tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-192247372024-03-19T05:55:24.585-04:00The Rich Girls Are WeepingWe promise never to post music by "blogger buzz bands." Well, not that often, anyway.cindy hotpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204988435368048036noreply@blogger.comBlogger411125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19224737.post-59664713110694631992008-07-31T02:34:00.006-04:002008-07-31T02:39:22.777-04:00We've totally relocated & switched to the Tumblr interface: <a href="http://www.therichgirlsareweeping.com">http://www.therichgirlsareweeping.com</a> (once the name server does its switcheroo -- if the link doesn't take you there, try <a href="http://therichgirlsareweeping.tumblr.com">this one</a>).<br /><br />Thx for stopping by -- enjoy the archive (no, we can't repost old files!); hope you like the new version of The Rich Girls are Weeping. Now with more <span style="font-style:italic;">ideas</span> & way fewer mp3s.<br /><br />xx<br />cindy & pinkiecindy hotpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204988435368048036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19224737.post-46373495488347298502008-07-01T01:09:00.008-04:002008-07-01T02:20:11.663-04:00And so you say to us, Cindy, Pinkie -- what is pleasing to you tonight?<br /><br />And we reply: Michelle Williams' showy, glowy club anthem "Break the Dawn" -- girl, may we please borrow your dancers? Pretty please?<br /><br />[And, summer jam watchers -- this is being pushed with roughly the same strategy as "Umbrella" ... hit in the clubs with a bolted-on rap version (with Flo Rida instead of Jay-Z, natch) for the Hot 100 chart position.]<br /><br /><embed src="http://xml.truveo.com/eb/i/1920962057/a/58ef677afb89fc040e3dec6de7dd6c26/p/1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="344" width="425"></embed><br /><br />We hope you are doing well so far this summer; I got a sassy vintage banana seat bicycle & Pinkie found some classy art deco jewelery @ the Brooklyn Flea over the weekend, which was fun, despite the pouring rain.<br /><br />Oh, and are happy to report two things: Le Poisson Rouge is a lovely, if slightly stiff venue and Andrew WK is playing bass for Baby Dee, and he's lookin' fiiiiine (her whole band is pretty fabbo, actually). It was a lovely, intimate show, even if the bar didn't have Campari and the seat covers were a little ... rough. Looking forward to seeing more shows there in the future -- especially if they continue to use Brown Paper Tickets. Seriously. Surely I'm not the only one peeved that Ticketmaster is borderline gouge-y with the fees for Bowery Presents shows.cindy hotpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204988435368048036noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19224737.post-19832060656485140502008-06-18T23:43:00.011-04:002008-12-11T07:35:27.296-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga58ZdK3zBlAxl7PGMF_1L9Oa9JAzBPYUd0ZQ_zjEgX8G3k9ElXwiB1VOSW8dEPzpFcjq8fbBJCDGrtJjLJekKDRBSJlHmaXQ36MtmMb11vz443M4t0vPz2j8mdLRkhAA51g/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga58ZdK3zBlAxl7PGMF_1L9Oa9JAzBPYUd0ZQ_zjEgX8G3k9ElXwiB1VOSW8dEPzpFcjq8fbBJCDGrtJjLJekKDRBSJlHmaXQ36MtmMb11vz443M4t0vPz2j8mdLRkhAA51g/s320/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213437516872914146" border="0" /></a>(photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.myspace.com/theairbornetoxicevent">the airborne toxic event mi espacio</a>)<br /><br />Item No. 1: Okkervil River are playing <a href="http://www.lollapalooza.com/">Lollapalooza</a>? How did I miss that?<br /><br />Item No. 2: It was grand to finally catch Airborne Toxic Event -- <a href="http://therichgirlsareweeping.blogspot.com/2006/10/when-bands-name-is-reference-to-don.html">you may remember that we wrote about them in October 2006 (!!!)</a> -- at Piano's the other night. Those kids sure put on a hell of a show -- tight, sharp and fun. Look for a new album later this year -- the new songs blow the band's first efforts out of the water (not that those were terrible, mind you -- see below for the video for the chipper shaft track "Does This Mean You're Moving On?") -- especially the epic "Sometime Around Midnight." (<a href="http://www.myspace.com/theairbornetoxicevent">Hear it on their MySpace page.</a>) Someone get these guys on a tour with The National, stat.<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ch1deS_6J18&hl=en"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ch1deS_6J18&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br /><br />Item No. 3: You're coming to see <a href="http://www.shearwatermusic.com/">Shearwater</a> with <a href="http://www.myspace.com/evangelicals">Evangelicals</a> and <a href="http://www.myspace.com/frogeyes">Frog Eyes</a> at the <a href="http://http//www.musichallofwilliamsburg.com/calendar/show/1536/">Music Hall of Williamsburg</a> tonight (6/19), right? And you bought <span style="font-style: italic;">Rook</span> when it came out a few weeks back? Ok, <span style="font-style: italic;">good</span>. Evangelicals put on one of the best shows around, btw -- and remember when <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kathryn/57495/">Frog Eyes played shows with neckties about their heads</a>? (OMG, that was eons ago!)<br /><br />Item No. 4: Our dear <a href="http://www.myspace.com/bellmerdolls">Bellmer Dolls</a> play their last show of the summer @ Lit on June 28 with Foreign Islands and Chinese Stars. (Wait, how can that be the <span style="font-style: italic;">last </span>show of the summer when it's actually the <span style="font-style: italic;">first</span> show of the summer?) Well, that means we won't have a reason to enthuse about them for a few months at least, so you'd best come out and brave the skeeviness of Lit. Worth it! Mostly!<br /><br />Item No. 5: <a href="http://www.babydee.org/">Baby Dee</a> plays the lovely new West Village venue <a href="http://www.lepoissonrouge.com/">Le Poission Rouge</a> June 25. If you don't go to any other show we recommend, please go to this one. I guarantee you won't regret it...<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xAcsXoq_nTI&hl=en"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xAcsXoq_nTI&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Item No. 6: Au revoir to <a href="http://www.restaurantflorent.com/">Florent</a>, the official favorite Manhattan eatery of The Rich Girls are Weeping, which closes on June 29 after 23 years in business in the Meatpacking District. Thanks especially to <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/bryantpark/2008/06/the_day_florents_hostess_met_h.html">Darinka Chase</a>, <a href="http://www.vestalmcintyre.com/">Vestal "Like a Virgin" McIntyre</a> (a/k/a The OTHER Pinkie), Coffy, Mrs. Pierce and all the charming busboys whose names we never caught. Oh! And those two drunk Frenchmen we met outside No. 69 Gansevoort Street late one night who implored us to join them for postprandial dancing the Cock! And of course, Florent Morellet himself! We'll miss you all something terrible.<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CqTLqRFKjAU&hl=en"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CqTLqRFKjAU&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />We regret nothing. Ever.</span>cindy hotpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204988435368048036noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19224737.post-64193850091973577372008-06-05T00:20:00.009-04:002008-12-11T07:35:27.465-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRWJqj4NgNG0x-AVfuTYIGk-W7dBFmSc1VWkQr9y1Roh_mc__J9Dv8mI99-xQzVhPKlrQQePTTuKURkLiLARGvClNKCDKCuGNqTq5tZWzFm1Hju_BBwqgQXNae4Lkw0MySTw/s1600-h/WOMAN.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRWJqj4NgNG0x-AVfuTYIGk-W7dBFmSc1VWkQr9y1Roh_mc__J9Dv8mI99-xQzVhPKlrQQePTTuKURkLiLARGvClNKCDKCuGNqTq5tZWzFm1Hju_BBwqgQXNae4Lkw0MySTw/s320/WOMAN.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208247892438598082" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">(photo credit: <a href="http://www.myspace.com/WOMANNYC">WOMAN myspace</a>)</span><br /><br />I've become so jaded these days about going to shows. If a band doesn't, well, destroy me with their live set, I'm just <span style="font-style: italic;">so</span> not interested. And that doesn't mean that the band in question has to consist of a bunch of crabby, hollerin' loud-ass dudes, mind you. But it uh, kind of helps.<br /><br />Which brings me to WOMAN. (Yes, that's all caps. Perhaps you should imagine me yelling every time you read their name in this post. It's really too bad I can't record a little mp3 of that, actually.)<br /><br />Anyway, we'd been trying to catch a WOMAN set for like, 6 months. (No, really!) We kept missing them for no particular reason, much like how, not surprisingly, we're missing M83 tonight -- I've been trying to see him for like, what, 5 years? It was the usual round of excuses: We were either late getting to venues, or broke (we <span style="font-style: italic;">aren't</span> actually rich, you know!), or out of town, or just plain old and tired.<br /><br />And honestly, I'm the kind of person who avoids going out on Fridays before holiday weekends, but the promise of Portland's Magick Daggers, our dear Bellmer Dolls and the elusive WOMAN<br />was too much to pass up. Besides, it was at Union Pool, which we can get to via the bus. (BTW, we were recently informed that we are "totally gangsta" for taking the bus in fancy dresses and furs and stupid shoes. Um, damn, it feels good to be a gansgta?)<br /><br />But I digress.<br /><br />Now, I wish I could say that I was totally pleased with the Magick Daggers' set -- the first half was absolutely brilliant, Jessy Montaigne (x-Subtonix) really, really kills on bass and Maximilian Avila (x-Get Hustle, Antioch Arrow) is equally wicked on drums. The problem is, Montaigne's vocals are just kind of okay, and it's really only interesting when she's caterwauling and wailing on her bass in a way that lonely metalhead boys in suburban basements only dream of ever pulling off (and would uh, probably cream their jeans to see this fierce dervish of a woman actually <span style="font-style: italic;">doing</span> so). Less interesting, though, is when Montaigne tries to bring the dark cabaret; without that deliciously phallic bass in her hands, she is lost onstage, and resorts to the kind of girly vamping that's uncomfortable-making and rather dull to watch. The fierce momentum that carried the first half of the set just kind of fizzled from a bang to a whimper.<br /><br />Thank goodness, then, for WOMAN. The best recommendation I can give: I turned to Pinkie at some point during the set, with an insane grin plastered on my face and hollered "WHY DOESN'T EVERYONE LOVE THIS!?!?" "Because they're stupid and have no souls," she astutely replied.<br /><br />We have a tendency, it's true, to kind of crush out on loud, squally swampy blues bands with tight rhythm sections (check!) and dudes who holler (they have two, even!) -- I'm sure this is surprising to no one at this point. But the thing about WOMAN is that ... well, for all the dark and dangerous poses, they're just balls out wicked and fun. (Though, I guess that part when Skeleton Boy threw his bass, with the pickguard covered in blood, across the stage at the end of the set was <span style="font-style: italic;">kind of</span> dangerous...) Anyway, frankly, after the spring I've had, I needed a good time, and WOMAN delivered.<br /><br />Oh, okay -- look, sometimes a little embedded video is the best way to show you what I'm talking about -- this is from a show @ Cake Shop at the tail end of last year, via punkcast.com.<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1XVM_tB8OQQ&hl=en"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1XVM_tB8OQQ&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />The less we say about the plagued-with-technical-difficulties set from the Bellmers, the better. They did, indeed, actually finish the set -- but it was kind of like that time you sort of didn't memorize that recitation for 9th grade English class and you spent all of gym cramming in the outfield, but everything fell apart during lunch, and by the time it was your turn to go in 5th period, you just kind of collapsed -- but you still managed to pull it off anyway. Or maybe that was just me.<br /><br />That being said, we have no doubt that things will be better this Friday when the Bellmers bring together the best of the Charleston shows -- Preacher and the Knife and Cosm<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">i</span>cide (Josh & Brandon of Secret Machines) [ed. from Pinkie - we never said we could spell] -- for the Neighbor of the Beast (6/6/8 -- get it?) show at the CSV Theater, 107 Suffolk (yeah, the building that looks like ... a school). I have no idea what I'm going to wear, as the weather reports promise nasty, humid heat -- but hey, our trainee Ms. Churchill, who's recently back from the UK and is doing well on her Eno regimen (she's stuck on <span style="font-style: italic;">Warm Jets</span> right now), will be joining us -- always a good thing.<br /><br />Sunday we'll be at the dreadful MHOW where <a href="http://www.frictionnyc.com/">FrictionNYC</a> presents <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thesenewpuritans">These New Puritans</a> (who <a href="http://therichgirlsareweeping.tumblr.com/post/36530252/these-new-puritans-elvis-bloc-party-art-brut">we discussed recently on the Tumblr</a>), <a href="http://www.myspace.com/schoolofsevenbells">School of Seven Bells </a>(which is, oddly enough, the new project from Benjamin Curtis, formerly of Secret Machines, and the Dehaza twins, formerly of On! Air! Library!) and <a href="http://www.myspace.com/effibriest">Effi Briest</a> (yay!) -- looking forward to that, even if not too thrilled about the venue, or the fact that it's on a Sunday night. But I guess we'll live.cindy hotpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204988435368048036noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19224737.post-14790512383981419552008-06-04T00:13:00.009-04:002008-12-11T07:35:27.628-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMCZ4pthWb6UqCqwqupa031uB8pn_ONB3RFnZbsVirJue_BP0MGEX-IUomZJfvoDdZ4FHl685-8UdPoCYX5BnSESBM6EKIgyvwZ45o640kjfim1C5vOFsrx1vuLRDnP4s5mw/s1600-h/bryan_ferry_double-jean+lannen.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMCZ4pthWb6UqCqwqupa031uB8pn_ONB3RFnZbsVirJue_BP0MGEX-IUomZJfvoDdZ4FHl685-8UdPoCYX5BnSESBM6EKIgyvwZ45o640kjfim1C5vOFsrx1vuLRDnP4s5mw/s400/bryan_ferry_double-jean+lannen.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207884877048249570" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">(photo: <a href="http://www.jeanlannenimages.com/page5.html">jean lannen</a>)</span><br /><br /><br />Oh, hello! I owe a review of the Bellmer Dolls/WOMAN/Magick Daggers show a few weeks back (OMG, do I ever have to go to Union Pool on a Friday night on a holiday weekend again? Please promise me I don't.) -- and a reminder of a few things that are coming up in the next week or so. I promise, I'll post that tomorrow. I swear.<br /><br />In the meantime, we're a bunch of crabby grumpuses over here at Castle Rich Girls tonight, which meant that there was only one thing to do -- pop in disc two of the super-obsessively wonderful <a href="http://www.nme.com/news/roxy-music/33730">Roxy Music 2-dvd set <span style="font-style: italic;">The Thrill Of It All: A Visual History 1972 - 1982</span></a>. We'd watched the first disc about a month or so ago, but tonight we needed some broken hearted Bryan Ferry to make us feel better. Or something.<br /><br />Make no mistake about it, I'm pretty sure that Roxy Music is my favorite band of all time, and the 1978-1980 years are my absolute favorite, if mostly for <a href="http://www.roxyrama.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=20&pos=1">Andy MacKay's amazing mullet and special pointy sideburns</a>. And possibly all the leather suiting. And sharkskin. And the sweater with the saxophone on it.<br /><br />Anyway, smack in the middle of the disc is the band's cover of John Lennon's "Jealous Guy." I turned to Pinkie and declared, "I believe this is one of the best songs ever written." Which is odd to say, really, because it's actually quite chilling when you stop and think about it -- a man's jealousy can be a terrifying thing sometimes. But Lennon's unapologetic apology is just so ... painfully real, which is why I imagine so many dudes have subsequently covered it (nearly 100, according to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jealous_Guy">Wikipedia</a>). I love the original, I love Roxy's version, I love Donny Hathaway's version. And I'd completely forgotten about <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwW0qil2Mic">the Deftones cover</a> -- thx, Wikipedia!