his name is uttered in hushed tones as a songwriter and singer whose beautiful works stand stark in their harrowing singularity. Whispered, unbelievable voice; bewildering fingerpicking work; charmingly clunky jazz piano; tear-welling string arrangements…Drake is not only a touchstone of the freakfolk, beardoweirdo set, but pre-screamo-emo troubadours and psychedelic enthusiasts, and is loved by anyone who’s ever walked home in the rain, sans jacket and umbrella.

Well, though I’m minded to bring up the tomb-raiding aspect of unearthing lost Nick Drake recordings, by god I want to hear them. So when I pulled up the following press release and exclaimed “HolySHitHolySHitHolyShit,” it was an honest reaction. Plus I’d like to see what Robyn Hitchcock and Vashti Bunyan have to say about or add to his legacy.

south by southwest festivals + conferences

****

SXSW PRESENTS A RARE SCREENING OF DOCUMENTARY
NICK DRAKE: A SKIN TOO FEW
FOLLOWED BY
‘NICK DRAKE REMEMBERED’ PANEL AT SXSW
PANEL MODERATED BY UK ROCK JOURNALIST SYLVIE SIMMONS AND FEATURES JOE BOYD, GABRIELLE DRAKE, VASHTI BUNYAN AND ROBYN HITCHCOCK AND THE WORLD PREMIERE OF PREVIOUSLY UNHEARD DRAKE MUSIC FROM THE FORTHCOMING FAMILY TREE ALBUM

read more after the jump:
More after the jump »

Until March 5th, The Shins are running a contest on Imeem.com for aspiring poster designers. The winner will get tickets to a Shins concert in Boston–including hotel and air fare–as well as have 150 posters featuring their design passed out at the show. I’d say something snarky about this, but the whole thing seems pretty damn cool. Check out their page for details.

PrintableColdSores.blogspot.com is offering free cold-sore stickers to their viewers to download and fight back against the swarming ads that are thrown in our face everyday. You can’t walk down the street without seeing ads, but now you can add a little spice to them by strategically placing cold-sore stickers on the beautifully photoshopped model’s faces.

via Wooster Collective

You think Britney Spears has fallen off the deep-end? As for her recent head shaving I think I know the real reason – in fact my source who's currently at the Promises rehab clinic down in LA confirmed the whole thing – my anonyms source was listening in on this conversation:

President Bush: Britney – how are you doing sweetie?
Britney Spears: Well, you know – I've been better.
Bush: Yeah, me too – look – I'm gonna cut to the chase. I know you're a good American and you've taken one for the team for me before with that whole lack of underwear thing with Paris back in December.
Spears: Yeah, my momma is still giving me a hard time about that one.
Bush: Well – we need to divert the public's attention again. The war isn't good so good, gas is almost to $3 a gallon again, that crazy guy with the hard to pronounce name in Iran has nukes like that little guy in North Korea.
Spears: I know – it's crazy – I read the paper.
Bush: oh, you do?
Spears: Yes.
Bush: Ok – yeah, I don't read the paper. But look – lemme cut to the fat of the turkey dinner – separate the muck from the donkey as they say.
Spears: Huh?
Bush: You know – let's just talk to the turkey. Straight up.
Spears: Ok – I think I'm following you.
Bush: I need you to take some of the heat off me – this Anna Nicole thing isn't enough. I need you to jump on another grenade for me.
Spears: Ok – you know I'm a good American – I'll do whatever you need, I love my country.
Bush: I know Britney – you're a good citizen and you love this country. Here's the deal – I need you to do something crazy again – get the media's attention away from Iraq and all that war stuff.
Spears: Ok, I guess so – do I have to show my Southern Comfort again?
Bush: No – nobody wants to see that again. I need you just go completely bat-shit.
Spears: Well, do you want me to fall down the stairs or something?
Bush: You know what just might work – why don't you shave your head?
Spears: What?
Bush: Yeah – that's it, shave your head – that'll freak people out – you'll look like that little crazy singer chick who had her head shaved. The one that made fun of that guy with the funny hat – I can't remember her name. She was like Bob Marleys little white sister or something.
Spears: Ok sir – whatever you need I guess.

Fall Out Boy feat. Kanye West-This Aint A Scene, It’s An Arms Race (remix)

“One thing I gotta call out boy/Take a look at Fall Out Boy/Since they ain’t black/When they get money, they don’t ball out boy/They just buy tight jeans till they nuts hang all out boy” Kanye West

I wish I was there to see the giggles and hi fives the group shared after hearing that line for the first time. “That’s so awesome dude!”

This is pretty damn funny.

Song by Amy Winehouse.