With the blogosphere erupting over the Kanye West/Jay-Z joint (do we call them “albums” anymore?), Kid Cudi couldn’t have picked a worse time to release his video for “No One Believes Me.”

Actually, it’s not his fault: It’s the “official” music vid for DreamWorks’ remake of “Fright Night,” which opens Friday. I’m under one of those dreaded review embargoes, so I can’t tell you until Friday whether I think the Colin Farrell/Anton Yelchin starrer falls short of the 1985 horror-comedy classic; or whether I think its 3-D effects are needless; or whether I think Imogen Poots (despite her flatulent name) is way, way, way hotter than Amanda Bearse.

In the meantime, Kid Cudi! As with the film, the lushly orchestrated clip is directed by Craig Gillespie (“Lars and the Real Girl”) and looks to take place on the same set. Its dark tone is right in line with the picture, and it’s nice to see what it essentially “just” a tie-in have merit on its own. —Rod Lott

Oh, my.

For those of you who recall their performance at this year’s Norman Music Festival, Japanese anime/cartoon/metal-ish band Peelander-Z provided a batshit-insane hour’s worth of crowd-interactive entertainment that included human bowling, a giant squid and choreographed dancing. It was hilarious and somewhat terrifying.

Opolis announced Peelander’s mighty return to Norman yesterday on its Facebook page. I tremble at the thought of those three little men performing in a tiny, enclosed space so close to my home.  The show’s set for Sept. 10th. You can watch the band’s “interview” at NMF3 below. Also be sure to check out the end of the songs “Tacos, Tacos, Tacos” and “So Many Mike.”



In the words of Samuel L. Jackson: “Hold on to your butts.”

It’s not very often you get to see a soul legend sing an all-time great cover song accompanied by the front man of the biggest indie band to ever get buzzed. That happened this last weekend at Outside Lands when Mavis Staples brought Win Butler of Arcade Fire on to sing “The Weight,” The Band’s great contribution to planet Earth. Enjoy.

No matter how audiences receive “Another Earth” when the Sundance drama tinged with sci-fi elements opens Friday here in the 405, one thing is certain: Its stellar soundtrack is heavenly.

Eighteen of its 19 tracks are original compositions from new duo Fall on Your Sword, a new project of composer Will Bates and LCD Soundsystem’s Philip Mossman. Here, they’ve crafted an ethereally threaded, warm blanket of trippy, downtempo instrumentals, delivered atop a bed of understated electronics and orchestral instruments. Think a toned-down Tangerine Dream as remixed by Two Lone Swordsmen.

The album opens and closes with variations on its stark, sonic theme, “The First Time I Saw Jupiter,” whose simple melodics and stick percussion result in instant accessibility and addiction. “Rhoda’s Theme” seems beamed from space, accompanied by a ghostly wisp of an angelic voice, while “Making Contact” breaks out of the box to offer some ominous vibes via strings. I don’t know what pep meds “Rhoda’s Theme/Returning to John” are on, but I want some.

The disc is peppered with a number of short, piano-driven bits like “Bob the Robot” and “House Theme,” serving as transitional bridges to the showier numbers. Another track doing the same is Phaedon Papadopoulos “Sonatina in D Minor,” a straightforward piano piece that’s not out of character, given the tone Fall on Your Sword establishes.

If the movie proves even half this good, yum. —Rod Lott