<br /><br />It's also odd to think about the fact that when Roxy covered the song after Lennon's murder, they were accused of cashing on tragedy -- when in reality, it fits in quite well with the band's other songs at the time. Ferry was still clearly smarting from his split from Jerry Hall -- something he didn't artistically bury until the video for "Avalon," really. (Which I've also included for your viewing pleasure because it's so very lovely.)<br /><br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hVaCK2uXJk4&hl=en"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hVaCK2uXJk4&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />John Lennon -- Jealous Guy<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/65WexbsVs40&hl=en"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/65WexbsVs40&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Donny Hathaway -- Jealous Guy<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IWJDLgfzNgQ&hl=en"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IWJDLgfzNgQ&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Roxy Music -- Jealous Guy<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2zJdbpzfJMs&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2zJdbpzfJMs&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Roxy Music -- Avalon<br /><br />See, now we're in a better mood, yay! Hope you are, too.cindy hotpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204988435368048036noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19224737.post-89056464391255585372008-05-19T01:08:00.006-04:002008-12-11T07:35:27.816-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilwCn4aDi6fj1C7ELZbuCBiq78M7_gaYCqDUhQglWDuSar8iAJPo0umGM5IB2Uh7KOIePQkqHz9_cUriMeQyeZFHIUWPU9-lFlTWU4WBZ3eoAIa_b_6KPKLdQvDCE9RMscyQ/s1600-h/madge.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilwCn4aDi6fj1C7ELZbuCBiq78M7_gaYCqDUhQglWDuSar8iAJPo0umGM5IB2Uh7KOIePQkqHz9_cUriMeQyeZFHIUWPU9-lFlTWU4WBZ3eoAIa_b_6KPKLdQvDCE9RMscyQ/s320/madge.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201952469707883522" border="0" /></a><br />Hello all. We're not dead in a ditch, promise. We were out of town for over a week, got new hairdos (I am so blonde now, no longer everyone's favorite dyed-black grumpus. I'm still getting used to it, thx.), and then had to recover from all that travel. We're cool. Just mad busy! Oh, and our server is still in limbo, so ... hope you like words and embedded videos! I'm only partially kidding, we're working on getting that resolved ASAP.<br /><br />But hey! If you need yr daily fix of Rich Girls blather, we post on our <a href="http://therichgirlsareweeping.tumblr.com/">Tumblr </a>... a lot. (<a href="http://therichgirlsareweeping.tumblr.com/rss">Add the RSS feed to your reader?</a>)<br /><br />Furthermore, hello to anyone <a href="http://www.readmetro.com/show/en/Boston/20080516/1/16/">directed from the Boston Metro</a> -- thanks for the link, y'all.<br /><br />So, things that we'll hit on soon:<br /><ul><li>Seeing The Mountain Goats' John Darnielle play a solo show @ Brooklyn's lovely Masonic Lodge -- it was pretty rad. And some some drunk guy complimented me on my "glorious stockings" -- they were pretty badass, actually.<br /></li><li>Seeing John Darnielle read from his new 33 1/3 title -- <span style="font-style: italic;">Black Sabbath's Master of Reality</span> -- at the <a href="http://www.housingworks.org/usedbookcafe">Housing Works cafe/bookstore</a>, the hidden gem of Soho (no really!), where we found some amazing books, including one of easy piano/guitar versions of fave New Wave joints, published in 1978 -- which means I can now play "Psycho Killer" or <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkV18jBDnHE">"Love Comes in Spurts"</a> on the autoharp, should I so chose.</li><li>Our shopping spree @ Austin's End of an Ear -- look for us in their print ads soon! Pinkie plans to tell you all about the awesome Crass record she found there. I, however, will probably only be reminding you how awesome ... The Style Council were. Or subjecting you to my rilly pretentious David J 12" <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_J">that isn't even mentioned in his Wikipedia article</a>!<br /></li><li>The Ting Tings record -- it's the worst thing EVER! The Madonna record -- it's possibly the best thing in recent memory!</li><li>So where, exactly, are the summer jamz? We're <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/sashafrerejones/2008/05/the-year-that-w.html">with Sasha Frere-Jones on this one</a> -- it's a little disturbing. I blame the excess of club tracks (not a bad thing, mind you...) and skyrocketing gas prices, which will make it hard to drive around blaring The Summer Jam(s) for all and sundry to hear.<br /></li></ul>In other news -- we'll be out an about this week -- it's my BIRTHDAY.<br /><br />Blacklist and The Mary Onettes play Union Hall on 5/19<br />Bellmer Dolls, WOMAN, and Magick Daggers will appear @ Union Pool on 5/23<br />The Muggabears play the Knitting Factory Tap Bar on 5/25<br /><br />And, though we've become devoted to quite a few things lately, nothing has moved us quite so profoundly as ... Fall Out Boy's cover of "Beat It." Pinkie says, "If you think Fall Out Boy suck -- or that you're too cool for them ... you clearly have no soul."<br /><br /><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cgmL2LeuhY4&hl=en"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cgmL2LeuhY4&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object>cindy hotpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204988435368048036noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19224737.post-34325335972274750142008-05-07T22:21:00.007-04:002008-12-11T07:35:28.033-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXF5ScxPwQzy1LjFIRm_U_d98T73o0IK4FzmLRNZ3wFO1OmmfR728xWj3ZmizA7tUfJga3kmLId-V1XLxr1-4qG5CbUDI7MlB4e0y0tEtg_Ra6JSzhxaZAz-MEOH7ckj-LlQ/s1600-h/meiburg.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXF5ScxPwQzy1LjFIRm_U_d98T73o0IK4FzmLRNZ3wFO1OmmfR728xWj3ZmizA7tUfJga3kmLId-V1XLxr1-4qG5CbUDI7MlB4e0y0tEtg_Ra6JSzhxaZAz-MEOH7ckj-LlQ/s320/meiburg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197864432846353314" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">(photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bumpershine/">bumpershine</a>)</span><br /><br />It is distinctly possible that this post will be the end of me. And, you may not want to read this review, either, come to think of it. (See <a href="http://therichgirlsareweeping.blogspot.com/2008/04/im-pretty-sure-that-no-one-will-want-to.html">a few weeks back for the first of my unreadable reviews</a>...)<br /><br />I was actually kind of hoping it would write itself. These things sometimes do -- and when the Bellmer Dolls closed out their set on Saturday night with a cover of Harry Nilsson's "Jump Into the Fire" with assistance from a whole slew of people including members of The Choke, Preacher and the Knife and Golden Triangle, I thought to myself, "Oh, it would be brilliant if Shearwater would play their cover of Brian Eno's 'Baby's On Fire.' This fucking review will write itself."<br /><br />Sadly, Shearwater did not play "Baby's On Fire." And this review, in hindsight, most definitely did not write itself.<br /><br />But that's okay, actually.<br /><br />I have another way to open it. Let's start over?<br /><br />There's an old, wizened black man who sings soul music in the Columbus Circle subway station. If New York City is heart of the world, then he sits squarely in its broken core, perched atop an old amp that cranks out backing music that sounds like it's coming through all the way from 1964. I generally kind of hate waiting for a train there; I despise being uptown, and it always seems like it takes longer for a train to arrive there than in any other station -- I don't know why, but it does. Perhaps it's due to the fact that, I kid you not, the base of Central Park is some kind of Bermuda Triangle of train traffic. It's where multiple lines split and mutate and take off to Queens or the hinterlands uptown. It's where class and race divide more distinctly than they do at other subway junctions in town; trains that creak through Brooklyn double back and circle around to Queens after gliding through a handful of Manhattan stops; trains that germinate in the bowels of the financial district also head that way; in the meantime, the A train just keeps plowing up the west side, hitting every formerly undesirable (yet now "up and coming") neighborhood in Brooklyn and Manhattan.<br /><br />Oh, please don't let me get distracted talking about the subway. I can go on and on -- as you can see.<br /><br />The man who sings soul music in the broken heart of the world was just the salve I needed Monday night, as I stood in the train station and cried, my heart kind of broken too, after seeing <a href="http://www.younggodrecords.com/">Michael Gira</a> and <a href="http://www.shearwatermusic.com/">Shearwater</a> at the Florence Gould Hall. I'd been kind of inconsolable through the last five songs or so, and managed to make little pleasantries with people after, but I was crying all over again during the walk past the Plaza Hotel all the way to Columbus Circle, and was now letting tears roll down my cheeks, not really caring if the opera patrons and tourists and students and people just trying to get home after staying too late at work saw me -- anyway, it was more likely that, like me, they were all drawn in by the busker's luminescent and crumbling voice.<br /><br />Pinkie gave me a few bucks (I hardly ever carry cash!) to tip the man who sings soul music in the broken heart of the world -- it seemed almost perfunctory, but was certainly not given out of mere obligation. He really was amazing; I hope you'll have a chance to hear him sometime -- try a weeknight at Columbus Circle, but I make no guarantees.<br /><br />It was actually the perfect ending to the day, to the evening -- even if I was a terrifying emotional wreck -- but I should start at the beginning.<br /><br />I know I've ranted about my job here and there recently, but really, you know there's nothing like trying to get things tied up when you're about to head out on vacation. I was literally fixing the table of contents on the hugest book I've edited to date when I should have been headed out the door to get uptown in time. So then I was a little frazzled and running late and kept Pinkie waiting in the lobby of my building, which, naturally, also made me feel bad; I changed into my heels before I realized we were walking a few avenue blocks, which made me cranky. To top it all off, I was a bit out of sorts in general, convinced I'd forgotten to tell someone somewhere to take care of something while I was out of the office. (I'm not a control freak, really. I swear!)<br /><br />By the time we made it to the hall, I was a bit rough around the edges, but otherwise fine. The interminable wait for the N train had calmed me down somewhat, though we did get a bit disoriented somewhere in the vicinity of Central Park South, near the carriage horses -- I hate going uptown!<br /><br />So, of course, the first person I saw as we went in was former member of Shearwater and Okkervil River frontman Will Sheff; we used to see each other all the time in Austin, naturally -- and even though he's in NYC all the time now, it seems, we totally never cross paths. So it goes. But, of course, he <span style="font-style: italic;">had</span> to see me in my frazzled state, which was vaguely embarrassing. There were lots more familiar faces inside, though, and even if seeing Shearwater in NYC will never be like the nights in the front room at Emo's with Joanna and Summer Anne and Dylan and Phil and Dorothy, that eight-piece string section kind of totally made up for it.<br /><br />Then again, this isn't the same Shearwater, either, the string section aside. We've all grown up and moved into different directions, and the band I believed from the very beginning is poised, with <span style="font-style: italic;">Rook</span>, to further cement a reputation as a culty tour-de-force that will achieve gobs of critical acclaim, but never be wildly popular.<br /><br />Which is a shame, really. But something tells me that the wide world isn't exactly ready for frontman Jonathan Meiburg's gorgeous falsetto vocals, stunning stage presence and byzantine story-songs -- not to mention the one-two punch of Thor Harris on any number of creepily beautiful percussive instruments and Kim Burke on bass, who, as ever, placidly, wickedly and beautifully keeps the whole performance on track.<br /><br />But enough of my useless prattle -- you want to know about the actual show.<br /><br />I'd never had the pleasure of seeing Michael Gira play a solo set before, and there's no way to describe how I felt during it all, except to say that he scooped out all the bullshit of my day -- of the past few months, even. I've recently been listening to the <a href="http://www.younggodrecords.com/product.asp?P_ID=28">Angels of Light record <span style="font-style: italic;">Everything is Alright Here, Please Come Home</span></a> a ton lately, and a massive dose of Gira's brand of the blues -- even if just for four songs -- was incredible to see and hear. He's the kind of performer who demands attention the moment he steps on stage, even when he hasn't yet sung a note. And he's aging handsomely -- his voice has mellowed to into an even bigger, booming instrument over the past several years. A song in his hands is something dredged up from the depths of the darkest corners of his, your, my soul and brought up into the light. The imperfections of his voice suddenly become the sharp edges of a perfectly cut diamond, almost too painfully beautiful to hear. An inopportune broken guitar string isn't a catastrophe -- far from it: Gira finished the song acappella without missing a beat, his voice both filling the room and crawling deep into my chest, pouring into the empty spaces I didn't even know were there to begin with. (Though, to be fair, perhaps the catastrophe was that the time spent switching out the broken string, however, robbed us of one more song.)<br /><br />Gira, naturally, was quite possibly the best lead in for the latest incarnation of Shearwater -- we used to talk about how they transitioned from airy-fairy folksy to just plain evil over the course of a few years, which culminated in the incredible live shows that followed the release of <span style="font-style: italic;">Palo Santo</span>. The band's a little less evil now, but no less intense. (I think this is most notably due to the absence of the taut and mercurial energy brought to the stage by former bassist/keyboard player/manic tambourine shaker Howard Draper. I didn't quite realize, though, how much I missed Howard until the second half of the set -- "Red Sea, Black Sea" really isn't quite the same without his demented turn on the tambourine over the chorus.)<br /><br />But I'm getting ahead of myself here. The first half of the show was, as promised, <span style="font-style: italic;">Rook</span>, played in its entirety with assistance from a string section, trumpets and harp. Though I'm currently quite enamored with the new album and think it is, quite clearly, the band's strongest and most challenging work to date, there were a few problems with this part of the set -- and there's a distinct possibility that I (and Pinkie) were the only ones bothered by these kind of nitpicky details. The sound mix left a little to be desired, though this could have been due to the problem of amplifying so many instruments on stage at once. The piano was too muffled while the drums were, at turns, too sharp and then completely inaudible. (I wanted to run down to the stage and throw the piano lid open; it seemed a shame to keep a grand closed in a hall that intimate ... perhaps when open it drowned out the strings?) This all wasn't terribly distracting once I got used to it, but compared to the mix, say, at the band's stunning set last summer as part of the city's River to River festival, the sound was pretty muddy and grim and, as Pinkie noted, a little too "adult contemporary" at times.<br /><br />And, I'm not entirely sure that the projections, which relayed the story of the album's songs in some prettily-shot short films directed by <a href="http://www.kahnselesnick.com/">Kahn and Selesnick</a> (who also did the cover art for <span style="font-style: italic;">Rook</span>) and starring multipercussionist/hammered dulcimer wrangler Thor as the archetypal last man, really worked for me. That is to say, I'm not sure that the music really needs this embellishment, and at times it was even a little distracting when I was trying to focus on the band's actual performance. If I didn't know better, I'd accuse them of precious pretentiousness, or even of using the projections as a crutch as they get used to the new lineup and new songs on tour, but I don't really feel that's the case -- and I even think that under better circumstances, all the parts of the whole may work well together. And, truth be told, we're very much looking forward to seeing Shearwater at a proper rock venue in June (not that seats aren't great, mind you, but they make the rocking out a little difficult) after they've had time to work out the new material <a href="http://www.shearwatermusic.com/shows">on the road over the next month or so</a>.