Got a bad desire...

So I recently discovered that Tori Amos is having a new album, "American Doll Posse", in May. There was once a time when I really loved her music and couldn't wait for whatever single or album was coming next, but that time is gone. I downloaded her last album, "The Beekeeper", and couldn't get past the first couple tracks. I dunno, she just doesn't do it for me anymore. So I put on some of the old skool stuff that I used to listen to constantly. This track, a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "I'm On Fire", was right around the "Boys For Pele" era, like mid 90s or so. It was on the VH1 "Crossroads" compilation, which was a collection of live performances from their archives. I'd guess that it's out of print now.

New PUFFY single!

I'm not sure what it's called but it's pretty cool. Also included are covers of The Beatles' "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" and ELO's "Don't Bring Me Down". I really like the ELO cover. "Lucy" is good but it has been done to death.

PUFFY > Don't Bring Me Down

Guilty Pleasure #2045

I think I read about this on some year-end best-of list in December and decided to check it out for the hell of it. This is just ridiculously catchy cotton-candy pop sung by Australian twins known as The Veronicas. What more could you want? Check out their album, "The Secret Life of..."; if you don't agree then perhaps you should stop being so serious. ^_^

There are a lot of people at Versailles today

I watched Marie Antoinette this past weekend. I really enjoyed it, as I have enjoyed Sofia Coppola's other films, Lost In Translation and The Virgin Suicides. Once again, Coppola has hit a home run with her musical tastes. Maybe I'm biased because I apparently love the same types of music as her, but her choices fit perfectly. My absolute favorite moment of Marie Antoinette was when the newly crowned couple were descending down the stairs, and The Cure's Plainsong explodes from the speakers. Fucking perfection. Another fave was when MA was wandering the fields while Aphex Twin's Avril 14th played. Again, it fits perfectly. I mean, really, there are tons of little moments like these that I really enjoyed. I like how the film presented Marie Antoinette as is and didn't seem to judge her. Another quality of the movie I enjoyed was how it captured a moment or a feeling, much in the same way Coppola did in LIT or TVS. That's my interpretation of it, anyways.

Aphex Twin > Avril 14th

You don't know how lovely you are

I'm no fan of Coldplay, but I don't hate them either. A long time ago, I probably would have, but I can't really be bothered to hate any band these days. It's just not worth the time and effort. I mean, if they make someone happy and they're able to carve out a living for themselves, then more power to them. If I don't like em, I just won't listen or buy their albums; so there's nothing to complain about and we can all happily coexist. Easy lemon squeezy.

That said, I adore Aimee Mann's cover of Coldplay's, "The Scientist". I'd have to say it's an improvement on the original. Her voice is just so clear and expressive, she really wraps her voice around the lyrics. I feel like the song fits her better, but that's just me. Also know that she's one of my faves, so I could be slightly biased. I've been listening to Ms. Mann since I heard the first Til Tuesday album way back when. Old school. Anyways, if you feel like tracking it down, this cut can be found on the 2-Disc Special Edition of her album, "Lost In Space". The first disc is the LIS album, which is really great. It actually took me a long time to "get" LIS, but it was completely worth it. The second disc of the special edition is a solid collection of bsides and live tracks. It's packaged like a little book, with artwork and notes; a really nice touch to make it worth the extra few dollars. So yeah, check it out...

Let's get electrified

I love it, but I don't know much about this song. I first heard it on the soundtrack for the movie, Vanilla Sky. Man, I really hated that movie. Even before it was fashionable to slag off Tom Cruise. I think it wasn't even so much him, as it was the character he played. He was just an arrogant jackass. I even watched the original film, Abre Los Ojos, because I figured that one would be much better than the American remake. Bzzzt, wrong answer. I didn't like ALO any better. The main character is just such a self-centered, whiny little bitch. Seriously. I did, however, like Cameron Diaz in Vanilla Sky. Sadly, she reminded me of a girl I used to date. Sheesh.

