May 19, 2024

About the author  ⁄ Brenna Ehrlich

Who Will Appear On The Lorde-Curated ‘Hunger Games’ Soundtrack? We Take Some Guesses

by 14 mins ago

Not only is Lorde contributing a new single (penned with eternal partner Joel Little) to “The Hunger Games: MockingJay – Part 1,” she’s also curating the entire soundtrack.

We imagine that this experience will be like being given an amazing mixtape by your much cooler friend — a mixtape that also includes Jennifer Lawrence.

Because the thing is, in addition to writing tunes that give Dave Grohl hope for the future of music, the 17-year-old also has pretty stellar taste. She wore a Cramps T-shirt on the cover of Rolling Stone, guys. That had me, for one, doing the crusher.

As we wait for the denizens of Lorde’s tracklist to be revealed, we made a few guesses ourselves as to who she will include. Check out our list — informed by a mix of hunches and compelling evidence — below:

1.) Lo-Fang

Early this year, Lorde took multi-instrumentalist Lo-Fang (a.k.a. Matthew Hemerlein) on tour with her after choosing his track “#88″ as one of her top songs of 2013. Lo-Fang’s moody, classically tinged jams would make perfect mood music for the “Hunger Games” film.

2.) Majical Cloudz

The next band to hit the road with Lorde will be Canada’s Majical Cloudz, of which Lorde said, “If you haven’t seen this man perform you are in for an intensely emotional and raw treat,” referring to lead singer Devon Welsh. The band’s “Childhood’s End” sounds like it was written for the “Hunger Games” trilogy.

3.) BROODS

Fellow ...

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This Lovely Card Welcomed Lorde To Japan

by 21 mins ago

When I was a teenager, I had a penpal from Japan, and I would get so excited when her letters came in the mail. Well, as they say, the stars — they are just like us.

Related: Lorde Seems Shocked At Her VMA Nominations

Lorde apparently gets similarly stoked when receiving international correspondence. There is one difference, though: When I got a letter in the mail I could basically show it to, like, my mom. Lorde tweets her missive and scores 2,000+ “Likes.” [Insert joke about never being "royal" here.]

Before playing Japan this coming Tuesday, Lorde shared a lovely image on Twitter featuring a letter from a fan named Rio. You can read the note below. The collaging here is pretty next level:

Ella’s next stop on tour is Chicago for Lollapalooza in August. Let’s see if fans in the Second City can best Rio’s crafting skills.

Brenna Ehrlich is a reporter for MTV News as well as the senior writer/editor for the O Music Awards. In the past, she served as associate editor at Mashable, penned a netiquette column for CNN and co-authored the blog and book "Stuff Hipsters Hate." She likes trying not to die in moshpits and listening to songs on repeat. Follow her on Twitter @BrennaEhrlich for news on cats and punk bands.
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Beyonce Shuts Down Women Against Feminism With A Single Snap

by 6 mins ago

“Women Against Feminism” has become a thing and we can pretty much hear the hoofbeats of the Four Horsemen reverberating throughout the world, signaling an End Times that would make whoever your Devil is clap with glee.

Lucky for us, Beyoncé has stepped in to save the day with a single photo — as she’s been known to do.

Tuesday (July 22), Bey posted a photo to Instagram in which she’s all kitted out like Rosie The Riveter, flexing under the words “We Can Do It.” She didn’t provide any context for the snap, but we’re pretty much assuming that she posted it to basically save the world from itself. Also because she looks damn good in loose denim.

Queen Bey isn’t new to feminism — she’s basically been dubbed an honorary Riot Grrrl by Bikini Kill’s Kathleen Hanna and she contributed an essay to Maria Shriver’s “The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Pushes Back from the Brink.” Oh, and she’s been repping the “f” word on tour with Jay Z, too, incorporating the term into her stage show in massive black and white letters.

Now tell us again why you don’t need feminism, ladies. The Beygency is listening…

Brenna Ehrlich is a reporter for MTV News as well as the senior writer/editor for the O Music Awards. In the past, she served as associate editor at Mashable, penned a netiquette column for CNN and co-authored the blog ...

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These 8 Hairstyles Will Make You Want To Dye

by 32 mins ago

Photos by Radhika Marya

Chicago, IL – You know that one dude/chick at work with blue hair? You probably call him/her “the office hipster” and s/he just laughs and smiles and plays along — but will totally steal your yogurt out of the communal fridge later as revenge.

At Pitchfork Music Festival, friends, said blue-haired girl/boy is the norm and you are the weird one — dyed hair is as common here as ants swarming a fallen slice of pizza. #Seapunk isn’t dead.