<br /><br />The second half of the show, on the other hand, more than made up for the slight weaknesses in the first bit; at the risk of slipping into yet another moment of over-sharing, I felt like revisiting <span style="font-style: italic;">Palo Santo</span> and assorted b-sides (especially some of the older ones that the band played for years before recording them -- like my long-time favorite, the sinister and lovely "Mountain Laurel") was just what I needed after that ultra-fantastic Bellmer Dolls set a few weeks back that totally threw me for a loop and the deep-down blues that opened this show. I was perfectly primed for an emotional purge of the highest degree, and thus spent the last five songs or so completely in tears -- of fierece pride, for this band, who I love so much and of pain, too -- for my dead past that still haunts me when I least expect it to.<br /><br />A few weeks back, I mentioned my little private aerie that I lived in after leaving my fiancé, before I moved to Brooklyn -- it was always really, really perfectly cold there (the air conditioning was new, and really worked) and I had ice blue bedding and there was tons of natural light that filtered in through porthole windows 15 feet up, and it was kind of like living in a ship sailing to the Antarctic. There were many, many nights I would come home from work in the spring and summer of 2006 and just blast <span style="font-style: italic;">Palo Santo</span> (a clandestine promo of the Misra version of the release, mind you -- a burned CDr with a hand-written tracklist), ensconced in my perfectly cold studio flat, freezing out the parts of my life that I wanted to forget; consigning them to the furthest, most compartmentalized places of my brain and heart as dusk fell, making everything purple and dim until it all went black. And I felt that chill again as Shearwater moved backward in time for about half an hour, hitting the high points of that album. I'd almost very nearly forgotten that it -- that they -- got me through that terrible summer and fall, when I was so miserable and disjointed (really -- go read the posts from that time -- they're kind of ... frightening) as I tried to recover from the awfulness that had been the past five (ten?) years of my life.<br /><br />I had to practically flee the venue when it was all over for fear that I would start crying all over again on some unsuspecting acquaintance -- I wasn't nearly as successful at avoiding post-show conversations this time around as I was a few weeks back, but I didn't regret most of them, as I had a chance to catch up with a few people I miss seeing because, uh, they kinda don't go to shows in basements in Williamsburg. Ever.<br /><br />Speaking of basements in Williamsburg, I'm actually kind of sad to report that the <a href="http://www.myspace.com/bellmerdolls">Bellmer Dolls</a>' residency at the Charleston has come to an end (though, they've got shows planned for the end of May and early June already, so we'll survive until then, I suppose!) -- as predicted, it was pretty freakin' legendary. <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thechokenyc">The Choke</a> were actually much better than I expected -- or more accurately, they're much better live than the tracks up for offer on their MySpace would lead you to believe; unfortunately, the performance does start to wear thin after a handful of songs, but what they may lack in sophistication and nuance, they more than make up for with some of the biggest doses of enthusiasm than I've seen in quite some time.<br /><br />The jury's still out on <a href="http://www.myspace.com/goldentriangle">Golden Triangle</a>, though. Were they fucking amazing? Really terrible? Somewhere in between? What can you even compare them to, really --- save maybe if Throwing Muses were on K Records instead of 4AD? (Something tells me that about 14 people will understand that reference ... ) How about if we say the following: when it works, it really works (the psycho girl-group action that prompted Pinkie to mention the cold, unison vocals of Lansing Dreiden project LD Section 1), and when it doesn't (the falling-apart improvisational messes that reminded me of what I hate most about "Brooklyn" bands), it kind of feels like you're being beat over the head with affected oddness. That being said, Golden Triangle is definitely a band we'll keep our eye on in the future. And, if we could dispense any advice here, it would be to practice more -- until those falling-apart moments are an intentional part of the performance, and not an unfortunate side affect of your relative inexperience. (Really, it's not cool to leave your audience waiting for five minutes between songs without some kind of explanation. We understand technical difficulties; it's the silence that comes off as amateur-ish.)<br /><br />As for the Bellmer Dolls, how could they not please after all this time? We're glad to report that after three Saturdays of shows in a row and a week on the road with Secret Machines, they hadn't killed each other (always good ... ) and were tighter than ever. The new songs are really filling out nicely and we can only imagine they'll be really great recorded. Highlights of the evening included Peter donning a black sequined dress thing that was either a kurta or a caftan -- or maybe just formerly belonged to a really, really big lady -- for the first part of the set, and then an absolutely hideous J. Peterman ca. 1994 caftan for the delightfully unhinged encore of "Jump Into the Fire" -- the song with the hottest bassline and the most ridiculous drum solo and the best naked male pain hollerin' of all time. Which makes it wholly appropriate for cover treatment by our dear No. 1 crushes, even if they've sworn off ever playing it again. (The only thing better would be some Wolfgang Press, perhaps -- hint, hint!)<br /><br />In summation, I would just like to ask: why is it that no one falls in love with bands anymore? It dawned on me as we rode the local late-night A train back to Brooklyn after seeing Shearwater that over the past few years, we -- the music consumers of the world -- have become grabby, drunk party girl sluts who want to make out with every guy in the room, and take no joy from it -- just a killer hangover once the party's over. And the more I hear hundreds of new bands that just leave me cold -- the more I want to remind everyone about the virtues of falling in love. Try it. Go see new band, let them seduce you. Go to every show, talk incessantly about them, tell everyone you know to buy their music, drag friends to shows, put them on mix cds. We are all the tastemakers now, don't squander this gift.<br /><br />***<br /><br />As a sidebar, I'm writing this on a plane back to Austin (not surprisingly, Matador's Gerard Cosloy is also on this flight!) and I'm listening to the XM radio (thanks, JetBlue!!), which is a dream for a musical omnivore like me. I've listened to a slew of my favorite top 40 hits, some big band standards, 50's do-wop, Interpol, a Lizst symphony during takeoff, Spiller's "Groovejet," Lil' Wayne's "Lollipop," Jonny Greenwood's score for <span style="font-style: italic;">There Will Be Blood</span> -- and now some Vaughn Williams followed by Tchaikovsky and Chopin followed by some dance remixes! I think the dude sitting next to me, busily hacking away on a Powerpoint for a prototype of a fascinating-looking consumer electronics device of the future, must think I'm nuts, flipping between genres the way that I have for the past two hours -- especially when I was trying NOT to sing along with Flo Rida and Lupe Fiasco and Chris Brown and Gnarls Barkley and, god help me, the dreadful yet catchy Ting Tings. But the most notable thing I've heard so far is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyTOQxzL97o">Miley Cyrus' "See You Again."</a> And I've heard it THREE TIMES on three different stations. I admit, I was pretty much a mere spectator when it came to Ms. Cyrus before now -- I'd actually never heard her music and hadn't felt particularly compelled to seek it out, but now I <span style="font-style: italic;">totally</span> understand what the big deal is -- she's a little girl with a grown-up woman's voice singing about teenage longing -- a trope that's infiltrated popular music since the advent of recording. (And possibly before? This might take more research ... ) Think of Judy Garland, Timi Yuro, April Stevens, etc -- she's on par with where they all were at fifteen, even if the songwriting is a little weak (then again, most of standards we cherish today aren't exactly the pinnacles of intellectual lyricism either ... ). And what's more, Ms. Cyrus has what Shirley Temple Black's mother called "sparkle," so how could she not be wildly popular -- especially heading into an economic depression as we are?<br /><span style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"> </span>cindy hotpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204988435368048036noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19224737.post-11006021383139828772008-04-30T23:42:00.006-04:002008-12-11T07:35:28.259-05:00<span style="font-size:78%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqHl5XEtZjOlnAUqrfMRrkfOnulSEZRw8s2P_kC9Pka2PYF0D_L4cH17DF5NjdJNaLeUlNW7gSxC4sIPx3sbiihiKOIpOoNKXo8rFR-sduSVPkd5SJMHZNlaa562WzsaYR7Q/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqHl5XEtZjOlnAUqrfMRrkfOnulSEZRw8s2P_kC9Pka2PYF0D_L4cH17DF5NjdJNaLeUlNW7gSxC4sIPx3sbiihiKOIpOoNKXo8rFR-sduSVPkd5SJMHZNlaa562WzsaYR7Q/s320/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5195259085852332626" border="0" /></a>(photo totally ganked from the <a href="http://www.myspace.com/preacherandtheknife">preacher and the knife-space</a> because we know how to use the mac version of prtscr)<br /><br /></span>Look, I know I don't write so much anymore about bands you haven't heard me yak on and on and on about -- which is why I'm going to devote this section of the post to fawning over (relative) young 'uns <a href="http://www.myspace.com/preacherandtheknife">Preacher and the Knife</a>, who, along with <a href="http://www.myspace.com/effibriest">Effi Briest</a> and <a href="http://www.myspace.com/crystalstilts">Crystal Stilts</a>, are the one of the only new bands we've heard in the past year who are worth ... well, fawning over. We really are trying to let new things gestate for a little bit before we write some disconnected text about how they sound like this, that or the other -- and try to keep everything in context.<br /><br />I wish I could come up with some pithy catchphrase for these bands who totally bring it with a mix of bizzaro psychedelia and minimalist no wave action -- all reverb-drenched hollering and cowbells and thumpy drums. I guess I'll leave that to some other tastemaker.<br /><br />The first thing you need to know about Preacher and the Knife is that they're <span style="font-style: italic;">incredible</span> live. The second thing you need to know about Preacher and the Knife is that their ep <span style="font-style: italic;">The Beginning</span>, available<span style="font-style: italic;"> <a href="http://www.preacherandtheknife.com/">for free </a></span><a href="http://www.preacherandtheknife.com/">on their website</a> (and recorded, perhaps not shocking to hear, by the Bellmer Dolls' omnipresent knob-twiddler and expert hollerer, Peter Mavrogeorgis) perfectly captures the energy, intensity and awesome fearsomeness of the live Preacher experience. Here's our fave track, if you're hesitant to check them out without a specific endorsement:<br /><br /><a href="http://preacherandtheknife.com/music/darkness_comes.mp3"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Preacher and the Knife -- Darkness Comes</span></a><br /><br />For a band that's played a mere handful of shows, Preacher are spectacularly tight. Frontman Daniel Barcelowsky (scroll down at <a href="http://www.style.com/promo/tmobilesidekick/the-trendspotters-blog.html">this link</a> to see him lookin' dapper and sedate...) has a stage presence that's almost uncomfortably confrontational -- or perhaps, well, it <span style="font-style: italic;">is</span> uncomfortably confrontational, if you're not up for having him come up and, well, holler in your face. Or if a band with a ridiculously wonderful rhythm section and absolutely no guitar won't work for you.<br /><br />We have really only one request after being blown away by their much too-short set in the basement of The Charleston last Saturday night: darlings, next time -- <span style="font-style: italic;">please</span> give us more cowbell. Maybe not quite as much as the following but ...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.fourinchesfromthecuff.com/trgaw/Liquid%20Liquid%20--%20Bellhead.mp3"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Liquid Liquid -- Bellhead</span></a><br /><br />(Also, if you don't believe us about the awesomeness of the live set -- <a href="http://ps1.el.net/wps1/drupal-5.1/?q=audio/by/artist/tristan_perich_bubblyfish_haeyoung_kim_preacher_and_the_knife_dj_set_by_a_touch_of_class">check out their appearance at P.S.1 last summer</a> ... believe me, we'll be sure to tell you when they're playing another show because we'll totally be there.)<br /><br />***<br /><br />As for the rest of the show Saturday?<br /><br />Seeing <a href="http://www.myspace.com/freshkills">Fresh Kills</a> is still like watching The Hold Steady do an impression of Joy Division as interpreted by The Dead Kennedys. (Ha!) They've really improved greatly since we saw them last. And, as much as it kind of kills me to say this, they have an interesting commercial appeal now that certainly needs to be exploited ASAP. Because when the kids who dress like members of <a href="http://tokiohotel.pop24.de/tokiohotel2/index2_uk.php">Tokio Hotel</a> start showing up at your shows, it's time to start thinking Hot Topic. And I mean this in the best possible way -- really!<br /><br />In the meantime, troublesome PAs always seem to muck up the most ambitious sets; I'll try not to hold it against the Bellmers that I was mostly deaf in my left ear for two days.<br /><br />And so, the last night of the (potentially legendary) <a href="http://www.myspace.com/bellmerdolls">Bellmer Dolls</a>' residency at The Charleston wraps up this Saturday (May 3); added bonus, it's Peter's birthday. Bring cupcakes! Or whatever! <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thechokenyc">The Choke</a> and <a href="http://www.myspace.com/goldentriangle">Golden Triangle</a> also play. Remember, right across from the Bedford L stop. You can't miss it. Or us, really. We're the ladies who are <span style="font-style: italic;">dressed</span>.<br /><br />I'm going to stop here and apologize for the brevity of text this week; we're still having server issues, and if you see me this weekend, I'll probably tell you the story of how my (former) assistant quit. It's a wonderful story, <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span>. I also finished editing the biggest book of my career. I think my brain may be entirely dead.<br /><br />***<br /><br />That being said, we will sign off with our new MTV Hits boyfriend, <a href="http://www.onealmcknight.com/">O'Neal McKnight</a>, and his charming track "Check Your Coat" featuring Greg Nice. McKnight's music scored the Conde Nast "Fashion Rocks" special earlier this year; don't hold this against him as <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAPYw4dDPMc">he's styled some of your favorite hip hop videos</a> and can totally out-Michael Jackson Michael Jackson in the way we thought only, perhaps, that Romanthony could ... Get on this bandwagon now-ish. This is clearly a late spring hit that might have some momentum into the summer ... we love it! (Count the guest appearances in the video, and try not to hold <a href="http://www.bttf.com/index.php?/weblog/more/christopher_lloyd_goes_back_again/">the <span style="font-style: italic;">Back to the Future</span> pastiche against him either</a>.)