In any case, you can find this track on Leftfield's "Rhythm and Stealth" album. Rap legend, Afrika Bambaataa, drops some cool vocals and this track completely rocks. Also, make sure you check out Chris Cunningham's video for the track, it's fucking brilliant. "Do you need a hand?"

Can't say what they mean, don't mean what they say

Man, I had totally forgotten about this song and it somehow came up in my coversation with Vanessa the other day. We were talking about Scrabble and I was telling her I didn't want to go up against her because she'd totally own my ass. Then she said that she didn't think so, that I was pretty wordy...which leads to the title of this track, Wordy Rappinghood, by the Tom Tom Club. Along with Blondie's Rapture, this was one of the first rap songs I ever heard (oddly, both are done by white girls!). The Tom Tom Club's debut album was a 1981 side project of Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz of the Talking Heads. Give it a spin, it's really catchy and fun, and still sounds good to me after all these years.

Ooh, and check out this embedded media player from divshare, it's pretty sweet.

PCH

This aptly titled track reminds me of driving down the Pacific Coast Highway (aka Highway 1). To me, it perfectly captures the feeling, especially right after the horn break around 3:10, when everything kicks in. Bliss. Although, I wish the weather were as nice right now as it is in this pic. I'm so over the rain.

Listen:
Broken Social Scene > Pacific Theme

We found you lying, choking on dirt and sand

Today, I put on Siouxsie and The Banshees' "Cities In Dust", which was one of the first songs I ever heard of theirs. Man, that totally transports me back. Way back when, I used to like this girl called Laura. She was into Siouxsie, so I was naturally interested in hearing them. "Cities In Dust" was one of Laura's favorite songs and it quickly became one of mine as well. I wonder whatever happened to her. In any case, I love the drums and the way the song flows in general. Superb.
Listen:
Siouxsie and The Banshees > Cities In Dust

Stories from the city...

I was listening to some PJ Harvey today at work, which reminded me of this bittersweet tale.

So in the fall of 2001, PJ Harvey was scheduled to play the Warfield theater out here in San Francisco. I had gotten a late start on the tickets and the show was sold out. I ended up paying extortion prices for a pair of tickets from eBay, I wanted to see her that badly. I arranged to meet up with the seller at a bar across from the venue before the show. It was some place, I forget the name, on 6th Street, between Market and Mission. I'd never been there before and my friend and I walked past it twice before we realized it. It's in one of the seediest areas of town and the bar was a complete dive...and not in a good way. We got there about an hour before the show and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

We finally left and walked around, trying to find anyone selling tickets, but practically everyone was looking to buy. We eventually gave up and just went to a semi decent bar for drinks. The next day, the seller emails me with his apology. It turns out he lived in the East Bay area and rarely ever came to San Francisco. The bar that he suggested as a meeting place was recommended to him by one of his friends...so he wasn't able to find it either.

Finally, he offered me to send me a check for $10 to compensate me for my time. Ten dollars. I responded and politely told him to keep his money. I left him some nasty feedback on his eBay profile, tho. I think he earned it.

Here's the lemon juice in the paper cut. The reviews for the gig were absolutely fantastic. Fuck, man...I couldn't believe I had missed out because of that jackass. UGH!

Fast forward to a couple years ago, summer of 2004. Uh Huh Her was set to come out and PJ was doing a quick promotional tour and there were some west coast dates. I forget exactly what happened, but there was some scheduling fuck-up for the San Francisco date. It was supposed to be at the Civic, I believe, but it turned out there was already an event scheduled. Something like that, you get the picture.

So she ends up skipping SF but vows to return. A month or so later, it's announced that PJ is gonna play the Great American Music Hall, which is a much smaller venue than the Civic, in a week's time. My buddy, Ben, booked the tickets and we were set.

Showtime finally came along and she fucking destroyed the place. The band were on fire, they tore it all up. Easily one of the best gigs I've ever seen. Was it worth the three year wait? I dunno, it's hard to quantify something like that. I mean, that 2001 gig I missed was, by all accounts, pretty spectacular. This one was pretty fucking good, as well. I'm glad I got to go.

