Sunday, December 25, 2005
don't touch that!
2006, move: I can't see.
France is the future (unless, you know, you're brown or whatever.) I put these little white earbuds in my ears and listen to this man sing over and over, sometimes. Wearing tight jeans, I wish I could go see this. Look forward to Javier Marias' old new novel to be translated for Amerikkkans next year. If Austin is where you have a zip code, go here. Now. And walk this trail before Jesus goes night night again.Dream like 60's drugs, but without the sleazy fashion.
Tokyo loves us.
Saturday, December 24, 2005
bye bye 2005
As the clocks wind down, we boogie. This year, which still has some kick left, was worth rewinding. But, nostalgia wears funny clothes, so instead I want to direct you to the "Best Of..." list to your left. I tried to be diplomatic and fair: Jeezy ain't there, neither is Sufjan Stevens, but not because they aren't good but because I didn't listen to them. So, phooey. Like most things, its getting harder and harder to keep up with all the good stuff that comes out every year, from ticky-tack techno (Isolee) and thick microbeats (Matias Aguayo) to bulbous indie rock (Wolf Parade) and West Coast post-NWA streetness (The Game) to French noodling (Colleen): its been a great year. Don't worry.
Next year has already begun.
Here is to Brooklyn in 2006. To books not yet written.
And beards, ya'll!
feliz navidad!
Thelonious Monk- Straight, No Chaser
Theres nothing holier than listening to jazz on a quiet Saturday morning. You don't believe me, do you. I like the idea of pianos.
Don't you?
Monday, December 19, 2005
no one writes to the livejournal
Overheard at a mainstream bookstore in Houston this past weekend:
"One-hundred Years..hey, thats the guy you told me about, right?"
"Yeah...(not really paying attention) it's a great book"
"He's all like, deep, huh?"
(Picks up a copy of his latest novel.)
"Memories of my Melancholy Whores, heh"
(Her friends walks over and looks at it)
"Henh" (snorts)
END
Thursday, December 15, 2005
tutor rock!
I never listened to Coldplay's X & Y. Hearing them cover Johnny Cash at Austin City Limits made me rethink how hard I've been--like Judas Priest hard. Hua wrote a nice article on them in Slate months ago about Chris Martin's cross-eyed sincerity, about him wanting to be wanted. But, being christmas light season and watching little kids stare at big trees and Hanukkah dradles, I should probably give poor Chris a chance.
Or maybe not.
But, there are movies I watch like listening to Brian Eno--safe, warm, harmless. Last Life in the Universe is one of these movies. I remember sorta watching it months ago, but last week I saw it again and Christopher Doyle makes me have a crush on cinema again.
Yesterday, I smelled perfumes for my mom.
Hello, 2006.
PS did American rappers ever think to get regular people jobs? Like, imagine Scarface going into a temp agency, all "I can type 52 words a minute. I love people." There are some MTV shows that are still being dreamed up.
Monday, December 12, 2005
lost?
Matias Aguayo- New Life
Six Organs of Admittance- Words for Two
Modeselektor- Ziq Zaq
Thumbs sorta down on Boards of Canada's new album. Modeselektor makes them sound like they sit around all day in the countryside pressing the "ON" button on a synthesizer shaped like Richard Pryor (RIP) and then it finally goes waaao, waaooo like 70's movie screens on the walls with blank faces. And Chile has buildings that look like beatmachines. Matias Aguayo is standing there with a tiny synth in his left hand and THE MAGIC BEAT in the other, the black sound that erases the histories of all recorded sounds and he's just standing there, palms sweaty from pounding on drum pads like Max Roach. And a bearded Six Organs of Admittance is sitting in the corner, a dusty guitar in hand, watching an Italian movie on how Willie Nelson's beard will stop Iran. And then Samuel P. Huntingon comes out and proves that he really is a Marvel villain.
/thereismore/
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
dream, dream, dream
Shaky video of U2 and The Arcade Fire covering "Love Will Tear Us Apart". Bono is dressed like a ship captain. And those Arcade Fire kids love banging on those drums.
And, in case you missed it, this is also a good reason I'm moving to New York later this year. Arcade Fire popped up in Union Square and played last month.
(Courtesy Brookyln Vegan)
mexico is a computer chip
Turned in my proposal for Continuum's 33 1/3 Series on Cafe Tacuba's Re. Recorded in 1994, this album has stayed with my since I first heard it from a friend's tape. I plan on historicizing it, in the rock textbooks of Latin rock and personalizing it, how it was the first pomo record and basically introduced irony, humor and sincerity into Mexican pop. Compared to The White Album because it tip-toes through genres on each of its excellent twenty tracks, its the only Latin album proposed (along with the Buena Vista Social Club) out of almost 200 musicians for the series. David, the editor, says they only have room for 15-20 books to be published. Fingers are crossed. Not really. More like fingers are nervous. We'll see what happens. If nothing, then I'm gonna shop the idea around to other publishers. But it would be great if Continuum picked it up.
Also, I'm writing two reviews for Stop Smiling next week. Both are British albums--Hot Chip's Coming on Strong and Lady Sovereign's Vertically Challenged EP. Really real.
tomorrow, we jump
BLEEEEEEEEPBLONKWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZOOKOOOOKOOOKCCCCCCCCCCCCALAOPIOKJEEEEEEKERPLUNK!DADDDDASJHDLKYOIWWWWWR4ARARARARARA!!!
Had the greatest time last week with my friend Jamie Stewart and Caralee and the most hilarious merch guy they've brought yet, named David from LA. We were sitting at lunch when I ask him why he hasn't gone to Iceland, yet. And then he zips into this dreamworld where Bjork is the pilot of a plane that starts in Reykjavik and lands in Reykjavik. Circles around and around all day. And Matmos are the stewardesses and they put contact mics on all the bags of peanuts and everyone has headphones on and you're just looking around like hey, are you hearing what I'm hearing and then theres Cubase on all the TV screens instead of movies and everyone gets to mix the sounds. And Bjork is flying the plane with her mouth like fairy dust and she makes this sound: waaaoooo-waaaaooo.
Art-Flights.
(Lemmings for a Free Palestine)