<br /><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kxQ04LNjaPo&hl=en"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kxQ04LNjaPo&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><a href="http://www.zshare.net/download/7885566172c2a4/">O'Neal McKnight feat. Greg Nice -- Check Your Coat</a></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><a href="http://www.fourinchesfromthecuff.com/trgaw/Daft%20Punk%20--%20Too%20Long.mp3">Daft Punk -- Too Long</a></span>cindy hotpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204988435368048036noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19224737.post-57200347786800548302008-04-28T12:43:00.002-04:002008-04-30T01:37:13.352-04:00Hi -- we're having some technical difficulties stemming from a DMCA takedown notice that arrived early Monday morning (4/28). Pls. excuse the broken images & links. We're getting things cleared up as soon as possible.cindy hotpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204988435368048036noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19224737.post-81002503173994206502008-04-25T08:05:00.004-04:002008-04-25T11:08:34.823-04:00It just occured to me that our new header (hit refresh if you can't see it!), which was inspired by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61145433@N00/2432629689/">this image</a> (thx Mr. Hill!), kind of looks like a creepy, gloopy version of the <a href="http://www.idolator.com/">Idolator</a> logo. Totally unintentional, I promise!cindy hotpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204988435368048036noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19224737.post-68193607982763526262008-04-23T01:42:00.001-04:002008-12-11T07:35:28.441-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikHlMMbUYSeix8qjVW5B5Lpp0etS3g5zXNVA-DPIedkwNm2H6RW-_-__M7L7_nkYL9P3Kpi3PaeymJXN2BeShxvQoFcqLD2keb_lAQ5fEZaHZpLABudPHoEGF8z7Dcid7oUQ/s1600-h/greygrain.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikHlMMbUYSeix8qjVW5B5Lpp0etS3g5zXNVA-DPIedkwNm2H6RW-_-__M7L7_nkYL9P3Kpi3PaeymJXN2BeShxvQoFcqLD2keb_lAQ5fEZaHZpLABudPHoEGF8z7Dcid7oUQ/s320/greygrain.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192286629181084226" border="0" /></a><br />I'm pretty sure that no one will want to read this review.<br /><br />But before I start berating you, I should start at the beginning. This story is really about ... yarn.<br /><br />Now, I know what you're thinking, I can hear you all the way over here. "Cindy Hotpoint has jumped the shark for reals this time. I mean, we tolerated her moving to NYC and no longer providing us with the best remixes in the known universe and her incessant rantings about The Mountain Goats, Shearwater and the Bellmer Dolls. But ... yarn?"<br /><br />(It's funny you mention <a href="http://www.shearwatermusic.com/">Shearwater</a>, actually. Can we just tell you how amazing <span style="font-style: italic;">Rook</span> is? I mean, really really amazing. We're listening to it right now. Pinkie just muttered something about "Mariachi Meiburg" -- eerie horns! -- and now there's some weird creepy percussion groans. But we'll tell you about that some other time...when we've had time to digest it properly. And, if you're nerdy for studio details, go check out <a href="http://www.matthewbarnhart.com/">the blog of recording engineer Matthew Barnhart</a>, owner of Echo Lab, the Denton, TX studio where Shearwater also recorded <span style="font-style: italic;">Palo Santo</span>; he's documented the entire recording process, much to my delight ... )<br /><br />So, yeah, yarn.<br /><br />It won't surprise you to know that I have a problem finishing projects ... and that I have no problem starting them. About 10 years ago, I picked up knitting. It was an innocent enough habit at first, but as I became further entrenched in the terrible relationship with my former fiance, I spent more time at the yarn store hiding from him and the reality of our relationship and more money buying yarn I was never going to knit up into anything.<br /><br />This is a common enough affliction among knitters and other people with obsessive tendencies. I'm sure some of you know what I'm talking about. You don't actually need that thing, but by god, you want it NOW. And you can't get rid of it because, heaven forbid, you might need it someday. At various points in my life, I've had this attitude towards all kinds of things; for instance, I'm currently trying to curb my obsession with adorable dresses and antique autoharps. I'm doing okay with the former, not so much with the latter.<br /><br />So yes, I collected a lot of yarn. And I took it with me when I moved out of the shared apartment and into my protective aerie in South Austin, and again when I moved to Brooklyn at the end of 2006.<br /><br />And despite the fact that I have a side business that actually involves knitting, most of my hoarde remained in plastic bins, generally untouched. I lugged it all up to the fourth floor front room closet (technically the Kindling & Tinder workroom is in Pinkie's apartment, not mine...) and occasionally riffled through the four musty casks looking for something or another, but mostly all that yarn just sat lumpen in the closet, a wad of wool-shaped unhappiness. Thousands of dollars and thousands of hours spent avoiding ... everything. And I couldn't let it go.<br /><br />Until Sunday afternoon, that is.<br /><br />Ok, now this is probably the part of the story you're really interested in, which is how the Bellmer Dolls made me clean out the deadwood. How, for the maybe third or fourth time since I've started this blog, did I see a show that literally changed my life. No, I'm not exaggerating.<br /><br />I'd had a really bad week. I was supposed to hire a new assistant, but the budget won't allow for it now. (I basically had to demote my old assistant, and as such am now doing 2.5 peoples' work, as I'm also missing an intern ...) I'm editing 5 books currently. Thousands of pages of minutae. When I get home, my eyes ache and burn (the recent arrival of spring isn't helping on that score either); I don't want to go out, I don't want to write for this blog, I don't want to listen to music, I don't want to knit. I want to fucking stare at the wall. I'm not complaining, really -- I actually quite like my job, and the people I work with. But between sinus headaches, taxes general bullshit, I was beat.<br /><br />So, you'll understand how important it is to have somewhere nice and cozy to go on a Saturday night; enter the Bellmers' residency at The Charleston, week two. As the rest of loathsome Williamsburg teems above, I am safe in a low-ceilinged firetrap of a basement (see last week's review for a full accout of the glories of The Charleston's performance space).<br /><br />I admit, I was only mildly interested in openers The Brides and Shock Cinema. And, they were only worthy of mild interest; but we were all the more amused by the presence of Pinkie's darling co-worker Miss Arabella Churchill, who is seriously a Rich Girl-in-training. Raised on Roxy Music and Bowie, we're gonna start easing her into the intensive Eno programme shortly.<br /><br />A few picturesque details about the Bellmer Dolls this week: Peter's shirt was hideous, but at least he didn't split his pants. At several points in the set, a staple gun and drumsticks were used as weapons. With love, of course. And, one of the things I love about being crammed into a space that tiny is that you can hear the jangle of Anthony's tiny prayer bell tied to the headstock of his bass, ringing out a demented call to prayer as he bends his instrument into some kind of submission.<br /><br />A demented call to prayer indeed -- Peter brought the dirty preacher act back. Unlike the nearly rareified comfort of last week's performance, the air was brittle with the itchy, creaky tension of boys who'd been locked in a practice room all day. We knew we were in for something quite different. And from first tight rhythm lines to the last broken holler and squall of feedback in the dark, I was, as ever, transfixed.<br /><br />It's all at once too much and sometimes not enough ... but as the set progressed, blazing through 2.5 minute messy garage raveups (including "Automation," one of the band's very first songs) to the more eloquent filth of old faves "The Diva" and "Push! Push!" it became clear to me that we were all going down together. Or maybe it was just me; I barely registered the people around me, at one point it felt I was in some sort of Lynchian nightmare: words of fire hung in the air; the band became smudgy shadows behind a wall of distorted sound.<br /><br />Wait -- not really, but it sounds cool, huh? I mean, it felt like that at least. It did.<br /><br />The perverse finale of "Push! Push!" really can't be put into words without edging towards ridiculous hyperbole. I always look forward to this moment of performance with sick glee; we all know Peter's going to molest Anthony in some way or another whilst Daniel steers the ship straight into a maelstrom of noisy, feedback-drenched<span style="font-style: italic;"> petits-morts</span>. There was a great amount of shoving and hollering and near-destruction of various instruments (keyboards, kick drums, etc.) until the lone, hot light bulb shining on stage was unscrewed and the rest of the lights came down, leaving us in the dark, the air so thick with sinewy, booming feedback that you could nearly taste the sound waves bouncing by. (See, I told you ... ridiculous hyperbole!!)<br /><br />And when it was all over, I found I couldn't speak. Didn't want to speak. I couldn't even tell anyone good night and loitered on a patch of sidewalk outside the Charleston, watching everything through the wrong side of a spyglass; everyone around me was so very, very tiny, and everything inside me was so very, very large. Somewhere in all that bloodletting and hollering, something had rattled loose inside, and I wasn't sure what drawer in my compartmentalized brain it had tumbled out of.<br /><br />You must understand, it is <span style="font-style: italic;">very</span> unlike me to be this way.<br /><br />And I was really quite out of sorts all the way home the roundabout way -- all the way across the river to 8th Ave. on the L to catch the late-night A train all the way back home to Bed-Stuy. (Believe me when I tell you Williamsburg is as far from Bed-Stuy as it is from ... Mars.) Even a late-night snack didn't bring me back around, and I stayed up far too long, just thinking of nothing before drifting into a stretched-thin sleep that ended far too soon.<br /><br />Which brings me back to the yarn.<br /><br />After a crabby morning, bolstered by a few Americanos, I suddenly decided -- apropos of nothing, really -- to clean out the workroom closet. Specifically, all that bloody yarn. And I pulled out everything. Sorted abandoned projects from viable ones. Threw away grotty plastic bags. Re-balled falling-apart skeins. Ripped out unfinished pieces. Threw everything I couldn't stand to look at ever again into an empty 20-gallon plastic bin, which was soon overflowing with the last cast-off bits of an old life I thought I'd discarded long ago. And it's all earmarked now for donation to worthy causes -- to teach kids to knit, or to make hats and scarves for the homeless, or baby blankets for tiny little souls new to the world. Because some good should come of all that.<br /><br />So, there you have it -- the Bellmer Dolls show that changed my life, and the tale of the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kindlingandtinder/2430379136/">yarnpocalypse</a>. As a reward for making it this far, some tracks selected by Pinkie (and I threw in the last one...because I am a sap!); it was amusing, once I was able to speak again, we both remarked upon the fact that we never mentioned that the Bellmers owe more than a little to the stark, spiky early work of Siouxsie and the Banshees. Especially when Peter opens up and ... bellows with abandon; or the way the formidable combo of Anthony and Daniel in the rhythm section fill out the remaining corners of every song, barely leaving any room for the guitar at all. Yes, <span style="font-style: italic;">just</span> like that.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/Siouxsie%20and%20the%20Banshees%20--%20Carcass.mp3">Siouxsie and the Banshees -- Carcass</a><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/Siouxsie%20and%20the%20Banshees%20--%20Metal%20Postcard.mp3">Siouxsie and the Banshees -- Metal Postcard </a><br />from <span style="font-style: italic;">The Scream</span>, 1978<br /><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/Siouxsie%20and%20the%20Banshees%20--%20Dazzle%20%28Glamour%20Mix%29.mp3">Siouxsie and the Banshees -- Dazzle (Glamour Mix)</a><br />from the "Dazzle" 12" single, 1984<br /><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/Morrissey%20&%20Siouxsie%20--%20Interlude.mp3">Morrissey & Siouxsie -- Interlude</a><br />single-only, 1995; cover of a standard popularized by <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZvIu9933eY">Timi Yuro</a> in 1968<br /><br />The Bellmer Dolls play the next two Saturdays at The Charleston in Williamsburg, right across from the Bedford L stop. See you there? <a href="http://www.myspace.com/preacherandtheknife">Preacher and the Knife</a> open this week (great if you love hollerin' boys) and <a href="http://www.myspace.com/freshkills">Fresh Kills,</a> who are like, you know, the oh-my-gawth version of The Hold Steady.cindy hotpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204988435368048036noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19224737.post-37966200688481273972008-04-21T14:27:00.001-04:002008-04-21T14:27:34.577-04:00<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><div align='center'><a href='http://therichgirlsareweeping.tumblr.com/rss'><img width='296' height='200' src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/cindy.hotpoint/SAzcQ-K8zmI/AAAAAAAAAGo/3J1cqffNC1U/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg' style='max-width: 800px;'/></a><br /></div><br />We've caved. <a href='http://therichgirlsareweeping.tumblr.com'>We have a Tumblr (like all the cool kids, apparently), which we totally adore</a>. We've already linked to lots of thrilling things: scopitones, recipes, show schedules ... you name it. One thing I hate, however is the lack of comment functionality, but I'm sure that serves some esoteric Web 2.0 purpose that I can't fathom. It feels so self-indulgent with no feedback! And yet! It's high on the instant gratification factor! There's good and bad, I guess. (Speaking of new toys, I've dabbled with <a href='http://yourfriendcindyhotpoint.muxtape.com'>Muxtape</a>, but haven't posted anything yet.)<br /><br />Anyway, <a href='http://therichgirlsareweeping.tumblr.com/rss'>add our Tumblr to your RSS feed reader</a>, or we'll kick yr butt.<br /><br /><br />And, watch this space for my review of the Bellmer Dolls @ The Charleston, Week Two (yay, my turn to write about them!) and a rundown of the best and worst that's passed through our post box lately. Thrills!</div>cindy hotpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204988435368048036noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19224737.post-17308227242101138042008-04-14T01:19:00.006-04:002008-04-14T02:47:57.286-04:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.starclipper.org/blog/uploaded_images/462px-LoveAndRockets31-777923.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.starclipper.org/blog/uploaded_images/462px-LoveAndRockets31-777923.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Sunday night is 120 Minutes on VH1 Classic. Just like the uh, good old days. (Yes, we are <span style="font-style: italic;">so</span> that old!) What follows is a transcript of an actual conversation between your friend, Cindy Hotpoint, and the illustrious Pinkie Von Bloom, which took place just a few minutes ago.<br /><br />[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_and_Rockets_%28band%29">Love and Rockets</a>' "So Alive" on the TV]<br /><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xFObRusJt24&hl=en"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xFObRusJt24&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />PVB: Blegh!<br />CH: Oh yay! Man, I was so obsessed with this song when it came out.<br />PVB: I'm sorry. This is is totally the worst Love and Rockets song ever.<br />CH: Oh, cut me some slack, I was like 10 years old!<br />PVB: You were older than that! This was 8th grade.<br />CH: Ok, fine -- I was 12, 13 at most. Again, cut me some slack.<br />PVB: [makes scissor motions with her fingers] I'm cutting, I'm cutting!<br />CH: I mean, really -- what else sounded like this then?<br />PVB: [sighs heavily] Nothing.<br />CH: See! My point exactly. I still love it!!! [sings along loudly]<br />PVB: [mumbles] It still sucks. The whole album sucks.<br /><br />So, that being said, here's some assorted Love and Rockets (and related projects...) that Pinkie deems worthy; you're welcome from the land of late-night vinyl ripping. <br /><br />(Also, you know that they're getting back together and playing <a href="http://www.coachella.com/">Coachella</a> in a few weeks, right? I'm fundamentally opposed to reunions -- even when they're of badass bands -- so I'm not too bummed to be missing that particular nightmare in the desert with drunk LA hipsters. Seriously.)<br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/Bauhaus%20--%20Kick%20in%20the%20Eye.mp3"><br />Bauhaus -- Kick in the Eye</a><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/Tones%20on%20Tail%20--%20Go%21.mp3">Tones on Tail -- Go!