This is from my favorite PJ album, "Is This Desire?", give it a spin.
PJ Harvey > No Girl So Sweet

Happy Valentine's Day!

NOT!

Check this, yo:
Joe Jackson > Happy Loving Couples

Everything else is a waste of breath

Fiona Apple with her version of Elvis Costello's "I Want You". This is from the Decades Rock Live! show, which pairs up "classic" and contemporary artists. Fiona completely owns this song, she burns and smolders, singing it like some fucking psycho stalker ex girlfriend. Reminds me of some girls I used to know. In any case, I think it's an excellent rendition. You can also check out a video here, if you're so inclined.
Listen:
Fiona Apple > I Want You

I don't want the world, I just want your half

If I ever have a girlf named Ana, I'll marry her straight away.
Listen:
They Might Be Giants > Ana Ng

I advance masked

All this talk of the Police reuniting and playing the Grammy show inspired me to dig out one of the cooler side project albums, "I Advance Masked" by Andy Summers and Robert Fripp. This was a favorite way back when. Both are very accomplished musicians, but the playing is understated and subtle. No wanky guitar solos or histrionics. Not to say I don't enjoy a screaming solo, but I think it just wouldn't work with these two guys.

This was the first of two albums Fripp and Summers did together, coming in 1982. The second album is 1984's "Bewitched". It's a solid album as well, but it's more song oriented and not as atmospheric as "I Advance Masked".

"Girl on a Swing" is my favorite track on the album. The title is perfect, the music really does conjure up a vision of a girl on a swing. It's so pretty and gently stirring, like a sunset on a gorgeous summer day. It could easily soundtrack a childhood flashback scene in a movie where some character is dwelling upon his or her lost youth. Like that new Hannibal Lecter-as-a-teenager movie that's coming this month. Riiiight.

Listen:
Andy Summer/Robert Fripp > Girl on a Swing

Bounce to this

Going back to the rap/rock thing for a moment, this track, "Snoop Bounce", is perhaps my favorite of the genre. It's basically a rock remake of the Snoop Dogg track from his album, "Tha Doggfather". Snoop still handles the raps on this version, but the backing band happens to be Rage Against The Machine. To me, it's a glorious match made in heaven. The bass is big and funky and the guitars furiously tear their way through the song. Toss in Snoop's cool as ice vocals and you've got one fucking badass tune.

I wonder if they actually got together in the studio. If they did, that must have been an interesting meeting. What if Snoop had ended up fronting RATM after Zack left, sorta like Ice-T's Body Count, instead of the band recruiting Chris Cornell and changing the name to Audioslave? I think it would been better more interesting, I wasn't impressed at all with Audioslave, but hey, that's me. Anyways, I only thought of this because I'm going to Coachella this spring and RATM are headlining one of the three days.

Bounce to this:
Snoop Dogg & Rage Against The Machine > Snoop Bounce

By the unwinking red eye of Ra!

The other day, I watched Bubba Ho-Tep with some friends. The movie being a favorite of mine, I was slightly surprised that they would want to watch it, as I seem to have a reputation for liking films (and music) that they're not into. On the surface, it looks like some stupid horror flick played up for laughs. I know I thought the same the first time I read the synopsis. Underneath, it's really quite thoughtful, touching, and even a little bit sad. I really liked the story about how Elvis ended up in an old folks home, wasting his life away. The character who thinks he's JFK is really great, as is the Mummy that stirs them into action. It's not a film that will blow you away, but it's very entertaining and, I think, underrated.

(If you haven't seen it, you can buy it practically anywhere. Alternatively, you can put it in your Netflix queue or see if it's showing on your favorite movie channel.)

To me, this track from the scene depicted above, captures the essence of The King, as well as the film.

Listen:
The King (from the Bubba Ho-Tep OST)

Hey yo, kids! Remember when I used to be dope?

