Oh shut up and drive already... So, it's been a while since we sat around the Castle and watched music videos; we've been busy at work and not in the mood to go to shows, so that's what we did this evening, after stopping at the grocery store after work and ooohing and ahhhing over my new box of records shipped direct from End of An Ear in Austin.



When Rihanna's "Shut Up and Drive" came on, Pinkie unceremoniously sneered, "This is a Republica song. A Republica song I don't even like." She paused. "Wait. That implies there's a Republica song I do like -- which, is not in fact true. I was listening to real dance music. Republica is the crystallization of all bad dance music."



Which naturally, prompted me to jump up and bounce around like Republica's hyperactive frontwoman Saffron, screeching "I'm back and ready to goooooooooho! From the rooftops, shout it out, shout it out!" (As previously discussed, dear readers, you know that I know at least the chorus to every terrible pop song ever written.)

Pinkie just looked pained.

"And, well, apparently Melody Maker coined the terrible horrible loathsome term "elecronica" to describe their music." I pointed out, after settling back on the sofa, post-dance break. "Thanks, Wikipedia."

"What about the New Electronica label?" she asked, incredulous.

"Oh, you would bring that up! I have no idea...!"

After some frustrated Googling, I discovered that the first New Electronica release came out in 1993; a full year before that alleged Melody Maker piece. Experimental music wins! Again. Yes, kids -- occasionally, the Wikipedia is totally wrong... Perhaps, more accurately, it was when the term was pulled up into the mainstream, which seems more likely.

[aside: david toop + robert christgau = awesome. we luv ocean of sound.]

But, anyway, back to Rihanna: there's echoes of the good in "Shut Up and Drive" too -- we're pretty sure there's more than a hint of Prince's "Little Red Corvette." You know. Because um, these are not songs about cars. Duh.



Just for kicks and giggles, I thought about posting Njoi's RAVE ANTHEM (tm) uh, "Anthem," featuring vocals from the lovely Saffron, but I realized that we really don't need to relive the Manchester warehouse scene ca. 1991. Or the 2006 remixes either. Srsly. You're welcome.

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A few other items:

The always awesome Bellmer Dolls are opening for Grinderman in San Francisco (they're thankfully playing a few dates sans The White Stripes, but sadly, not here); that show's sold out, but Our Darling Dolls are playing Saturday night, too, at the ethereally lovely Rykarda Parasol's The Hive Art Space. If you go, do please tell them the Rich Girls sent you.

The Bellmer Dolls -- Push! Push!

Upcoming NYC shows of note: ...Trail of Dead & the amazing Shock Cinema @ Luna Lounge, August 2; The Holy Kiss @ Cake Shop, August 3 (They're also playing Midway on Ave. B on the 2nd).

...The big question remains, though -- To Suicide or not tonight at South Street Seaport? Generally, I loathe reunited bands, but this might be worth making an exception for.

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Didn't you totally DEMAND these for your hot weekend doings? I thought I heard you asking...?

Interpol -- The Heinrich Maneuver (Paul Epworth Phones Remix) [OMG, we can dance to it now -- thanks Epworth!] [myspace] [remixer]

Cold War Kids -- Hang Me Up To Dry (Ingo Star Cruiser Remix) [Golly! Love those handclaps! I know it's deeply uncool to like this band, but I still think this song is great.] [myspace] [remixer]

Sly Hats -- Someone To Dress Up For [if you missed the Sly Hats show in Brooklyn last night, they'll be back at Union Hall on the 30th; the soft-spoken Aussie darling is currently touring the eastern seaboard, check myspace for info]

Let's Wrestle! -- Song For Abba Tribute Band [I'm slated to appear on next week's episode of Blog Fresh Radio (Monday), wherein I pontificate ineloquently on the greatness of this song] [myspace]

I was so tired and slammed today -- I wanted to post and didn't get around to it. I think I may still be just a smidgen drained from seeing the Bellmer Dolls on Friday, even though I lounged around for the rest of the weekend. It was highly amusing -- the usual Fun denizens were in Studio B's mythical "other room" which could only be reached by traipsing through the crowd of gloomcookies who came out for the Bellmer Dolls and made the entire main room look like that dark corner of the gym where misfits hung out in high school. The looks on the faces of the hipster kids coming for the underground dance party really were quite priceless when they were faced with a wall of coldwave, as selected by guest dj Alex Chow. (Pinkie swears she heard some Antler action in his set... We'd post some Poesie Noire or something, but Pinkie just has it on vinyl, and we are so not putting up some Lords of Acid, y'all. You understand.)

Anyway, we were pleased that the Dolls tried out some of their fabulous new songs on the small but enthusiastic crowd. Here's a visual aid (photo by Collin LaFleche); Pinkie wrote elsewhere (she's kindly letting me quote her here):

Like I said on the bus the other night, watching Peter is like watching a young and dirty hot tent revival preacher on a hot summer night. He's not handling snakes, but he's feeling the spirit, and even though he's holding his bible open, it's just a tangible link to the divine because he doesn't need it for reference to scripture. For those 20 minutes, he's God's tool, but afterwards it's likely that he'll be a creature of the flesh, waging his own battle with the sins of liquor and women, saying things like "you look good in your skin, girl." And Anthony is his straight man, and Daniel just drives. ... You have Preacher Man Peter poised on the edge of offering someone deliverance and engaging with Anthony in this uneasy-making, primal, completely masculine, and hetero-erotic (yes, I said hetero) paso doble. It's really a paso doble, in the tradition of bull fights. ... Seeing the Bellmer Dolls gives me that same weird feeling that I get when I start to wonder if there is any truth to the legend that Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads so that he could play the blues.

They're also playing an already sold-out show with the Secret Machines on the 19th as part of the High Line Festival (Highly recommended if you feel like Craigslisting it...) and are working on a full-length album.

Here's an earlier track from their previously well-received ep on Hungry Eye records, The Big Cats Will Throw Themselves Over.

Bellmer Dolls -- Push, Push

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In other news, Rihanna's "Umbrella" is totally our unequivocal broken heart summer jam (oh, boys can be such trouble sometimes...) -- it makes you happy and sad at the same time, as all great pop songs do. And wow, we sure do love the video.



Rihanna feat. Jay-Z -- Umbrella (Clean)

(And dude, who cares if that's not her en pointe, really? The fetishy aesthetic is grand...)

Reminds us a lot of this particular video too...



Madonna -- Fever

...which of course, made us then think of this ...



Sinead O'Connor -- You Do Something To Me

which inevitably brought us full circle, back to the Wiemar Republic, with:



Marlene Dietrich -- Falling in Love Again from The Blue Angel

ps -- Watch out, it's gettin on summer, and we're kind of totally freestyle-mad. Doesn't help that they air the commercial for Forever Freestyle constantly on VH1 Classics -- even during Metal Mania. Stay tuned! You've been warned.