</a><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/Love%20and%20Rockets%20--%20The%20Dog-End%20of%20a%20Day%20Gone%20By.mp3">Love and Rockets -- The Dog-End of a Day Gone By</a><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/Love%20and%20Rockets%20--%20Kundalini%20Express.mp3">Love and Rockets -- Kundalini Express</a><br /><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-ALRLZQf42s&hl=en"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-ALRLZQf42s&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Love and Rockets -- Ball of Confusion.<br /><br />We'll be back with our weekend recap tomorrow night. We may or may not still be recovering from the awesomeness.<br /><br />ps -- If you're wondering about the header image, more about the fantastic Love and Rockets graphic novels by Los Bros. Hernandez can be found in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_and_Rockets_(comics)">this handy Wikipedia entry</a>. Because they're awesome too -- even though I pretty much universally hate all pretentious comic books. Except these. Because er, they're not pretentious.cindy hotpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204988435368048036noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19224737.post-69212906138230331102008-03-23T23:08:00.011-04:002008-12-11T07:35:29.170-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3133/2349316600_5efa7cc65e.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3133/2349316600_5efa7cc65e.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">(photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/iandavid/">iandavid</a>)</span><br /><br />Well, sorry we didn't get to the post-apocalyptic playlist last week; I'll save that for another time -- promise.<br /><br />What to say about The Mountain Goats show at Webster Hall? I'll admit, it was weird. It's always kind of weird to see your friends play that venue; its so huge, and hey, remember that time you saw them with 30 other people in a tiny room a million years ago? (It's an old story around here...) But it was an amazing show nonetheless; it was the first time I'd seen them play with drummer <strike>John</strike> Jon Wurster, who's amazing. And, though reports varied about the sound quality, it sounded pretty damn good on the balcony level. And I'm a little bummed that I didn't think to swing by the merch table and pick up one of the new hoodies.<br /><br />And we must sincerely thank Mr. Darnielle for playing "Have to Explode" (off sentimental fave <span style="font-style: italic;">Tallahassee</span>) during the 'solo' bit of the set -- I think that's one of my very favorite songs in the entire tMG ouevre. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/georgetownvoice/2356119240/">Also, we simply must let you know that Peter Hughes may indeed have (finally!!) ascended to the post of Best-Dressed Bassist in Indie Rock</a>, snatching that coveted post from the grabby hands of Carlos Dengler. (Fashion-forward cardigans and sharp topcoats are rad, but NOTHING trumps Etro.)<br /><br />We send our very best wishes to Mr. Darnielle & co., and hope that he's feeling better soon; illness recently forced the band to cancel the upcoming Australian/NZ leg of their spring tour.<br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/The%20Mountain%20Goats%20--%20Have%20To%20Explode.mp3"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Mountain Goats -- Have To Explode</span></a><br /><br />In the meantime, I can't help but want to share this with you: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=mountain+goats+cover&search_type=">YouTube videos of Mountain Goats covers</a>. Everyone from Ben Gibbard to teenage girls in Europe. Amazing stuff.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3294/2307496088_71ff3ebf95.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3294/2307496088_71ff3ebf95.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">(photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hailmaryny/">ryan muir</a>)<br /></span><br />As for <a href="http://www.theguttertwins.com/">The Gutter Twins</a> -- it was <span style="font-style: italic;">sublime</span>. We still don't have words -- especially when it comes to discussing, say, that bit of "Amazing Grace" in the midst of an 8-song (or thereabouts) encore. We'll just let Dinah Washington tell you about our general feelings.<br /><br />(That being said, <a href="http://www.theguttertwins.com/tour.html">those guys are touring like gangbusters</a>, and if they're headed your way, you <span style="font-style: italic;">really </span>need to go -- I'm looking at you specifically, Europe -- if you're in need of some soul saving at the bottom of a grim, hazy, red-lit oubliette. Or something like that.)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/Dinah%20Washington%20--%20Fat%20Daddy.mp3"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dinah Washington -- Fat Daddy</span></a><br /><br />**<br /><br />One of the best things that happened at this one-two punch of shows at Webster Hall this week was the chance to see two bands that were sorta on our radar who totally blew us away in person.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.themoaners.com/">The Moaners</a>, who opened for the Mountain Goats, are some fine ladies who play some very fine blues music. We're always glad to see women who don't play like "girls" (sorry, really, it happens); and this guitar-and-drums duo pack a vicious wallop. (Also, don't listen to anyone who compares them to The White Stripes; think early, early Quasi instead.)<br /><br />That being said, I have to take someone to task here: neither the band nor their label, Yep Roc, provide a sample mp3; however, you can stream their new album, <em>Blackwing Yalobusha,</em> at <a href="http://www.yeproc.com/artist_info.php?artistId=958#">the Yep Roc site</a>. So, go buy the album, people, okay? Because Melissa and Laura seem the type who would not appreciate you engaging in piracy.<br /><br />As for <a href="http://www.greatnorthernmusic.com/">Great Northern</a>, they are consumate professionals -- L.A. scene veterans whose lush, epic sound brings to mind a bizarre hybrid of Fiona Apple, Medicine, and Slowdive. Early demos suggested a more twinkly L.A. powerpop sound (by way of the band's associations with Earlimart and Grandaddy), but the band's definitely decided that a more dark and mysterious sound is the way to go live -- or maybe it's just touring with the Gutter Twins that's brought out their wicked side.<br /><br />This means, unfortunately, that any of the recordings out there, especially from their debut <span style="font-style: italic;">Trading Twilight for Daylight</span>, frankly don't do Great Northern justice. It's hard to say that because they do have so much promise live. That being said, I very strongly believe that they need to possibly license the hell out of the following song and embed it into the brains of teenage girls, who, I believe, would totally eat it up.<br /><a href="http://www.eeniemeenie.com/TellingLies.mp3"><br />Great Northern -- Telling Lies</a><br /><br /><br />**<br /><br />We're WAY busy this week; we've got a hastily-scheduled Kindling & Tinder photoshoot and two dj gigs -- Wednesday we'll be curating the music selections at Sidecar Bar in Park Slope at the second installation of the Brooklyn Based Cocktail Club. We'll be bringing the Mexican music to go with the tequila theme, so come by between 6:30 and 9pm and say hello.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7iX5wAsGh5TbWnSG0xboQcD5WHucrHoz-22W80uMEjRLhnhvK1hCuUqGTk1OXvgXty9RqEwc_pmKLZLixBujibtmaQEqvg4tOIBFa-A-QlQ06fEbSPMkCGggPW1tQq77sA/s1600-h/bb+flyer+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7iX5wAsGh5TbWnSG0xboQcD5WHucrHoz-22W80uMEjRLhnhvK1hCuUqGTk1OXvgXty9RqEwc_pmKLZLixBujibtmaQEqvg4tOIBFa-A-QlQ06fEbSPMkCGggPW1tQq77sA/s320/bb+flyer+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181172678217570402" border="0" /></a><br />And Thursday we're the guest djs at Corduroy, the new monthly at Cakeshop. Also on the bill are the inimitable DJ Jennifer and the perky pop of <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thefourelles">The Fourelles</a>. Again, stop by and say hello!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhQOBsNLAUpd_LHqzmhN4uL2HrapZveTZANO7i1Kzp8XRP-2QKYhcavAXTojBg6CA_UocSk8OteGKcPeAAzMweoavy-VnBKbWYnSZitm8hB4-qwdNulvv3HY9JHtksCvICOQ/s1600-h/corduroy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhQOBsNLAUpd_LHqzmhN4uL2HrapZveTZANO7i1Kzp8XRP-2QKYhcavAXTojBg6CA_UocSk8OteGKcPeAAzMweoavy-VnBKbWYnSZitm8hB4-qwdNulvv3HY9JHtksCvICOQ/s320/corduroy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181173502851291250" border="0" /></a>cindy hotpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204988435368048036noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19224737.post-51277570957815703522008-03-18T01:12:00.006-04:002008-03-18T01:42:43.805-04:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.carnegiemnh.org/exhibits/graphics/m_goat.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.carnegiemnh.org/exhibits/graphics/m_goat.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Hello, dear readers. We've got a mad week ahead, what with <a href="http://www.mountain-goats.com/">The Mountain Goats</a> tonight at Webster Hall and <a href="http://www.theguttertwins.com/">The Gutter Twins</a> on Wednesday, also at NYC's moldiest venue. (n.b. The Mountain Goats play Brooklyn at the Music Hall of Williamsburg on Wednesday, btw) You should come too, yeah?<br /><br />Have fun recovering from SXSW; we'll see you later this week, wherein we will post our post-apocalyptic playlist (it's a real bruiser), tell you about our misadventures at the Virgin Megastore and exhort you to go see <a href="http://www.thevanityset.com/">The Vanity Set</a> this weekend (Saturday 3/22 at Supreme Trading and Sunday 3/23 at the Annex). Also, we solemnly promise to stop bitching about the mediocrity of Southby coverage in the mainstream media. Maybe.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/The%20Mountain%20Goats%20--%20Lovecraft%20in%20Brooklyn.mp3">The Mountain Goats -- Lovecraft in Brooklyn</a> (repost)<br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/The%20Gutter%20Twins%20--%20I%20Was%20In%20Love%20With%20You.mp3">The Gutter Twins -- I Was in Love With You</a>cindy hotpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204988435368048036noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19224737.post-14903041718508305612008-03-14T00:44:00.014-04:002008-03-14T12:07:14.986-04:00<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://collegecandy.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/10/124139__pretty_in_pink_l.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://collegecandy.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/10/124139__pretty_in_pink_l.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:78%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">Andi and Duckie are silently judging you.<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:78%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span>Believe me, the above image will make sense. In a minute.<br /><br />This is just a brief post. I hope that everyone @ SXSW is having a good time; we're looking forward to seeing What Made Milwaukee Famous and Louis XIV at Irving Plaza (or Filmore East, or whatever they're calling it these days...) tonight.<br /><br />It seems like outside of the SXSW action, all anyone was really talking about this week was Vampire Weekend -- be it their <span style="font-style: italic;">Saturday Night Live</span> appearance, or the fact that they seem to be everywhere at SXSW this year.<br /><br />Now, I know it's become terribly passe to criticize Vampire Weekend or froth at the mouth about them or what have you, but I must relate the following story to you.<br /><br />One of my co-workers is a bit older than me and is totally adorable because she only keeps up with the new music via what she sees on TV. She loves Ghostland Observatory and Bloc Party because she saw them on <span style="font-style: italic;">Austin City Limits</span>. But she was a hardcore fangirl back in the day -- we had a great conversation about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urge_Overkill">Urge Overkill</a>, of all things, a few weeks ago. Anyway, yesterday afternoon she ambled over to my desk and asked, "So, what do you think of this Vampire Weekend band?"<br /><br />"Well, I honestly don't like them," I said -- remembering with a shudder when <a href="http://www.thelmagazine.com/5/8/feature/feature1.cfm?ctype=1">The L Magazine pegged them as a "band to watch" early last year</a> and how I kind of threw up in my mouth a little as my eyes first met the term "Upper West Side <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soweto">Soweto</a>," and how that pretty much made me want to give up writing about music altogether.<br /><br />"Oh good!" she sighed. "I kept hearing about how great they were, and when I saw them on <span style="font-style: italic;">Saturday Night Live</span>, all I could think was: <span style="font-style: italic;">I</span><span style="font-style: italic;">f Blaine and Steff started a band, it would sound just like this</span>."<br /><br />By Blaine and Steff, dear readers, she meant Andrew McCarthy and James Spader's characters, respectively, in the 80's teen angst epic <span style="font-style: italic;">Pretty in Pink</span>.<br /><br />"Yes," I said. "After Andi and Blaine broke up, and Andi got together with Duckie [which is how it should have turned out in the first place], Blaine starts a band with Steff in a fruitless attempt to win her back!" (n.b. Amusingly, when I related this story to Pinkie later that day, she totally followed my co-worker's imaginings to the same logical conclusion.)<br /><br />"Exactly. And that band is <span style="font-style: italic;">totally</span> Vampire Weekend."<br /><br />So, there you have it kids. When you wonder why us crabby old bloggers hate Vampire Weekend -- it's not really because of the inappropriate appropriation of South African pop by tacky upper middle class white kids who have no sense of musical history. Rather, it's because they remind us of the Blaines and the Steffs of the world. [A note from Pinkie: Another reason the Soweto reference is completely offensive is that those of us who are cranky and jaded enough to make the Blaine & Steff connection are also old enough to remember Apartheid while it was happening. Somehow Vampire Weekend's namecheck doesn't ring with the same passion as Peter Gabriel's homage to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Biko">Stephen Biko</a>.]<br /><br />The archetypes of high school society presented in <span style="font-style: italic;">Pretty in Pink</span> are slightly quaint relics now. It's no longer taboo to make your own clothes, dress differently, hound dark rock clubs on a school night -- it's practically <span style="font-style: italic;">de rigeur</span>. And from the outside, it seems like for many teenagers and early 20-somethings, faceless interactions through the Internet and other new technologes, as well as the economic opulence of the past 10 years or so, have completely wiped hardcore class distinctions that were the foundation of youth culture in the 80's and 90's.<br /><br />So yeah, cut us some slack. Those Vampire Weekend songs are p(r)eppy and hollow and catchy -- and they're totally the Tapes 'n Tapes of 2007-8 (on the same label, even!) -- good for them. But frankly, we're still hanging out with the music nerds and the weirdos and the burnouts and the drama fags and other assorted high school untouchables. And we'd much rather listen to the music they're making now.<br /><br />Just for you, some selections from the <span style="font-style: italic;">Pretty in Pink</span> soundtrack.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/The%20Smiths%20--%20Please%20Please%20Please%20Let%20Me%20Get%20What%20I%20Want.mp3">The Smiths -- Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want</a><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/The%20Psychedelic%20Furs%20--%20Pretty%20In%20Pink.mp3">The Psychedelic Furs -- Pretty In Pink</a><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/Echo%20and%20the%20Bunnymen%20--%20Bring%20On%20The%20Dancing%20Horses.mp3">Echo and the Bunnymen -- Bring On The Dancing Horses</a><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/Orchestral%20Manoeuvers%20in%20the%20Dark%20--%20If%20You%20Leave.mp3">Orchestral Manoeuvers in the Dark -- If You Leave</a><br /><br />Bonus vid, New Order -- Shellshock<br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ENwkZSvJ4yw&hl=en"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ENwkZSvJ4yw&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:78%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></div></div>cindy hotpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204988435368048036noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19224737.post-16858097864616650392008-03-10T01:35:00.005-04:002008-03-10T02:28:37.111-04:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2257/2317153832_7109610d98_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2257/2317153832_7109610d98_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">(</span><span style="font-size:78%;">photo credit: <a href="http://chrissylush.com/">Chrissy Lush</a>)</span><br /><br />What can you say about seeing Nick Cave? Even a truncated, kind of under-rehearsed set?