One of my favorite hip hop tracks comes from the soundtrack of the godawful movie, Judgment Night. The cool thing about the album was the marriage of popular hip hop and alt-rock bands of the time. When the album was released, 1993, I thought this would be the way forward for hip hop. I'm only a casual fan of the genre, but it seemed to me that this was the only way to go. In any case, it was an interesting avenue worth exploring, even if, in hindsight, it didn't pan out that well.

This track, "Fallin", is by De La Soul and Teenage Fanclub. I really dig the lazy beat and the amusing, and sometimes biting, lyrics. They name check Teenage Fanclub towards the end, and there's also a healthy dose of Tom Petty's "Free Fallin", sampled for the song's chorus. It still sounds good some 13 or 14 years later.

Check it:
De La Soul & Teenage Fanclub > Fallin'

Look! It's El Perro Del Mar!

The exchange started off as usual. I noticed that my buddy, Jen, had marked a date to go check a gig by El Perro Del Mar. Knowing what I know of Jen's musical inclinations, I was a bit surprised that she'd be into EPDM, and I mentioned it to her. She was more into the whole Swedish pop singer thing, really, than she was into EPDM. In fact, she hadn't really heard any of the songs at all, so I steered some her way. Jen quickly decided that, yes, EPDM was not her cup of tea. I thought the album was okay, but it didn't really grab me the way I thought it would. We talked a bit about the things we didn't like on the album, her whiny-ass voice, the dreary pace, the tunelessness. Jen said it best, the girl sang like she was about to have a nervous breakdown, and I agreed. That should have been the end of it, but it goes on slightly.

For some reason, I thought I'd give the album, "Look! It's El Perro Del Mar!", another listen and so I dropped it onto my iPod. This time, it completely hooked me. She does sound whiny and like she's about to have a breakdown, but her voice is very pretty if you can get past those pitfalls. Musically, it's kinda like the soundtrack to a dark, twisted fairy tale. The backing vocals lend this eerie quality to it, sometimes conjuring up an image of a choir of disembodied children in a horror movie musical. Also, she reminds me of Julee Cruise quite a bit. You may remember her as the singer of the Twin Peaks theme song, "Falling".

So the moral of the story is that I am now a fan of the album and Jen is gonna give me shit the next time she drives past this page. Which is fine on both counts. I've been known to change my mind when the mood strikes, and even though our tastes are frequently on opposite ends of the spectrum, they collide every once in a while.

This is one of the more upbeat tracks from the album, I love it long time. Maybe you will as well.

Listen:
El Perro Del Mar > It's All Good

*P.S. >> I'm trying this filesharing site called zSHARE.net. At zSHARE, the files are up for unlimited downloads, but the file gets deleted if it's not downloaded for ten days. Also, it says you're able to listen first before downloading, unlike yousendit.com. So yeah, I'm gonna try it too, but lemme know if it's cool or not.

I idolize you

How hot is Cristina Martinez? That girl is like sex on a stick. Formerly of Pussy Galore and Boss Hog, and married to Jon Spencer (from the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, or JSBX for short) . Check out this cover of an old Ike Turner song, which you can find on their 1995 self-titled album. I like the groove and the vocals (I'm guessing that's Jon Spencer on lead vocals) and Cristina's background vocals.
Listen:
Boss Hog > I Idolize You

Adventure's waitin' just ahead!

This is sorta music related, I guess. At the risk of dating myself, Speed Racer was my favorite cartoon when I was a kid. Oh man, the hours I used to spend in front of the television watching it. The thrills! The chills! The spills! I fucking loved it. I still kinda get goosebumps watching the show now. I was in love with Trixie, too. Man, she was hOtt! The original episodes have slowly been released on DVD, the final one about a month or two ago. I'd been trying for a while to find an mp3 of the show's closing theme. I really like it, but I couldn't tell you why. It just has this sorta jazzy, loungey feel to it which I think is cool, quite different from the opening theme. In any case, I finally found one after scouring the net for a while. I should just learn how to make sound clips off my DVDs.

