New Found Glory up to old tricks

New Found Glory is currently in the studio recording the sequel to their 273,000 copy selling EP from the year 2000, From The Screen To Your Stereo, an album of film score covers best represented by their pretty rad cover of "My Heart Will Go On" (admit it, you liked it too).

Titled From The Screen To Your Stereo Part 2, it's slated for release this September, just in time to cash in on your wistful ruminations about the days that movies were good after trudging through a lineup of disappointing summer blockbusters.

Out September 18th, From The Screen To Your Stereo Part 2 includes covers of "Kiss Me" by Sixpence None The Richer from She’s All That, "Stay" by Lisa Loeb from Reality Bites, and "Iris" by The Goo Goo Dolls from City Of Angels. The disc features vocals from special guest musicians with more to be announced, including Lisa Loeb, Adam Lazarra from Taking Back Sunday, Will Pugh from Cartel and Sherri DuPree from Eisley. NEW FOUND GLORY recently visited Pugh on the set of Cartel’s upcoming reality show on MTV "Band In A Bubble" to record vocals.

If you don't care to hear what NFG has to add to "Stay" with Lisa Loeb's implicit blessing, then I just don't know what to say to you anymore.

[myspace.com/newfoundglory]

Cartel: All-American Redux?

Cartel emerged yesterday from their bubble in NYC and unleashed "Lose It" upon the world. Have a listen to it (it's the song that starts streaming when www.cartelrocks.com loads) and decide for yourself whether or not the Atlanta band can claim victory.

It sounds to me like a hit, which I think is at least half of all Will Pugh ever wanted. I won't be surprised if this stays rotation on Z100 all summer long. I'm even prepared to admit that I've been playing it over and over for the last 15 minutes.

As for being recognized as something (anything!) other than "another dickless band with mediocre songs," in the eyes of the world, the question remains: Will anybody who wrote this stunt off (rightly so) as a cheap publicity grab even bother to listen to it? Is the song good enough to overcome Cartel's damaged credibility?

Also: I thought it was just them and a manager in the bubble. Where the hell did the female vocals come from? Anyone?

Honestly...

Surely by now you've read about Atlanta band Cartel's latest attention grab -- to live in a cola-sponsored, biosphere-like bubble in NYC's Hudson River Park as they write and record their sophomore release.

Predictably, everyone who's bothering to write about it is shitting all over it. But it was music's most nonpracticing attorney, Bob Lefsetz, who really got underneath lead singer Will Pugh's skin. Not sure whether or not Pugh knew that Lefsetz takes personal emails sent to him and forwards them to his entire audience all the freaking time, but I guess it doesn't matter because it's out there now. Here are a few choice quotes:

We think we fucking rock. We think we’re one of the best bands making popular or any other kind of music right now. Our producers don’t do shit to our songs and we don’t listen to our A&R…he just got fired anyway. We’d dropkick most of the top 40 artists right in the face if we were put up to the tests of live performance or songwriting ability.

...just because pete wentz doesn’t tell everybody they should like our band doesn’t mean we don’t belong.

This marketing scheme shows the world that we are a real band with real inspiration and real songs. Not some american idol winner or a label lottery contestant. People get to see us do what we do under intense pressure and scrutiny and still hit a fucking grand slam while in the meantime people in your position are hating like there’s no tomorrow on a band that they know little to nothing about.

All you guys think we’re just another dickless band with mediocre songs without even giving us a chance. That’s no way to find out about a band you might actually like.

Mr. Pugh, I say go for it (nice dig at Pete Wentz, btw). You've shown in your letter that you fully understand the damage to your cred and that you are convinced you have the chops to overcome it. I, unlike Lefsetz, have listened to Chroma and I thought it wasn't bad. I, like Lefsetz, am skeptical at best that you will be able to write a record good ENOUGH to overcome all the hate, but I admire your faith in your craft. Half of being a rock star is the swagger and you've clearly got that to spare.

Good luck, and Godspeed.