<br /><br />It was <span style="font-style: italic;">fucking awesome</span>.<br /><br />Especially now that we're uh, grown-up ladies. Because, although we've been fans since high school, or perhaps earlier -- we can't quite agree on that point -- <span>we'd never seen Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds play live.</span><br /><br />(We imagine we both probably saw the video for "The Mercy Seat" and thought: <span style="font-style: italic;">He's pretty, but this is kinda scary...)</span><span> </span><br /><br />But you know, it all made sense when it came down to parsing out preferences a few years down the road. Suddenly, that brand of grown-up male sexuality wasn't so intimidating. It was ... hot.<br /><br />And even though Nick Cave is kind of ridiculous and balding and still flails about in a gawky way (but never, I would say, a parody of himself ... or Neil Diamond -- at least not too badly), we were just as uh, moved as when we were teenage girls.<br /><br />Gentlemen, I warn you. He's set that bar pretty high. Keep tryin', y'all. And for those of you just a centimeter from grasping it full in hand, we salute you. Because you're awesome.<br /><br />And to the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kenstein/2321871346/">pretty, pretty boy in the crowd with that spectac mohawk/lazy eye configuration</a>: Bless you, my child -- keep fighting the good fight. This one's for you:<br /><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oZsy6Ekkq0M"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oZsy6Ekkq0M" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Other PLUG Award highlights: St. Vincent was also pretty incredible and The Forms aren't quite ready to play venues as big as Terminal Five. Speaking of -- the last time we saw White Denim was at Chain Drive, so seeing them in a venue that large was just <span style="font-style:italic;">weird</span>. And hey, I finally got to see Dizzee Rascal, and probably will never see him again. Not surprisingly, Jose Gonzales was kind of a yawner. <a href="http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/49168-report-plug-awards-new-york-ny-030608">Matt LeMay, we saw yr. hair, but not the rest of you</a> -- do you need a Nick Cave primer now, or have you absorbed the entire ouevre since Thursday? Oh and! Sorry Bryce, I'm totally night blind and totally thought you were Aaron...cindy hotpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204988435368048036noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19224737.post-63501212969850334132008-03-06T00:05:00.007-05:002008-12-11T07:35:29.349-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhclimt0FmE11U1KePPSQSNuJ4rolWvKP2Wl0SbnDFPB4oU_CrrG33D2HzOmGT_SpfMATiigPZhCj5XuzICO2qTSsHw_KJ8bleKPtl0Q_y-1xVYAMoega1-D4T_5-7Wrdax6g/s1600-h/milwaukee.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhclimt0FmE11U1KePPSQSNuJ4rolWvKP2Wl0SbnDFPB4oU_CrrG33D2HzOmGT_SpfMATiigPZhCj5XuzICO2qTSsHw_KJ8bleKPtl0Q_y-1xVYAMoega1-D4T_5-7Wrdax6g/s320/milwaukee.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190051544776998146" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">(photo credit: <a href="http://www.cambriaphoto.com/">Cambria Harkey</a>; location: <a href="http://www.endofanear.com/">End of an Ear</a>, our favorite wrecka sto in THE WHOLE WORLD.)</span><br /><br />Oh, my bad! Yesterday we were so uh, excited by sexy old bastards that we forgot to tell you that our Austin homeboys, <a href="http://www.whatmademilwaukeefamous.com/">What Made Milwaukee Famous</a>, have a new album out, too! And a sassy video with fencing (and Farmer in an eyepatch!) for the first single, "Sultan." And Lance Armstrong. We're not a fan of the latter, but hey -- they share management, so.<br /><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/c7vblfZBZdM"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/c7vblfZBZdM" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br />Here's some old, old tracks from the pre-Barsuk version of <span style="font-style: italic;">Trying To Never Catch Up</span> -- the one gift that my awful ex-boyfriend bought me (immediately after I saw the band play for the first time, sometime in 2002) that I actually still have. And remind me to tell you why I have a vintage seal fur coat sometime, instead of those damn William T. Vollman books he bought me. Anyway, my fave is "Hellodrama;" Pinkie prefers "Around the Gills," a track that didn't make it on to the Barsuk version of the album.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/WWMF%20--%20Hellodrama.mp3">What Made Milwaukee Famous -- Hellodrama</a><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/WWMF%20--%20Around%20the%20Gills.mp3">What Made Milwaukee Famous -- Around the Gills</a><br /><br />And here's a sample track from the new album, <span style="font-style: italic;">What Doesn't Kill Us</span>.<br /><a href="http://barsukmusic.blaireau.net/WhatMadeMilwaukeeFamous_ResistanceSt.mp3"><br />What Made Milwaukee Famous -- Resistance St.</a><br /><br />This is special shout-out to Joanna, <a href="http://www.yellowroserecipes.com/">awesome cookbook author</a> and new mommy, who introduced me to Milwaukee initially; she was also with us the first time Pinkie saw the band, at Emo's Free Week 2005 with The Chapters and This Microwave World. Wow, things sure have changed since then. Damn.<br /><br />WWMF are on tour this spring with Louis XIV -- check 'em out when they come your way, they're great live. As proof -- here's some highlights from WMMF's legendary "Austin City Limits" appearance, wherein they totally destroyed headliners Franz Ferdinand.<br /><br /><a href="http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=2549705">What Made Milwaukee Famous, Austin City Limits, Video Highlights</a><br /><embed src="http://lads.myspace.com/videos/vplayer.swf" flashvars="m=2549705&v=2&type=video" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="346" width="430"></embed><br /><a href="http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.addToProfileConfirm&videoid=2549705&title=What%20Made%20Milwaukee%20Famous,%20Austin%20City%20Limits,%20Video%20Highlights">Add to My Profile</a> | <a href="http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.home">More Videos</a><br /><br /><br />***<br /><br />Hey! We're <a href="http://hwww.electrical.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=612530&sid=3b4c6e274dcf7321deea919dc66fb837#612530">hipster douchebags</a>! And <a href="http://www.electrical.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=160216&sid=3d9be056245cbf8aaf0dbaff7cb9db08#160216">this guy said so</a>. (Quel Chicago!) Pinkie's telling me that I am a hipster, and well, I guess it really is the douchebag part I take issue with, actually. I bet he just had to say something shitty because we like Eno. Anyway, <a href="http://hwww.electrical.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=33565&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=&sid=3b4c6e274dcf7321deea919dc66fb837">too bad there's no comments in the Electrical Audio LOLbini thread from Steve himself.</a> Oh, and. I didn't use proper LOLgrammar because <span style="font-style: italic;">hello</span>, it's Steve Albini! Like he'd ever use imperfect grammar! Duh.cindy hotpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204988435368048036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19224737.post-58670103956201547572008-03-05T00:04:00.011-05:002008-12-11T07:35:29.495-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqUBxKYeequO_TCc_AuC1yErCQotCftpaZY1JWcZqbUYA2VQpQZpWKAhP4I967Haq81OpP-gaNGlr2p_L_hFOTGtXHbLxnXkEIbdZ16lrDsqDC2tcaocC8INp1YA7NJxFI-w/s1600-h/nick+n+greg.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqUBxKYeequO_TCc_AuC1yErCQotCftpaZY1JWcZqbUYA2VQpQZpWKAhP4I967Haq81OpP-gaNGlr2p_L_hFOTGtXHbLxnXkEIbdZ16lrDsqDC2tcaocC8INp1YA7NJxFI-w/s320/nick+n+greg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174119353824768178" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">(i have used my photoshop skillz for EV1L!!!!!1!!!!! pinkie found the putrescent brushes!)</span><br /><br />So, while everyone plotting their adventures in Austin (where?) and getting tied up in that SXSW nonsense, we are content to stay here in NYC and sit around and listen to the latest releases from <a href="http://www.nickcaveandthebadseeds.com/">Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds</a> and <a href="http://www.theguttertwins.com/">The Gutter Twins</a> -- <span style="font-style: italic;">Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Saturnalia</span>, respectively.<br /><br />For those of you who missed the Valentine's Day pr blitz, The Gutter Twins are the inimitable and formidable Greg Dulli (late of The Afghan Whigs) and Mark Lanegan (ex-Screaming Trees). Though Lanegan appeared on all the <a href="http://www.thetwilightsingers.com/">Twilight Singers</a> albums (Dulli's sorta solo project from 2000-2007), he started appearing as a backup singer on TS tours a few years ago; we flipped out when we saw them at The Parish in the fall of 2006 -- what a sight to behold! And not bad for the ears, either.<br /><br />Apparently, they so enjoyed the experience of working together that they started recording an album in 2003, ditched the Twilight Singers mantle and reemerged as The Gutter Twins. The album so long in the making, <span style="font-style: italic;">Saturnalia</span>, was released by Sub Pop yesterday. First off, put your 90's prejudices behind you -- really, if anyone should have survived the Grunge shitstorm, it's Dulli and Lanegan. They never quite fit the paradigm anyway, producing music on the fringes of fame in the mid-90's. And, it's true, <span style="font-style: italic;">Saturnalia</span> flirts with the churning, grinding sound that made the Afghan Whigs so divine -- but it's certainly not a detriment. (Especially on panty peeler "God's Children," and album closer "Front Street" is ripped right from the old Whigs' epic blues playbook.)<br /><br />And holy buckets, did we mention Mark Lanegan's voice yet? (You remember his voice? Right? Tar-lined gravel pit, 40 feet deep?) Not that Dulli's a slouch in this department -- just a mention of <a href="http://http//therichgirlsareweeping.blogspot.com/2006/06/first-things-first-so-who-can-get-me.html">his impromptu cover of "I'm On Fire" at the aforementioned Twilight Singers show</a> is enough to send us into paroxysms of teenage girl giggles and wise old lady winks.<br /><br />And, of course, it doesn't help our current lovelorn states that <span style="font-style: italic;">Saturnalia</span> is full of real heartbreakers and longing. Pinkie advises not listening to it anywhere in public if Dulli/Lanegan vocals might make you weak in the knees.<br /><br />We missed The Gutter Twins' now kind of mythic Valentine's Day gig at Bowery; you can catch them, though, on tour now through the US and Europe through May 4. They'll be back in NYC on March 19th at Webster Hall.<br /><br />Your special bonus, the video for the Afghan Whigs' "Gentlemen"<br /><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/aUFOl_hmOIY"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/aUFOl_hmOIY" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />And here's a piece of "Front Street" live in London a few days ago.<br /><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XTUbS3eXSHI"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XTUbS3eXSHI" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />As an interlude, I was reminded that once upon a time, we called Devastations something along the lines of Nick Cave with a dash of Afghan Whigs. (No, really. I did.) They also kind of sounded like The National, occasionally. Now they're like. Um. Well, let's just say that on their new one, <span style="font-style: italic;">Yes, U</span>, they've figured out how to sound like ... themselves. I know we recommended this last week, but we must bring it up again, mostly as a segue into the Nick Cave section of this entry.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/Devastations%20--%20Rosa.mp3">Devastations -- Rosa</a><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/Devastations%20--%20Mistakes.mp3">Devastations -- Mistakes</a><br /><br />Yr. next bonus video. Devastations' "Take You Home"<br /><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/b10O1U-1TpI"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/b10O1U-1TpI" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br /><br />Right. So, we kind of have this new unofficial rule about not listening to albums before release dates. You'll notice that Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' latest, <span style="font-style: italic;">Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!</span>, was out Monday in the UK, and won't be out here until April sometime. Really, we love Mute and all, but separate release dates in this day and age seem kind of silly. Therefore, we're discussing this one, as we did with the new Goldfrapp, after the UK release. Because we want to.<br /><br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><s>We must also mention that as much as we lurve Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, we will NOT be going to see them play what is sure to be a truncated, assy set at the loathsome PLUG Awards this Thursday at Terminal 5. Because your favorite Cindy Hotpoint will NOT suffer through Patton Oswalt for anyone, even Nick Cave.</s><s><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></s> And Pinkie just hates "fun." We endured the PLUG nonsense once before to see The National and Celebration; the only thing that saved the experience, besides the great sets from the aforementioned bands, were the motion graphics from Austin's awesome <a href="http://www.superalright.com/">SUPER!ALRIGHT!.</a> Here's hoping that Nick Cave <span style="font-style: italic;">et al</span> play more U.S. dates sometime this year, even if they've stated they <span style="font-style: italic;">won't</span>. We'll keep our fingers crossed. [N.B. and edit by Pinkie - We are complete and total liars. We'll see you there. But I still hate "fun."]<br /></p><br />So, right, the album. Well, ok. How do you follow up <span style="font-style: italic;">Abattoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus</span> AND <span style="font-style: italic;">Grinderman</span>? Well, you make a slightly goofy album that takes a sharp right turn somewhere in the middle and you end up back squarely on the road to that dark warehouse out by the industrial park where you probably shouldn't go, but there's a really great band playing there, or so you hear. Maybe.<br /><br />Which is to say that we just got through listening to <span style="font-style: italic;">Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!</span>, and spent a good portion of it with idiotic grins plastered to our little faces. There's really nothing quite like Nick Cave hollering epic lyrics for 20 minutes straight and then quietly crooning something dirty about 3 songs later. I've seen the phrase "return to form" and "new direction" both bandied about in reference to this album -- that's a little reductive. It's not like we're begging for Nick Cave and band to do something new -- though we certainly didn't turn down Grinderman's ham-fisted come-ons -- but we always love it when he and the boys surprise us. Which is why we're quite pleased to whole-heartedly recommend <span style="font-style: italic;">Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!</span>. Like you expected anything less...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/Nick%20Cave%20and%20the%20Bad%20Seeds%20--%20Jack%20The%20Ripper.mp3">Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds -- Jack the Ripper</a><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/Nick%20Cave%20and%20the%20Bad%20Seeds%20--%20%28I%27ll%20Love%20You%29%20Till%20The%20End%20Of%20The%20World.mp3">Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds -- (I'll Love You) Till the End of the World</a><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/Nick%20Cave%20and%20the%20Bad%20Seeds%20--%20Breathless.mp3">Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds -- Breathless</a><br /><br />Bonus vid, natch. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds -- "Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!"<br /><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7kV5XkBQsKU"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7kV5XkBQsKU" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />ps -- here's our setlist from Saturday -- in case you were wondering. Thanks to Neon Lights for having us, the staff at Galapagos for being really awesome and sweet and <a href="http://myspace.com/crystalstilts">Crystal Stilts</a> for being totally amazing and hype-worthy.<br /><br />Wolfgang Press -- Shut That Door // Grinderman -- No Pussy Blues // Human Sexual Response -- What Does Sex Mean To Me? // James White & the Blacks -- Contort Yrself<br /><br />X-Ray Spex -- Art-i-ficial // Japan -- Adolescent Sex // Suzi Quatro -- Rock Hard // Sparks -- Angst in Yr Pants // Human League -- Being Boiled // <a href="http://myspace.com/thismicrowaveworld">This Microwave World</a> -- Fun Fun Fun // Throbbing Gristle -- Hot on the Heels of Love // Felix da Housecat -- Silver Screen Shower Scene // <a href="http://myspace.com/marsheaux">Marsheaux</a> -- Popcorn // Book of Love -- Lullabye // Brian Eno -- Everything Merges With the Night.<br /><br />Short and sweet, but it was a cold night and there was a bangin' party in the little room that looked like gobs of fun...cindy hotpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204988435368048036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19224737.post-57567584669408058282008-02-27T23:11:00.009-05:002008-02-28T11:18:26.595-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/34/73067550_08e5e6d363_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/34/73067550_08e5e6d363_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">[photo by--you guessed it--<a href="http://www.kathrynyu.com/">Kathryn Yu</a>]</span><br /><br />We've just returned form the Brooklyn Based Cocktail Club event, thoroughly perplexed by the existence of <a href="http://www.serato.com/">Serato</a>, and how many superfluous buttons it adds to an otherwise pretty simple Rane mixer. Not that we don't admire the required skillset, since it's a lot like working with records, and we have to admit that the the idea of having a virtually unlimited library of tracks is intriguing, however, the reality of mixing mp3s feels vaguely counterintuitive. When exiting the DJ booth, the 10pm DJ asked incredulously, "is that a record box?" He had only a backpack, while we had two full crates, handbags, and foofy coats. I bet he didn't need car service to get to and fro.<br /><br />So yeah, here's the tracklisting:<br /><br />Die Comedian Harmonists -- Der Onkel Bumba aus Kalumba // Björk Guðmundsdóttir & Tríó Guðmundar Ingólfssonar -- Bella símamær // Manhattan Transfer -- Chanson d'Amour // Bryan Ferry -- You Do Something to Me // Bryan Ferry -- Just One of Those Things // [technical difficulties after which CDs were completely abandoned] // Roxy Music -- Mother of Pearl // David Bowie -- Changes // Lou Reed -- Satellite of Love // John Cale -- Barracuda // Brian Eno -- Backwater // Human Sexual Response -- Guardian Angel // Sparks -- Eaten by the Monster of Love // Spoon -- Sister Jack // Stone Roses -- She Bangs the Drums // Matthew Sweet -- Girlfriend // Lush -- I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend // Unrest -- Cath Carroll // Tsunami -- In a Name // Belle & Sebastian -- You're Just a Baby // Future Bible Heroes -- Love is Blue // The Smiths -- The Boy With a Thorn in His Side // David Bowie -- Sound & Vision // Pretenders -- Talk of the Town // Martha & the Muffins -- Women Around the World at Work // Echo & the Bunnymen -- Crystal Days // Captain & Tennille -- Love Will Keep Us Together // Pizzicato Five -- Sweet Soul Revue // ABC -- When Smokey Sings // Wilson Pickett -- Everybody Needs Somebody to Love // Gladys Knight & the Pips -- Who Is She (And What Is She to You) // The Exciters -- He's Got the Power // Supremes -- Back in My Arms Again // Spoon -- Small Stakes // Johnathan Richman -- Rockin' Shopping Center // The Judy's -- Perfect Crime // Patsy Cline -- Tra Le La Le La Triangle // Loretta Lynn -- Day Dreams About Night Things // Burt Bacharach -- Mexican Divorce // Tammy Wynette - Don't Come Home a Drinkin' (With Lovin' on Your Mind) // Bette Midler -- Friends<br /><br />Tomorrow night (2/28) is the second installment of <a href="http://myspace.com/corduroynyc">Corduroy</a> at Cake Shop, hosted by our friends Jennifer (the longtime hostess of <a href="http://www.koop.org/?page=schedule&section=earcandy">Ear Candy</a> on Austin's KOOP radio, now residing in Brooklyn) and Andi (<a href="http://www.lostdetective.com/">My Favorite</a>). As usual, they'll bring you indie, new wave, post punk, C-86, 60s girls groups, ye ye...wait...this sounds like us! They're twee as fuck, and we wuv them. Also, <a href="http://myspace.com/sparrowhouse">Sparrow House</a>, the solo side project of our friend Jared van Fleet of <a href="http://www.voxtrot.net/">Voxtrot</a>, will be performing at 11:30 sharp. Cover is $3 and we hear tale of drink specials.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/My%20Favorite%20--%20Burning%20Hearts.mp3">My Favorite -- Burning Hearts</a><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/My%20Favorite%20--%20Working%20Class%20Jacket.mp3">My Favorite -- Working Class Jacket</a><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/Sparrow%20House%20--%20When%20I%20Am%20Gone.mp3">Sparrow House -- When I Am Gone</a><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/Voxtrot%20--%20Firecracker.mp3">Voxtrot -- Firecracker</a><br /><br />Oh yeah...and <a href="http://www.weareescort.com/">Escort</a> are at Southpaw on Friday, but this girl is too damned tired for disco after two school nights out in a row. Cindy has informed me that this is a sad state of affairs.<br /><br />And now, a note from Cindy: Today I was reading the latest issue of <span style="font-style: italic;">Forbes</span>, which I get at the office, and the companion issue of <span style="font-style: italic;">Forbes Life</span>, their new upscale lifestyle publication had an airy, positive review of the new <a href="http://www.vampireweekend.com/">Vampire Weekend</a> record. There was also an article about collecting pricey watches, one of which was like, $460,000. I mean, doesn't that tell you everything you need to know (or maybe don't want to know) about Vampire Weekend? I thought so. That really expensive watch was kind of beautiful, though.Pinkie von Bloomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03011525146055854709noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19224737.post-30590495411125906632008-02-26T23:57:00.005-05:002008-12-11T07:35:29.728-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.matadorrecords.com/matablog/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/mw-54.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.matadorrecords.com/matablog/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/mw-54.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>What makes us happier than anything, anything in the world, nearly? Word of the new Shearwater record <span style="font-style: italic;">Rook</span>, due out June 3. I know, it's a long wait, but never too soon to start the buzz, right? <a href="http://www.matadorrecords.com/matablog/?p=1275">Matador dropped the first sample mp3, "Rooks" today over on the Matablog, along with the gorgeous cover art.</a> Fancy dancer Gerard Cosloy was right on when he mentioned the word "epic" -- if this doesn't give you chills and make your toes tingle, I worry about your general health. (<a href="http://shearwatermusic.com/rooks_recording_slideshow">Check out this lovely in-the-studio slideshow for photographic hints of what's to come.</a>)<br /><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.matadorrecords.com/mpeg/shearwater/shearwater_rooks.mp3">Shearwater -- Rooks</a><br /><br />***<br /><br />I rang up the nice folks at Blog Fresh Radio recently to gush at them about the new Mountain Goats record -- <a href="http://greenpeaness.org/">James</a> and <a href="http://yermamontoast.blogspot.com/">James</a> also put in their two cents in this episode, which means that you should probably <a href="http://blogfreshradio.com/show/20080225/">go listen to the whole thing</a> for some pure, undiluted enthusiasm that may or may not suffocate you with its smothering earnestness.<br /><br />***<br /><br />We admit, we haven't done the best job in the past few months of keeping up with what all the cute kids are dancing to these days, but something tells me that they should be shakin' their tailfeathers to the party-psychedelia of <a href="http://www.iamsoundrecords.com/artist/sunnydaysetsfire">Sunny Day Sets Fire</a>. Friend of TRGAW, the rapidly ascending, Sparks lovin' <a href="http://luxxury.wordpress.com/">Baron Von Luxxury</a>, has remixed "Brainless," which appears on the band's new <span style="font-style: italic;">Stranger Remix EP</span>, currently available for the buying from the <a href="http://www.iamsoundrecords.com/release/342">I Am Sound label shop</a> and other fine retail outlets. CSS, Mad Decent, and XXXChange from Spank Rock also contribute fab remixes. (Oh, and it should also be mentioned that unremixed, the band sounds like, well ... ELO. Which is always a good thing.)<br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/Sunny%20Day%20Sets%20Fire%20--%20Stranger.mp3"><br />Sunny Day Sets Fire -- Stranger</a><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/Sunny%20Day%20Sets%20Fire%20--%20Brainless%20%28BVL%20Remix%29.mp3"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sunny Day Sets Fire -- Brainless (Baron Von Luxxury Remix)</span></a><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/Sunny%20Day%20Sets%20Fire%20--%20Wilderness%20%28CSS%20Remix%29.mp3"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sunny Day Sets Fire -- Wilderness (CSS Remix)</span></a><br /><br />***<br /><br />Also, if you're in Austin -- go see <a href="http://www.manejabeto.com/">Maneja Beto</a> tonight (2/27) at Mohawk. We miss them so -- their perfect-pitch <span style="font-style: italic;">rock en Español</span> is the kind of thing your correspondents get homesick for every now and then. And they do a hell of a cover of "Love Will Tear Us Apart" that has the power to make you realize just why the Mexicans love Morrissey. (There's an internal logic to that statement that makes sense, if you squint hard enough. Manchester.)<br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/Maneja%20Beto%20--%20Y%20El%20Vinuete%20y%20Aleyda.mp3"> </a><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/Maneja%20Beto%20--%20Y%20El%20Vinuete%20y%20Aleyda.mp3"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Maneja Beto -- Y El Vinuete y Aleyda</span></a><br /><br />And, if you're an exiled Austinite in New York, and our gig at Galapagos isn't your cup of tea -- but dance parties with <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thedjmel">DJ Mel</a> are -- go check out his guest stint at The Rub @ Southpaw Saturday (3/1) for what's sure to be an unparalleled (dirty), choice mix of old skool hip-hop.<br /><br />***<br /><br />In summation, we'd also like to remind you to join us at Huckleberry Bar tonight (2/27) for fancy rum cocktails and a trip through our collective record boxes, and on Saturday (3/1) at Galapagos for the first <a href="http://www.myspace.com/neonlightsnyc">Neon Lights</a> extravaganza of 2008 with Eamon Hamilton, Titus Andronicus and Crystal Stilts. We hope to see you at one, or both. I've varnished my nails and dyed my hair especially, you know. And Pinkie's gonna look real purty too.<br /><br />***<br /><br />Would you like to hear some <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Black">Big Black</a>? 'Cause we love Steve Albini enough to make a LOLbini. Sad -- but true!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/Big%20Black%20--%20The%20Model.mp3">Big Black -- The Model</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGXZyGBfaKXLpXebrcGc5ogcc422b8NYqzfwMdiBFIg0lFOJtqZEow2BHXugF6QbdyGsJ02z5JTunV8PsKAsoRjFKd2_e901_r03apOzqIgxuZocaFR5-COVGmF-GoJAcM-w/s1600-h/LOLBINI.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGXZyGBfaKXLpXebrcGc5ogcc422b8NYqzfwMdiBFIg0lFOJtqZEow2BHXugF6QbdyGsJ02z5JTunV8PsKAsoRjFKd2_e901_r03apOzqIgxuZocaFR5-COVGmF-GoJAcM-w/s320/LOLBINI.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171537065804162946" border="0" /></a>cindy hotpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204988435368048036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19224737.post-10854151933216341772008-02-25T02:37:00.003-05:002008-02-25T11:20:42.244-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://content.foxsearchlight.com/files/uploaded/gallery13.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://content.foxsearchlight.com/files/uploaded/gallery13.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">(These people just won an Oscar (tm), yo!)</span><br /><a href="http://http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonny_Greenwood"><br />Jonny Greenwood </a>wuz robbed! Okay, okay -- I know why Mr. Greenwood's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krzysztof_Penderecki">Penderecki</a>-inspired score for <span style="font-style: italic;">There Will Be Blood</span> <a href="http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2008/02/johnny-greenwoo.html">was disqualified from consideration for an Academy Award</a>, but still. On the other hand, we're totally chuffed that Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová won the award for Best Original Song for "Falling Slowly" from the precious shot-on-a-shoestring recording diary picture <a href="http://www.foxsearchlight.com/once/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Once</span></a>. And yeah, I probably didn't win my office Oscar pool (it would be a problem when you accidentally leave the best editing and cinematography choices BLANK -- if you know me, you know how ridic I felt when I realized this ...), but I totally picked them to win over the any of the dreck from <span style="font-style: italic;">Enchanted</span>, so there's that at least! That being said, if I actually did win the pool, I'm totally running right out to buy a copy of <span style="font-style: italic;">Once</span> on DVD -- which, if you haven't seen it, you really should. And if you aren't familiar with the music of Hansard's band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/theframesofficial">The Frames</a>, it would behoove you to that check it out as well. And clearly this probably means that Hansard and Irglová's touring act, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/theswellseason">The Swell Season</a>, hit the road again soon.<br /><br />It was kind of the weirdest, most "indie" Oscars ever, what with Tilda Swinton's win (woo!) and the Coen brothers cleaning up and Diablo Cody (née Brooke Busey-Hunt, which is a name with infinitely more caché) not wearing hosiery in front of millions of people. (Girl, what <span style="font-style: italic;">were</span> you wearing? I mean, we all know that you can't get like, every dress at Target -- as apparently you, me and Pinkie do -- but srsly, <a href="http://www.target.com/b/ref=sc_pgc_r_4_0_3666961_2/601-2389782-3957727?ie=UTF8&node=16434581">maybe you should have called up Isaac.</a>)<br /><br />Anyway -- where was I? Oh yes, we also really must give a shout-out to <a href="http://www.cotillard.net/">Marion Cotillard</a>, as well. We were thrilled by her performance in <span style="font-style: italic;">La Vie en Rose</span>, being that we're giant Edith Piaf fans from way back (and Pinkie's well-known for her love of Marlene Dietrich, too, since we're on the subject -- I'm less enthusiastic, however). In order to really understand just how freakin' <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btiriZMOOMQ">awesome Cotillard's performance was</a>, exactly, we present these two amazing YouTube finds -- vintage Piaf performances from 1954 and 1963, respectively.<br /><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/t8TOKreryzk&rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/t8TOKreryzk&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rbsl5_203Ms&rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rbsl5_203Ms&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/Edith%20Piaf%20--%20Non%20je%20ne%20regrette%20rien.mp3"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Edith Piaf -- Non je ne regrette rien</span></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/Jil%20Aigrot%20-%20Les%20momes%20de%20la%20cloche.mp3"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jil Aigrot - Les mômes de la cloche</span></a> (Aigrot provided the voice of the young Piaf in <span style="font-style: italic;">La Vie en Rose</span> -- <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxE21wcjtXg">she's a chanteuse who's just released an album of Piaf tracks herself</a>.)