We’ve got our favorite Technicolor heads here at Pitchfork Fest below (Not included: the author’s own tinted hair. Sorry I took your yogurt, dude!).

Now curl up and dye.

1. Katie’s red hair had us green with envy

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We bet Kendrick, who she’s here to see, will be able to see this Chicagoian from stage.

2. Grace’s purple hair don’t care

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She brought her awesome follicles all the way from Grand Rapids, Michigan, to see Grimes.

3. Chloe’s locks go perfectly with her sunnies

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The better to see St. Vincent with.

4. Emily’s green hair is definitely money

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Her love of Deafheaven, however, is free.

5. Kendra’s blue ‘do is angelic

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Just like her favorite, Grimes.

6. Check out Tae’s bold red locks

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As bold as Earl Sweatshirt’s rhymes.

7. Josh, Alisha and Aleena look pretty blue

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Perfect Pussy probably cheered ‘em up.

8. Morgan’s hair basically won the weekend

rmarya_DSC_4859_copyRadhika Marya

As did, for a lot of people, Neutral Milk Hotel.

Learn How To Do A Festival Right With Marnie The Dog

by 4 mins ago

Photos by Radhika Marya

Chicago, IL – We’re having a pretty amazingly rad time at Pitchfork Music Festival, but there’s one fest-goer jangling through the fray who just knows how to do this thing right. That fest-goer’s name? Marnie The Dog. You heard me. The dog.

A 12-year-old Shih Tzu from New York City, Marnie has more celeb selfies than Macklemore — and nearly 50,000 followers on Instagram. Throw her a follow if you haven’t already. You’ll thank me later, I promise.

We hung out with Marnie for a bit at Pitchfork and watched her make the festival rounds — and let me tell you, kids, this dog has more star power than headliner Kendrick Lamar.

Take a peek at Marnie’s average fest day below and try not to hate your life.

Just moshing at Perfect Pussy. No big

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Marnie may be 12 in dog years, but she’s 84 in dog years — and ready to rage

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But first she hit up the ATM

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And the bathrooms. They look dubious

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Here she is refueling with popcorn

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And picking up some sick vinyl

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The fans were clamoring for photos!

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To avoid the hoards, she hopped a golf cart to VIP

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And chilled with the Dum Dum Girls…

rmarya_DSC_5050_copyRadhika Marya

DIIV…

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Empress Of…

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And Perfect Pussy. NaptimeVille, USA, population Marnie and Meredith!

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7 Things To Do At A Music Festival For People Who Don’t Like Music

by 23 mins ago

Photos by Radhika Marya

Chicago, IL – If I remember this story correctly, my sister went to the very first Pitchfork Music Festival with her now-husband and spent most of the sweltering fest in the record tent. She bought a jazz CD, I think. My sis isn’t that into live music.

If she were here today, however, ma soeur would have been privy to a bevvy of activities to keep her busy while bro-in-law banged his head to Lightning Bolt and Art Brut or whoever it was that was playing the fest back then.

We scoped out some of the myriad things people who dislike music and/or listening to music can do at Pitchfork – aside from shoving things in their mouth holes.

1. Screenprint a T-Shirt

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Did you sweat through the shirt you’re wearing? Make a new one!

2. Get a haircut

rmarya_DSC_4314_copyRadhika Marya

Split ends are a drag and must be eradicated ASAP.

3. Marvel at some ancient technology

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What do these little boxes do? JK! I know! They make fun noises when you bash them together, right?

4. Hug a Twinkie

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Embrace nostalgia. Literally.

5. Play some games

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You know, with something other than someone else’s heart.

6. Try on clothes

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Trust me, you could probably look more alt.

7. Hang out with Marnie The Dog

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Marnie will be jetting around the fest all weekend — try and catch her! She’s like the wind.

Pitchfork Festival Has The Most Adorably Awesome Concert Posters In The World

by 1 hour ago

Photos by Radhika Marya

Chicago, IL – Rock posters don’t always have to feature dewey-eyed boys in leather jackets squinting at the camera whilst wearing tight jeans and sad, sad smirks. Sometimes, they can be works of art — at least at Pitchfork Music Festival, where they have the most drool-worthy collection of concert posters we’ve ever seen in our various meanderings.

With hands firmly crossed in front of us — so as not to have too easy access to wallets — my trusty photog Radhika and I gazed like children in a sea of frolicking puppies at the many glorious and brightly colored poster arrayed at the fest.

We’ve got a peek at the goods below. Those at home, feel thankful that your wallets are not as empty as mine currently is. Top Ramen, here I come.

This Weeknd poster is bringing back some House Of Balloons memories…

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Snakes on a poster

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I bought that Bill Callahan poster (The middle yellow one!)