Listen:
Speed Racer - Opening Theme
Speed Racer - Closing Theme

Silencio

Rebekah Del Rio plays herself in David Lynch's Mulholland Drive, lip-synching Llorando, a Spanish cover of Roy Orbison's Crying. I don't really know anything of her, but this song, from the Mulholland Drive soundtrack, is drop-dead gorgeous. The scene where she's singing it in Club Silencio is really strange, but I won't say anymore. You'll have to check it out for yourself, if you haven't already seen it. If you have seen it, perhaps you should see it again. I just did last night.

Listen:
Rebekah Del Rio > Llorando

This life has its victories, but its defeats tear so viciously

I've had a bad start to this year, things have been pretty fucked up lately. Part of it was foolishly brought on by myself, so now I just gotta deal with it. Anyway, this one line in this song, where she goes "this life has its victories but its defeats tear so viciously", never fails to break my heart when Margo Timmins sings it. Well, I haven't heard anyone else sing it except for me, but you know what I mean. Her voice is simply sweet and angelic and she's really charming in concert as well. This particular track is from their third album, "Black Eyed Man", which is good. If you like this track, tho, I strongly recommend their first album, "The Trinity Session". Seriously, it's one of the best 3am, party's-winding-down albums you can find.

Listen:
Cowboy Junkies > This Street, That Man, This Life

Happy New Year, bitches...

So that's it, Christmas is over, James Brown is dead, and I'm done with the Christmas tunes. There were more tracks I wanted to post, but just didn't get around to, so I'll save them for next year perhaps. I was gonna do a "top gigs" list for 2006, but I really can't be bothered right now. I know I've broken your heart, but you'll get over it real fast, trust me. I'm gonna take a lil break from this, but I'll be haunting the usual spots if anyone wants to message me.

I've been feelin some old school tunes lately, so I'm gonna close out 2006 with this Brenda Holloway vid, "Just Look What You've Done", from 1967. I've never actually known her by name, just a few songs on random comps. I was listening to one track and was inspired to look her up. From what I've read, she apparently was an exception to the rule, as she was a female artist who wrote AND performed her own songs back when most female artists didn't do shit like that. In any case, she's utterly gorgeous and a fabulous singer, she totally shoulda been a big star.

Have a safe one, cya in 2K7...

The rats ate all the presents and the reindeer ran away

Sooner or later, everyone releases a Christmas song or album. Even the legendary Spinal Tap did one, called "Christmas With The Devil". There are a few versions of this song floating around, the best of which is on the "Christmas With The Devil" 7" b/w a "scratch mix" of the same song, but this one is a little more difficult to find. You can also find it on their "Break Like The Wind" album, which had wider distribution and has probably ended up in bargain bins all over the world.

The version on BLTW is a tad overproduced, and I much prefer the 7" version. Also, the 7" version has Tap themselves wishing happy holidays to all at the end of the song, while the BLTW version edits that out completely. Check out the 7" version here, and happy holidays, bitches.

Listen:
Spinal Tap > Christmas With The Devil

RIP James Brown

Singer James Brown, known as the "Godfather of Soul", has died at the age of 73.

Listen:
James Brown > Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto

Step into Christmas, the admission's free

I got into the Wedding Present waaaay late, but hey, better late than never. Right? I once had a housemate who loved them and would play choice songs for me, but it never clicked. A few years ago, I went to see the The New Pornographers and guess who was supporting. It was Cinerama, which is David Gedge's "other" band. Cinerama were so fucking good, I was completely taken. I bought a few of their albums and sure enough, I started to delve into the Wedding Present and it all came together beautifully. Anyway, this is their kickass cover of Elton John's "Step Into Christmas", which you can find on their "Hit Parade 2" album, as well as that "Lump of Coal" compilation I mentioned a couple weeks back.