<br /><br /><br />And, in closing, it's worth remembering that exactly 10 years ago, Elliott Smith didn't win an Oscar.<br /><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/W6PscwnoWiw&rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/W6PscwnoWiw&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Relatedly, for a bit of historical perspective, check out <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1036020">Mr. Smith's interview with NPR's Linda Wertheimer about providing the soundtrack to <span style="font-style: italic;">Good Will Hunting</span></a>.<br /><br /><br />***<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2197/2287220295_d3999b7b72_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2197/2287220295_d3999b7b72_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.kathrynyu.com/"><span style="font-size:78%;">(photo courtesy of the ever-awesome Kathryn Yu)</span></a><br /><br />What can we say about seeing The National at the BAM on Saturday, on the second night night of their sold-out two night stand at the Howard Gilman Opera House as part of the Brooklyn Next Festival?<br /><br />Perhaps it's best to start by telling you about the very first time we saw them during Rocktober 2005, at The Parish in Austin (with Clap Yr Hands Say Yeah) when we were both running from the fallout of failed long-term relationships. The crowd thinned to about 50 hushed and reverent people after CYHSY!'s crummy and dull set -- and as tears poured down our cheeks, the clinking of the bartenders unloading the Hobart couldn't even distract us from the brilliant and dazzling display of pure naked male pain that The National so readily trafficked in those days. Or perhaps I could tell you (again?), about when we saw them at Haley's in Denton a few weeks after that, opening for John Vanderslice -- and we brought cookies and we were all so extremely drunk and Pinkie sat on a speaker at the front of the stage through the whole set and at some point and we went a little crazy during the R. Kelly dance party (a J.V. specialty), Matt gave me a cut-out of Bono's nose from the cover of Rolling Stone (it's still stuck to the bulletin board over my desk...).<br /><br />In short: our previous history with The National involved a lot of repressed emotions and brown liquor and beer -- so, when we saw them at Bowery last May, after the release of the still kind of sub-par <span style="font-style: italic;">Boxer</span>, it was just strange. They weren't quite polished rockstars yet, but you could see it happening. And we had 18 months of grown-up perspective -- and weren't drunk.<br /><br />And after a summer and fall of hard touring just about every corner of the world, The National returned to Brooklyn, "indie rock superstars" (as the emcee before Saturday's show so astutely noted) triumphant. And while the new songs still seem to fall flat live, The band made up for it by bringing ripping versions of old favorites "Wasp Nest," "City Middle," "Mr. November" and "Daughters of the Soho Riots," a giant disco ball during "Fake Empire," and a final encore of heart-ripper "About Today" that left us weeping at the sheer wonderfulness of the whole experience. And, in the end, I'm not sure that I ever really need to see them play live again. I'd rather remember, I think, that amazing nights at The Parish and Hailey's -- and leaving the BAM into the snow-encrusted, cold Brooklyn night moved by the final song than struggling to find the magic again. That being said, a new song was sneakily tacked on to the playlist -- and it was incredible -- so maybe that resolution isn't as permanent as I'd like to think.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/The%20National%20--%20About%20Today.mp3"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The National -- About Today</span></a><br /><br />BONUS: The National's Beggars Banquet labelmates, Berlin-based Aussie handsome fellows, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/devastations">Devastations</a> have a great new album out called <span style="font-style: italic;">Yes, U</span>. Here's a track from <span style="font-style: italic;">Coal</span>, their previous effort, that's kind of the, well, antipodal version of "About Today" -- it's the same song, practically -- only upside-down.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/Devastations%20--%20I%20Dont%20Want%20To%20Lose%20You%20Tonight.mp3"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Devastations -- I Don't Want To Lose You Tonight</span></a><br /><br />Oh, and before I forget -- we were utterly charmed, as usual, by the opening set from My Brightest Diamond (the lovely and talented <a href="http://www.sharaworden.com/">Shara Worden</a> & her folklorico-gone-wrong gown). She played a favorite of ours that she's never recorded, the Kurt Weill number "Youkali." We hope she'll put it on an upcoming record. For now, we have to make do with Teresa Stratas' version on her album <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teresa_Stratas">The Unknown Kurt Weill</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/Teresa%20Stratus%20--%20Youkali.mp3"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Teresa Stratas -- Youkali</span></a><br /><br /><br />***<br /><br />And, you know, speaking of Australians and Kurt Weill, we just have to share this video from 1995 Canadian TV production <span style="font-style: italic;">September Songs</span> of Nick Cave doing "Mack the Knife." Brilliant.<br /><br /><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-3_2zbZwDlM&rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-3_2zbZwDlM&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />***<br /><br />And, in a feat of bringing everything full circle, here's Jonny Greenwood channeling Robert Fripp on Brian Eno's "Baby's On Fire" from the <span style="font-style: italic;">Velvet Goldmine</span> soundtrack. He's part of the Venus in Furs, featuring other members of Radiohead, Suede, and Roxy Music.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/Venus%20in%20Furs%20--%20Babys%20On%20Fire.mp3"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Venus In Furs -- Baby's On Fire</span></a><br /><br />***<br /><br />Oh, btw, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/womannyc">WOMAN</a> are rapidly becoming that band we keep missing (much like M83 and Electrelane). Next time, guys!cindy hotpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204988435368048036noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19224737.post-22337122714685073962008-02-22T01:29:00.004-05:002008-02-22T02:14:39.031-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/32/41912430_c2cef5a2fa_b.jpg"><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class="on down" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);"></span></span><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/32/41912430_c2cef5a2fa_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.kathrynyu.com/"><span style="font-size:78%;">(photo credit: kathryn yu)</span></a><br /><br />Hello everyone. It's Friday again, which means that (much like Loverboy) we've been working for the weekend. On the calendar for this particular fin-de-semaine is <a href="http://www.ahttp//www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifmericanmary.com">The National</a> and <a href="http://www.myspace.com/mybrightestdiamond">My Brightest Diamond</a> at the <a href="http://www.bam.org/">BAM</a> on Saturday, followed by <a href="http://myspace.com/womannyc">WOMAN</a> and <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thebigdisappointments">The Big Disappointments</a> at the eternally nasty Lit Lounge. It's going to be a busy night. Somewhere, beauty sleep is going to have to fit in the picture as well, because we're fine ladies.<br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/My%20Brightest%20Diamond%20--%20Piaf.mp3"><br />My Brightest Diamond -- Je n'en connais pas la fin / L'hymne l'amour</a><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/The%20National%20--%20Murder%20Me%20Rachael%20%28Live%29.mp3">The National -- Murder Me Rachael (Live)</a><br /><br />On the slate for next week, however, we have not one, but two DJ engagements. First, on Wednesday, February 27, we'll be at the decks for the inaugural <a href="http://brooklynbased.net/everything/cocktail-club/">Brooklyn Based Cocktail Club</a> happy hour at <a href="http://www.huckleberrybar.com/">Huckleberry Bar</a> in Williamsburg:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/brooklynbased.jpg"><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class="on down" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);"></span></span><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/brooklynbased.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />And then...on Saturday, March 1, we'll be at <a href="http://www.galapagosartspace.com/">Galapagos Art Space</a> for <a href="http://www.myspace.com/neonlightsnyc">Neon Lights</a>' first party of the year with <a href="http://brakesbrakesbrakes.com/">Eamon Hamilton</a> (Brakes/ex-British Sea Power), <a href="http://myspace.com/titusandronicus">Titus Andronicus</a>, and <a href="http://myspace.com/crystalstilts">Crystal Stilts</a>:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/neonlights3webready.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/neonlights3webready.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Though we have been remiss in recent dedications, we simply must send a shoutout to the young man at Jay Street tunelessly mumbling Rihanna's "Please Don't Stop the Music" on Tuesday evening. Here's the original "mama-se mama-sa ma-ma-ko-sa." Contrary to popular belief, Michael Jackson isn't particularly innovative and settled out of court with Manu Dibango after the release of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'."<br /><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/Manu Dibango -- Soul Makossa.mp3">Manu Dibango - Soul Makossa</a>Pinkie von Bloomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03011525146055854709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19224737.post-82905494857027571842008-02-18T01:29:00.009-05:002008-12-11T07:35:29.892-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheoJzv_N-DgbkAfRSWPHs88QHWbXmGeD1yx7VKrwhTHeZTLeqpi6h7RhvcIywF2LOnTM8fNTIoPpcIqqlq2KgT1b_tILvXWjs3PBg1Jq8oKnqWfP_WqARyqwEehP6lY0MMzPxY/s1600-h/boys.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheoJzv_N-DgbkAfRSWPHs88QHWbXmGeD1yx7VKrwhTHeZTLeqpi6h7RhvcIywF2LOnTM8fNTIoPpcIqqlq2KgT1b_tILvXWjs3PBg1Jq8oKnqWfP_WqARyqwEehP6lY0MMzPxY/s400/boys.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168203698181163954" border="0" /></a><br />Happy President's day, y'all!<br /><br />Okay, so we have this Audacity thing, and thus the power to create the unholy multi-track compilation thingies like the ones we subjected you to for everyone's least favorite cash-generating guilt fest. Now that there's a real holiday resulting in a day off for certain varieties of wage earners, we're bringing you another mix. This particular one was made sometime in 2002 on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MiniDisc">MiniDisc</a> for a roadtrip from Austin to Dallas. Though the trip was aborted and the disc later transferred to CD, this collection of songs lived on in infamy in my car, because there was always a slim chance of an emergency in which <a href="http://www.euro-flash.net/italo.php">italo disco</a> might be required. Somehow during the move to NYC, the CD was tucked into a homemade sleeve for a His Name is Alive rarities compilation that Andrea from <a href="http://warpedrealitymagazine.com/">Warped Reality</a> made for me...also back in 2002/3. I found it last week. Clearly, one should keep her flamingly gay dance mixes filed next to <span style="font-style: italic;">Livonia</span>.<br /><br />Cindy can talk about EuroVision all she wants, but italo is where it's at. And truthfully, I didn't put <span style="font-style: italic;">enough</span> italo on this mix, but my friend Mercedes Benzedrina was going to Dallas with me, and I knew he'd hit me between reminiscences about dancing in a cage for money at 7th and Red River when it was still the center of the universe, when there was a bartender at the Crossing (now Spiro's) who answered to "Granny." At the time in history at which these events occurred, Kylie Minogue was still doing <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EevbQoXzGgA">the locomotion</a>, and walking shorts and blazers were acceptable attire for club-going gentlemen. Thankfully, I was too young to witness this carnage in person, though I do know the words to all of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stock_Aitken_Waterman">Stock, Aitken & Waterman</a>'s hits. Follow links <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgiwEUbE0iQ">A</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfD29p3zkRg">B</a>, and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCEUICjv2XA">C</a> for some of the worst of italo...or some of the best, depending on your point of view. And follow this link to the...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/trgaw%20disco%20mix.mp3">TRGAW Disco Mix</a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">We didn't listen to this after converting to mp3, so if there are any glitches let us know. </span><br /><br />Silver Pozzoli - Around My Dream<br /><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XEsvLDsNPgA&rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XEsvLDsNPgA&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />This post is respectfully dedicated to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Tyler">John Tyler</a> (not to be confused with <a href="http://www.trusttheprocess.com/">John Taylor</a>, though he <span style="font-style: italic;">does</span> appear below and on this mix). In consulting Wikipedia's list of presidents, Tyler was the only one we'd never heard of...and he was responsible for the annexation of Texas. Duh!<br /><br />Duran Duran - New Moon on Monday (not really italo, but it's my favorite)<br /><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bjAnMuAkCd4&rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bjAnMuAkCd4&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Oh hell, I hate YouTube...<br /><br />Japan - Gentlemen Take Polaroids...live (because it's never to late at night to look at Dave Sylvian)<br /><br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lKojaaH3r8E&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lKojaaH3r8E&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>Pinkie von Bloomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03011525146055854709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19224737.post-48785758678158083872008-02-15T02:05:00.007-05:002008-12-11T07:35:30.155-05:00<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9cDpRwUeySyTIZG2SxM6ZtNEA-n38c3trEFRPT6SWCRWKxR56vjGSS6a0Oz9FIdKJn6Un5UvZl6XUJNhCC8SSOsrEmtOtNr_qPeinjN79Jnp1NhGeWZpARiwgO0_BBJK0dg/s1600-h/oops.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9cDpRwUeySyTIZG2SxM6ZtNEA-n38c3trEFRPT6SWCRWKxR56vjGSS6a0Oz9FIdKJn6Un5UvZl6XUJNhCC8SSOsrEmtOtNr_qPeinjN79Jnp1NhGeWZpARiwgO0_BBJK0dg/s400/oops.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167099840601384818" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">(click for larger format!)</span><br /></div><br />So, did you survive your Valentine's Day? Here's my mix for you! It's a little less cohesive than Pinkie's, and a little less sentimental, but sappy all the same. That's me to the core, I guess. Weird and sappy.<br /><br />I promise, I didn't make this with any gentleman in mind, really -- save perhaps, the one who thinks this is the best mix ever. In that case, that young man should email me posthaste for a torrid correspondence. It will be awesome.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/cindy%20side%20one.mp3">Side One</a><br /><a href="http://www.slyblue.com/trgaw/cindy%20side%20two.mp3">Side Two</a><br /><br />xoxo<br />Cindy<br /><br />On the calendar this weekend is <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thevanityset">The Vanity Set</a>'s cabaret-freak-folk-goth-happening at Southpaw Saturday (2/16) -- it's their first show in three years; alas, to do that we'll probably have to miss <a href="http://www.myspace.com/whiterabbits">White Rabbits</a> and <a href="http://www.myspace.com/effibriest">Effi Briest</a> at the BAM (for free!!, 8pm) and <a href="http://www.myspace.com/blacklistmusic">Blacklist</a> at THE X RATED PANTY PARTY (ew! you guys!) at Don Hill's. If you go, make sure to get a picture of Minor with someone's frilly drawers on his head. Srsly. <span style="font-style: italic;">Do it.</span>cindy hotpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16204988435368048036noreply@blogger.com0