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Obligatory cat shirt photo

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These Avett Brothers posters are as lovely as their tunes

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I don’t even know where to look, but Sharon Van Etten rules!

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For people who love Grace Potter AND sports

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Modest Mouse? Try ‘Way Badass Monster’ Mouse

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This is probably the coolest Dave Matthews Band has ever been

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So many amazing St. Vincent posters, so little money!

rmarya_DSC_3991_copyRadhika Marya

These Tattoos Will Make You So Jealous Your Flesh Will Tingle

by 17 mins ago

Photos by Radhika Marya

Chicago, IL – I may be biased, being a tattooed person currently hitting up Pitchfork Music Festival, but I’m going to go right ahead and say it – bias be damned! – the ink at Chicago’s most alt fest is pretty much the best to grace the flesh of any music fan.

During the first day of the fest, I wandered among the masses with my trusty photog, Radhika Marya, rudely interrupting folks while they grooved to Sharon Van Etten and The Haxan Cloak to ask them about their ink (which is a major faux pas, but now they’re on the Internet and therefore kind of famous so whatever!).

Check out our 8 favorite tats from day one and book an appointment with your local ink slinger ASAP because you’re jealous now, right?

1. Dolls And Tea

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Christine from Buffalo, New York, is here to see Neutral Milk Hotel (aren’t we all?) but in the meantime she’s gracing passersby with her eclectic and glorious collection of adorable tattoos.

2. R2D2

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Shawnedese, from Carbondale, Illinois, has an amazing array of “Star Wars” tattoos. He’s here to see Beck and also kind of looks like Beck (at least around the hair area).

3. Red Pepper

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Shari hails from Durham, North Carolina, and is really stoked to see Perfect Pussy. We were really stoked to see that she had a pepper tattooed on her leg because what?! That’s some serious commitment to a seriously maligned veggie.

4. All Of ...

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This Is What Missed Connections Look Like In Real Life

by 23 mins ago

Photos by Radhika Marya

Chicago, IL – I don’t know about you all, but I fall in love at least 10 times at every festival. (Hello, dude in the Metallica shirt! What’s your name, man grooving in a tweed jacket in the middle of July?) Luckily a gentleman named Craig has given us a list that we may use to find our lost future paramours. And for that we owe him many kitten kisses.

Well, Chicago’s Pitchfork Music Festival has done that dude one better – they have an IRL “Missed Connections” board. Analog-leaning folks rejoice!

Romantic that I am, I was pretty excited to stumble upon this massive board (pictured) studded with multi-colored slips of paper containing missives of lost love. Apparently, fest-goers can, if they like, peck their yearning letters on typewriters (because Pitchfork! Twee!). I, myself, struggled with the keys when I tried to write a letter to my lost youth, when I first attended this fest at age… well, never mind. Those with more nimble, non-arthritic, fingers may have better luck. But I digress…

If that special dude or lady sees your letter, they can hit up the volunteers on hand (who are way nice, by the way) who will stamp the slip of paper with the word “Connected.” Get this, a few hours into the first day of the festival there were already more than a few connected slips studding the board.

I may go add one myself right now… Watch out Monsieurs Metallica and Tweed!

Writing A Letter To ...

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Ariana Grande’s Response To Her VMA Noms? All These Pretty Emoji

by 39 mins ago

So Ariana Grande finally woke up from cuddling with her fluffy ponytail and saw that she was nominated for three — count ‘em! three — 2014 MTV VMAs. Her reaction? Tons of gushing — and emojis.

I don’t know about you all, but I’ve been watching Ariana’s Twitter feed since the VMA nominations dropped, waiting for her to chime in after her last sleepy tweet: “goodnight for now (and good morning to some, I guess) haven’t slept properly in weeks. … i love u.”

After waking up in a green, green glade surrounded by forest creatures (I imagine), Grande was given the joyful news by a golden-haired prince on the back of a white horse, bearing a silver envelope on a bejeweled plate (again, this is speculation here). Her response:

The lovely emjoi included a heart with an arrow bursting through it, which seemed appropriate.

Arianators — who have already been up for hours voting for Grande’s “Problem” for “Best Female Video,” “Best Pop Video” and “Best Collaboration” — responded with proportionate glee.

The overwhelming sentiment? Why try for one when you can have three?

CLICK: 2014 MTV VMA Voting Is Open Now!

“U DESERVE THEM ALL,” tweeted @irwinsgirl13, while @Niki_Styless opined, “You deserve it queen.” @ariianasunshine confidentially stated, “YOU WILL WIN 3,” and Ariana was soon awash in a sea of “love you”s “yaaaaas”s and, probably, tears. Definitely tears.

Oh! And need we remind you that Grande is performing her new single Read More →