Listen:
The Wedding Present > Step Into Christmas

Wonder Christmas

I don't know much about Chocolat, except I really like her songs and her sweet, sweet voice. This song has kind of a big 60s feel to it. Maybe sorta like something off the Phil Spector album. Maybe. I could be reaching here, but check it out...

Listen:
Chocolat > Wonder Christmas

(ps...it's m4a)

I wish that I could walk you home

I don't know much about the Raveonettes, although I once saw them live a few years ago. I got a free ticket, thanks to a timely email from a friend. I thought the gig was pretty cool, but I never followed up for whatever reasons. In any case, I believe this is an original of theirs and I like it. So there.

Listen:
The Raveonettes > The Christmas Song

I Want An Alien For Christmas

Some people think Fountains of Wayne are a novelty band, and in some ways, they are. What I really like about them are their smart, catchy pop songs. They've got enough hooks to last days and days. In any case, both of these are pretty darn catchy with a healthy dose of fun. You can find the tracks on FoW's "Out-of-State Plates" compilation or on the original single (pictured) if you have the time/cash to track it down.

Listen:
Fountains of Wayne > I Want An Alien For Christmas
Fountains of Wayne > The Man In The Santa Suit

We felt so young, it was just like Christmas

Speaking of sleigh bells, it's Low's modern classic, "Just Like Christmas", from the predictably titled EP, "Christmas". Low are generally known for their funeral dirge-like songs, so this is a very upbeat number in comparison. I love the sleigh bells and the timpani drums. Well, they sound like timpani drums to me. I also like the way the guitar comes in at the end, and Mimi's voice is just lovely. What more could you ask for?

Listen:
Low > Just Like Christmas

Christmas Rap

Okay, I have time for one more before I head out. Anyone remember this? Classic. Nuff said.
Listen:
Run DMC > Christmas in Hollis

Old skool

These are probably questionable in terms of being actual Christmas songs, but don't worry, I've got plenty more. I say whatever, I love 'em and I'm a sucker for sleigh bells. I'll even go as far to say that sleigh bells are better than handclaps. Anyways...

Listen:
The Pixies Three > Cold, Cold Winter
William Bell > Everyday Will Be Like A Holiday

I'm waiting for Santa Claus, he's riding on a bison sleigh

One of my favorite bands. I finally got to see them live a few years ago, and again last year when they came through town. They're so fun, charming, and unassuming and very much worth your time. I love this track, it's great, goofy fun and doesn't feel like tacky sentimental crap. They're just a band out to have a good time and they want you to have a good time as well.

Listen:
Shonen Knife > Space Christmas

OMG! I AM SMOKING CRACK!

I just realized I had previously posted that Kinks track a few days ago. Good thing this isn't a professional blog or else the shareholders would be up in arms. Or something. So I will make up for this error by posting a cover version of a Christmas track I've already posted. What? I said, this one is sweet. Asobi Seksu played it last month at the GAMH gig. Also, you can download it from their website. It's really just a reason to post another pic of Yuki. And who needs a reason?
Listen:
Asobi Seksu > Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)

Give all the toys to the little rich boys...

This was one of the first non-traditional Christmas songs I remember hearing, some time in the late 70s, and it's been a fave ever since. I'm guessing that finding the single would be a bitch, but you can also find it on the comp, "Come Dancing with the Kinks: The Best of 1977 - 1986".

Listen:
The Kinks > Father Christmas

I think of you, wherever you go

One of my favorite Christmas tunes, it's The Pretenders' "2000 Miles", from their underrated 1984 album, "Learning To Crawl". I remember my dad complaining that it wasn't a Christmas song because it wasn't a classic. Umm, dad...WTF are you talking about? I wonder what people thought of, let's say, "Frosty The Snowman" the first time they heard it back in the 50s. They probably thought Gene Autry was smoking crack. Anyways...

Listen:
The Pretenders > 2000 Miles

A lump of coal...

