IRC First Blog to Publish the Original, Unedited Saddam Cell Phone Video Execution Hours Before YouTube and Cable News
Saturday, December 30, 2006
EXCLUSIVE!!The authentic original, unedited cell phone video of Saddam's hanging - from start to end! Three Iraqis arrested were not responsible for making the video available on the Internet
Update, Jan. 4, 2007: IRC was the first blog on the Internet to post the original, unedited cell phone video of Saddam Hussein's hanging that you won't see on TV news or YouTube. Since three people have been arrested in Iraq concerning the video, we have received many media calls. Our answer: No Comment!
continue to read main story...
Labels: Cell Phone Saddam Hanging, Cell Phone Video News, Google Video, Saddam Cell Phone Video, Saddam Video, Saddam Video Execution, Video of Saddam Hanging, YouTube
by IRC @ 10:06 PM
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Stephen Colbert's "Green-Screen" Challenge with Decemberists Wasn't Exactly Original
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Investigation shows Colbert claim was all wrongThe green-screen video challenge and then the finale "Shred Down" between Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report and the once-indie, quirky rock band The Decemberists created tons of blog entries and chatter in the music and entertainment world.
But was it all based on a lie, or a simple mistake? Has it been just another prank to attract media attention and blogger buzz?
Whatever the case, the Indie Rock Cafe blog was the first on the Internet to report the likeness of The Decemberists contest published on their website in November and a simliar contest by Stephen Colbert. IRC published a follow-up story the morning after the finale, which Colbert claims he won.
NEW DEVELOPMENT - EXCLUSIVE IRC REPORT!
IRC is working on a story from evidence we have discovered that directly contradicts Stephen Colbert's claim to an "original idea" of having fans participate in the final production of a green-screen video. We have the evidence to support it.
We are waiting to hear something from the producers at The Colbert Nation. Will Mr. Colbert directly address the weight of the evidence we have unearthed or cut and run?
We love ya Steve, but let's set the record straight, try out some of that "fair and balanced" BS they dish out over on FOX News. (Sorry Shep. Not sorry O'Reilly.)
All we can say for now is stay tuned!
IRC may publish the story on our blog in the days to come, especially if we hear from the Colbert show's producers, or Stephen himself.
This scoop, if you will, may also be published in a national newspaper or high-profile website like Smoking Gun, Spin or Pitchfork Media.
Send us an email if you're interested in being alerted when this story is published.
Labels: Exclusive IRC Report, Green-Screen Challenge, Green-Screen Scandal, Music on TV, Stephen Colbert vs. The Decemberists, Television, The Colbert Video
by IRC @ 4:36 PM
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Released in 1999, Simon Basic by Barcelona [MP3s below] is amazing indie pop music fused with synthesizers and shifting, deep baselines. That is why it is being featured in IRC's "Digging The Archives" series.Barcelona is a great, largely forgotten indie pop group and Simon Basic is their crown jewel. We call it "indie blueberry music" because it is one of those albums that once you start spinning it, you can't resist to spin it more and more to the point that everything else is momentarily unimportant.
Experience proves, however, that much of the best indie rock and pop music out there - from approximately 1980 to now - is lost in the thousands of CDs reviewed by "the critics" during the past quarter century. Meanwhile, indie music has thrived.
The band was formed in Washington, D.C. in 1998. Band members Jennifer Carr on bass, Jason Korzen, singer and guitarist, Ivan Ramiscal (moog/keyboards/ guitar) and drummer (guitar/singer), Christian Scanniello found time between their passion for soccer and computers to make indie pop music.
Digging up, reporting, writing, editing, packaging and presenting to you the best of indie, old and new, is what sets IRC apart from all the other indie rock music websites and blogs.
From the moment Simon Basic starts spinning, there's an automatic attraction to it's poppy sound, soft, melodic harmonies and upbeat sytheniziers that play-off of, and merge with, each other for a full and intriguing experience.
Computer sounds and themes are spliced throughout the album, most notably on "I Have The Password to Your Shell Account" and "The Downside of Computer Camp."
"Space Guy Blues" and the cheery "Indian Names" and are mini-indie classics, supplying all the ingredients of indie pop rock with infectious energy, wit and grounded rythmatic baselines laden with catchy guitar and keyboard riffs. Other songs like "1/2", "Unreal," and "Summer Songs", which should have been a hit are album highlights as well.
Check the music downloads from Simon Basic below for your listening pleasure. You can also find the tracks for sale on sites like MP3.com, Amazon and Emusic.
Be warned: If you can get the CD, don't lend it out. You're probably not going to get it back. It's that good. Sometimes a great artist that was previously unknown to the masses re-emerges to popularity deserved long ago, but it is usually from a television commercial or movie soundtrack.
A year after the debut of Simon Basic, the group pumped out two reasonably good (with some stand-out songs) song collections in 2000 on the EPs Robot Trouble and Zero One Infinity .
The Transhuman Revolution was released in 2001 and didn't sell or spark a fire in the indie scene. The Barcelona experiment (but it was so much more) was over by 2001. The following year, singer, songwriter and guitarist Jason Korzen formed Sprites.Barcelona's music is similiar to a bunch of artists, including Mates of State, Matt Pond PA, The Close Lobsters and The 6ths.
