So we didn't get down to J&R Computer/Music World on Park Row (place of all things wonderful that plug into an outlet, where I bought my computer and my window unit...) this afternoon to have our Dylanesque CDs (yeah, yeah, we know the cover's super ugly) signed by Bryan Ferry himself. Instead, I had to interview potential assistants -- one of whom came in dressed in all in black with pinstripes and a vest (yes, in this heat!); if only his samples had been as impressive as his attire. Anyway, I totally wanted a fangirl picture with Mr. Ferry (probably the only one I'd ever stand for!), but I would have been too hot and sweaty -- the weather has finally turned muggy -- and I would have wanted to look more, well, pulled together, so maybe the fact that we missed the big event was for the best.

Still, we caught him, accidentally, really, on Letterman last night, doing his cover of Dylan's "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" -- all uh, Roxy-fied. Check the castanets and the harmonica!



**

Dang it! When we heard E. Elias Merhige (Shadow of the Vampire, a few Marilyn Manson videos) was directing the video for Interpol's first single, "The Heinrich Maneuver" we thought, "Woo! Paul Banks dressed as Nosferatu? Carlos D. in a cassock for the first time this century?" Instead, this right here is some fucked up, bitter shit. Well, come on, now -- were you expecting something soft and foofy?



(in the event this is taken down from YouTube, the 'official' premiere is on the MTV site)

**

Call and response: Fluxblog 6/22/07

We were kind of busy doing other stuff on Friday and didn't get to our usual trawl of daily reads, which means we totally missed the kerfuffle over The National (via Pageblank) and the posting of former Sugababe Siobhan Donaghy's "Ghosts."

The Amazon.co.uk reviews of her album of the same name are a near-riot of people up in arms over the fact that she's "ripping off" an array of sources from Kate Bush to the Cocteau Twins to Tori Amos. Upon further listening, we agreed, to a point. Ms. Donaghy's definitely influenced by Liz Fraser's vocal stylings -- but not from her time with the Cocteau Twins that spanned a good part of the 80's into the early 90's; instead, she's clearly more influenced by Fraser's mid-90's guest turns with Future Sound of London and Massive Attack. Indeed, one song in particular on Ghosts, "Halcyon Days" samples Massive Attack's "Teardrop," better known in this day and age as the theme to "House, MD."

Cocteau Twins -- Carolyn's Fingers
from Blue Bell Knoll

Kate Bush -- Heads We're Dancing
from The Sensual World

The Future Sound of London (feat. Elizabeth Fraser) -- Lifeforms
from Lifeforms

Massive Attack (feat. Elizabeth Fraser) -- Teardrop
from Mezzanine

Tori Amos -- Caught A Lite Sneeze
from Boys for Pele

**

Did we mention it's hot here? Well, the Bermuda High finally broke and it's raining now, but ... we were inspired to make one concession to all this "Summmer of Love" 40th anniversary hoo-ha with the following video:



Big Brother & the Holding Company -- Summertime.

I'm not really sure how I ended up not posting yesterday -- so sorry dear readers. I imagine it had something to do with laundry and appointments. Sometimes I find myself wondering, as I sit in the Rich Girls HQ garret (aka the dining room on the 4th floor where it's easier to leech the neighbors' wifi), how I'm ever going to manage my new job, my other responsibilities, and this blog in a few weeks. I don't mean to be a gloomcookie, far from it -- it's just taxing my brain a bit. Part of the problem is, of course, that my old routine in Austin worked well, and I still haven't settled into a new routine here yet, mostly because my days are so unpredictable. But anyway, enough of this -- you probably want to read about something interesting...

For instance, last night after dinner I was flipping between The Tube, MTV Hits, VH1 Soul, BET Jams, and MTVTres (as Comcast has grouped them conveniently together on the cable lineup) subjecting Pinkie to what I like to call "research" -- watching about a billion videos to see what the kids are listening to -- or more appropriately, what the channel's programmers want the kids to listen to. This has long been a favorite pastime, ever since those hours I spent in the 90's after school or during the summer, flipping between VH1 and MTV. As ever, I saw some amazing things ("Sister Twisted," from one of our favorite Mexican alternative acts, Kinky) and some paralyzingly bad things (Frankie J's saccharine cover of Extreme's "More Than Words" -- which we wish we could forget). This exercise led to the following:

1) Me babbling about how I can only deal with gloth/glammo if I think of it as the hair metal of the aughts. I suppos I'll have to explain this in more detail sometime -- but in the meantime, here's the abbreviated version: 30 Seconds to Mars = Warrant. Or something like that.

2) Five minutes of squealing over Morrissey and his divalicious ways. (Related: OMG, if he's picked as the UK entry for Eurovision 2007, well -- THAT WOULD BE FREAKIN' AWESOME. I mean, this makes sense to other people, doesn't it?) (Bonus-y bit: The Smiths doing "How Soon Is Now" on Top of the Pops in '85.)

3) Officially deciding that ...Trail of Dead are the closest thing to a Latin American (specifically Mexican) alternative crossover band that we're ever likely to see here in the US. Which, you know, is amusing as no one in the band is actually Mexican or anything (though they have a lot of hispanic fans...). Interestingly enough, their latest video -- for "Naked Sun" -- seems to back up my bizzaro theory. No, really! At any rate, if we had our way, Venezuelan popsters Los Amigos Invisibiles would be HUGE here. For reals.

(In other news, apparently it finally snowed this morning!)


Moving along, here's what in HIGH DEMAND today.

Amy Winehouse -- To Know Him Is To Love Him (Napsterlive Session). I already adored Amy Winehouse -- but the fact that she covered one of my favorite songs of all time so gorgeously just upgraded my adoration to something approximating obsessiveness. But not in a scary way. Yesterday I was in Williamsburg meeting someone for coffee. I was a little early, and the (cute hipster boy) baristas were listening to Cat Power's You Are Free (which is, by all rights, is a fantastic record), and were waxing philosophical about how wonderful The Greatest was (which any blogger worth their salt will tell you might have been one of the most overrated records of 2006). Anyway, for some reason, I really wanted to tell the dudes to listen to Amy Winehouse instead. (MySpace)

Cocteau Twins -- Sugar Hiccup (Kid Jensen Session, 10/10/83). There's always room in my day for some Cocteau Twins. Always. Especially old, live radio tracks. (site)


Tracey Thorn -- It's All True (Escort Extended Remix). How convenient -- one of our new faves remixes an old fave. We couldn't approve more, really. This version is definitely less freestyle-y and more jazzed-up disco-y. Delish. (MySpace) (remixers)

Harlem Shakes -- Red Right Hands. You know, I wanted to go see these guys play their "secret gig" tonight after the Cold War Kids at Piano's, but I'm meeting up with a friend. Maybe I'll try and sneak over there after! I swear, these early shows really are something to get used to. I'm still not quite sure I'm 100% sold on what this band is up to, what with their bizzaro post-garage/post-ultra nouvelle vague (well? what would you call it?) sound, but they certainly have a lot of potential. New EP Burning Birthdays is due out Feb. 2. (MySpace)

Jarvis Cocker -- The Mouse, The Bird, and The Sausage. Jarv has another story for you -- the gory, un-saccharine Brothers Grimm kind. (MySpace)