Pop, We Will Eat Your Brains

(thank you, Boing Boing)

Kelly Link's story, "The Faery Handbag" is terrific for multiple reasons: the balance between a loose and well-tied structure, great characters, a perfect first sentence and great usage of the first-person. And it is an example of what is great about e-stories. Free, digital and also in paper-form. Is the reason authors only sell less than 10,000 copies of books on average because they have avoided digitizing their works? Will there ever be a Soulseek for novels?

(static)

Painted white teardrops are indie-rock NWA tattoos. I watched with my elbows on the stage, a loud German next to me. Murray Hill, a nice girlboy came out with a black marker moustache and 70's suit joking about gentrification, Greenpoint and N'Sync. The event was for the Ali Forney Center, all proceeds going to this great organization. Cocorosie began the night quietly, with sailor hats and Utah Jazz shorts. I hadn't listened to them too much, and I'm glad I didn't. Because I wouldn't have gotten so much joy from hearing two wonderful voices (Bianca sounding like Joanna Newsom and Sierra like an opera singer). Toy instruments, a screen behind them playing rainbow explosions. Art school laptop pop, hush-hush guitar and Sierra, the one with the painted white teardrop, playing the trumpet without a trumpet. Her lips and mouth sounding like Miles. I only wish their bass player wasn't so metal. Like watching Bjork with a member of Slayer pounding away at the bass (that actually sounds more interesting written, than in person). With their kiddy pianos they played samples, did some New Mexico synth-pop (horses wailing in the background) and one of the ladies even had on a Native American hat.

Antony sings like a bird. He came out and sang a song with Cocorosie, much to the sold-out crowd's adoration. When he returned for his set, two-piece orchestra, guitarist, bass and drums followed. Giggling, he talked about Otis Redding DVD's and falling in love with the dead Motown drummer, Al Jackson. Pillow-soft voices make me crumble and so did Antony's, though his new songs were way more upbeat and funky. I had a fantasy that Matmos would make beats for Antony's new record, making the another Vespertine-esque record. But, I had never seen an entire building cry in unison, and I mean weep quietly, solemn, as if at a grandmother's funeral, until Antony played "Hope Theres Someone." Solo, behind the piano, even his band were glassy-eyed. One of the best performances I have ever heard.

Black chucks, English teacher glasses and a suit: Matmos are what electronic performances should be. Not hiding behind their laptops, but bringing a guitarist, two percussionists and even dragging Antony to sing with them, they were both serious and playful. "Yes, dear" Martin Schmidt said to partner Drew Daniels when asked if ready. A bowl was filled with water and used as the sample from their house-y stuff on A Chance to Cut is a Chance to Cure. Warsaw crowds don't think electronic music is real. They wouldn't shut up during Matmos, but when they invited Antony back up, you could hear a pin drop. Was this a case of rockism? "Oh, they're just hitting the play button, thats not music, I don't have to pay attention" vs. "Shhhhh. He's about to sing. He deserves our undivided attention." And when Antony sang an Irish folk song, ("the song that Alan Turing was playing when the British police came to his house" Drew educated the crowd) it was truly heartwrenching. Bending his voice, layering it, Matmos played with Antony's voice like play-doh.

I talked to Drew after the show and confirmed my suspicion: he's a nice guy. But tonight will certainly be etched as one of the more memorable shows I've seen in recent times.

Moustaches should always be done with black markers.

Late Bus: Hi, Martin.
Me: Hi.
Late Bus: Have you heard the Beirut record, yet?
Me: Yes, actually. I finally did.
Late Bus: What do you think?
Me: I think it's dreamy. Like Biz Markie lullabys or France (if you're not Muslim or whatever).
Late Bus: Neato. Hop on, now we're going to Canada.
Me: Why?
Late Bus: Because they have better rock bands.
Me: ...
Late Bus: I like heavy metal.
Me: (snoring)

Hua Hsu, writer extraordinaire, analyzes the analyzer. On Thom Yorke's The Eraser.

Don't believe me? Ask Matt Sonzala.

(pic by roconnor)


Children, let's argue. He is the best musician alive.

Reasons to pay exorbitant rents and suffer through stinky subways:

Al Green and Yo La Tengo are playing for free tonight. And in Brooklyn, too. Plus, film festivals on rooftops. Don't forget avant-garde scores to Man Ray films. Last, but not least: art galleries and more art galleries that show more good art in a week than most other cities do in a year.

All of this on a random Thursday.



What a magical fairy unicorn city.

Because I believe in ghosts, especially ones that rap, I think The Knife's album, Silent Shout is the best thing made this year, thus far. Like, if I could, I would walk around with one of these nifty masks on, a boombox on my shoulder, blasting this and Xiu Xiu's The Air Force on repeat. And because I now live in a city that provides me with a soundtrack of sounds I cannot replay here, I have no choice but to suggest these records. Sorry for the wordless posts as of late, but I've been scribbling furiously (short stories, a comic book, and music reviews). Ain't no half-steppin', I know.


Posts That Might See the Light of Day:

* Ten new musicians you should know about from next month's XLR8R column.

* Book reviews on stuff I finished a while ago: Ian Mcewan's Saturday and Murakami's Wind-up Bird Chronicle and Kelly Link's short stories.

* More new Xiu Xiu MP3's

* Original concert videos

TV on the Radio feature four weirdo videos on their site. Probably made my Tunde since he once told me he was an animator for Celebrity Deathmatch. I think he also did the voice of Ghandi or something. I think one of these guys is my neighbor.

That kid from that Miranda July movie!

Marina Zurkow makes pretty animations of animals. Lauren Kinsler, the brains behind Avail Video, a new video art collective, interviews her here. And while you're at it download Videoegg and watch the post-YouTube world.

I love Youtube.