From a purely online marketing point of view, the name Barcelona doesn't help fans find information easily and quickly on the Internet. In fact, we were unable to find one photograph of the band after an extensive search, but just about every other image on the Internet with 'barcelona' in it's name. We all know that means tens of thousands of hits. If you can find a photo of the band, let us know. The lack of a band photo makes Barcelona even more mysterious and "indie".This CD was found by chance at a real record shop. Once independent record shops are all gone, and they're going fast, an iconic cornerstone of the indie movement will have disappeared. In ten years from now, there may be a few record stores here and there. How they will make money in the age of instant download (even though iTunes has been down and showing error messages most of the week from the 'gift card' redeemers) is anyone's guess.
The old-skool meeting place where you talked with store clerks, other customers and friends about a great indie album that you didn't know about and that you listened to 20 times or more will fade away into a computer screen.
To get an idea of the tracks on the album, listen to, and download, the following:Summer Songs [mp3]
The Downtime of Computer Camp [mp3]
Indian Names [mp3]
Labels: Album Reviews, Alternative Classic CDs, Añejo Mockingbird, Barcelona, Best Indie Albums, Best of Indie Rock, College Indie Rock, DC, Independent Record Labels, Underrated Classics, Washington
by IRC @ 3:50 PM
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As the spirit of the holiday season continues through the week, IRC will be posting some rare covers of traditional Christmas and holiday songs by indie artists. Taking Back Sunday skyrocketed from indie to "commercial indie" in just the past year or so. They also recorded one of the best indie CDs of the new century, Where You Want To Be. The album was a huge success ore leaving Victory Records before moving on to Warner.
So whether or not TBS is indie doesn’t matter because the group offers this playful, alternative version of “The 12 Days of Christmas” in video animation. Just click play to watch it now (no download required):
Labels: 12 Days of Christmas, Alternative Christmas Songs, Independent Christmas Video, Indie Christmas Music, Indie Christmas Songs, Taking Back Sunday
by IRC @ 2:25 PM
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While no one knows what exactly an Indie Christmas should be like, we have put together a package of mostly non-commercial, independent Christmas songs, which are sprinkled throughout this report.At some point, just about everyone has had enough of the traditional Christmas songs, so let's try out something else.
Here are some wonderful music videos (no waiting or streaming, plays instantly) of artists (some indie, some close enough) performing Christmas songs:
Fiona Apple sings "Frosty the Snowman"; Travis offers his own Christmas ballad "River"; Death Cab for Cutie play "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)", The Flaming Lips perform "Christmas at the Zoo" and and Tim Sweeney presents "DFA Holiday Mix"
Other choices for an indie Christmas holidays include the Do You Hear What I Hear?, compilation, featuring fresh covers of traditional Christmas songs, like "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" by Hem, "Holly Jolly Christmas" by The Format, and non-traditional songs like "Welcome Christmas" by The Clumsy Lovers.
There have been a good number of indie-themed Christmas albums and compliations released over the years by indie labels, most notably perhaps is Sufjan Stevens' simply titled and magnificent four EP box set Christmas Songs.The boxset feature offers sound quality tested music stream of all 4 EPs, plus information on what the box set contains, including writings from Sufjan himself.
You can also get exclusive MP3s from IRC.
Sample or buy the album's tracks at Emusic.
Labels: Alternative Christmas Songs, Christmas Songs, Christmas Tunes Mp3s, Free MP3s, Indie Christmas Music, Indie Christmas Songs, Sufjan Stevens
by IRC @ 10:09 PM
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Rumors on the Internet that the original video tape of Steve Irwin being struck by a stingray are false.Anyone can use a search engine to find what they THINK is the tape, but the real tape was actually posted and taken down from a website.
There are a number of videos (including those on YouTube), including disrespectful parodies, showing Irwin in the water scuba diving, but they are not the authentic tapes of the moment Irwin was struck by the sting ray's barb.
The one video showing Irwin swimming with sea creatures was filmed in 2004.
Remember, what you see on the Internet may not actually be real or true, and that distinction will become more difficult to make as the technology and popularity of making and showing videos keeps driving forward.
There is one tape that may be the actual one of when Irwin was struck, but we have not yet confirmed this.
Labels: Lethal Sea creatures, popular videos, Steve Irwin and sting ray, Steve Irwin Death, Steve Irwin Video Tape, YouTube
by IRC @ 2:41 PM
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At the Indie Rock Cafe, we are always looking to provide the most unique features about indie rock music, such as:
Top 20 Indie Music Playlist - great indie songs from today and yesterday
Weekly New Indie Artist - profiles new and talented indie rock artists
Best of Never Heard Indie (Podcast) - a 45-minute show of great indie music you've probably never heard before
Digging The Archives - a look back at ground-breaking indie rock artists and albums
Indie Song of the Day - one indie song a day chosen randomly from the IRC collection
Will Call Concert Listings - weekly wrap of concert announcements, listings and reviews
That's not all. IRC offers cash and gift card rewards for indie contests winners, and the latest in daily news, reviews, concert listings, music downloads, streaming audio, MP3s and live indie radio. 
The contest we are now running is simple: send an email to indierockcafe.com@gmail.com with the subject line: "I Want to Write Indie Contest" and include your writing, whether it is a review of an indie band, album, concert, or indie music-like experience.
Links to a web page are perfectly fine. However, any emails sent with attachments will be automatically deleted by our email system.
You must include your return email address. The winner will have his or his writing contribution (or concert photos) published on the IRC website (nearly 2,000 visitors a month), plus a $25 gift card to a store of your choice. We can also PayPal the winner at a confirmed account.
Contest deadline is February 1, 2007.
Submit to indierockcafe.com@gmail.com
Labels: Alternative Rock Writing Contest, Best of Indie Rock, Blogs for Writers, Indie Music Contest, Indie Music Writing Contest, Music Writing Contest
by IRC @ 8:35 PM
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