This is probably one of the trippiest Christmas tracks I've ever heard, it's Henry Rollins reading "t'was The Night Before Christmas". You can find it on a Christmas comp called "A Lump of Coal", which was released in the early nineties. The other stuff on there is not bad (at least it's not the Gwen Stefani Sings Christmas Classics), ranging from The Wedding Present's "Step Into Christmas" and The Primitives' straight ahead version of "Silent Night", to the Crash Test Dummies' "First Noel" and The Young Fresh Fellows' "O' Little Town of Bethlehem". I can't imagine that the album is still in print, but I'm sure it could be found if one looked hard enough. Anyways...

Check it:
Henry Rollins > t'was the Night Before Christmas

Happy holidays, bitches...

I got some Christmas love for you. Mostly just some random Christmas tunes for y'all. There'll be more, so come back soon...

Listen:
Darlene Love > Marshmallow World
Darlene Love > White Christmas
The Ronettes > Sleigh Ride
The Kinks > Father Christmas
The Ramones > Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)

This Year's Favorites...

(in this order, sorta...)

1. Asobi Seksu >> Citrus
2. Neko Case >> Fox Confessor Brings The Flood
3. Band of Horses >> Everything All The Time
4. Mogwai >> Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait
5. Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins >> Rabbit Fur Coat
6. Joanna Newsom >> Ys
7. Camera Obscura >> Let's Get Out of This Country
8. The Radio Dept >> Pet Grief
9. The Decemberists >> The Crane Wife
10. Cat Power >> The Greatest
    
11. Sparklehorse >> Dreamt For Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain
12. Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan >> Ballad of the Broken Seas
13. Tom Waits >> Orphans
    

I didn't really get much new music this year, or at least it didn't feel like I did...but this is what I liked. Fairly predictable, if you know me, but there it is. I'm sure there's tons of stuff that I should be listening to, as well, so I'm open to any recommendations.

I have to say, after a so-so (to put it politely) debut a couple years ago, the Asobi Seksu album came out of nowhere and absolutely floored me. I mean, I was expecting nothing but greatness from Neko Case, but the way AS took me by surprise is the reason I placed it at number one.

Band of Horses took me by surprise, as well. I had read that they were a couple guys who used to be in Carissa's Wierd (sic), whom I really love. So I picked up the BoH album, not really knowing what to expect, and ended up with a wonderful album. I got to see them live, and they sounded fucking great.

I keep using the word, surprise, but it applies to the Jenny Lewis album as well. I'm not a huge Rilo Kiley fan, but I do enjoy their work. Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins caught me off guard with its...simplicity, I guess is the right word. The album is really charming and only gets better with repeated listens.

The Zidane album, to me, is a big improvement over Mr. Beast. I love the quiet beauty within. It's very subtle and understated. Don't get me wrong, I love the noise and fuzz as much as anyone else, but I love the opposite end of the spectrum as well.

**EDIT** I just realized I forgot to throw in Tom Waits' Orphans, even though I haven't listened to all of it. It's three discs long, but c'mon, it's Tom Waits. He's the man, okay?

The Manhattan Love Suicides

It's been a long week and I'm tired as hell, so I'm gonna keep this short, mainly because I don't know much about The Manhattan Love Suicides. Their album was just released on Magic Marker Records. I ordered a copy from Darla.com on the strength of the tunes on their myspace page, which I had first heard this past summer. They kinda remind me of The Primitives or The Darling Buds, except with more fuzzy guitars. Fuzzy guitars are a good thing, trust me.

Listen:
The Manhattan Love Suicides > Skulls

Self Portrait: DoB

OMFG!!1!!!1~~ Robot Hero in rare self portrait shocker!

Me, messing around with camera at 1am on my birthday. Fucking hell, I feel old. I'm treating myself to an Aimee Mann gig tonight, at Bimbo's 365 in North Beach. She's doing a "Christmas Show", probably in conjunction with the Christmas album she just released, which is titled ""One More Drifter In The Snow". You can buy the album over on her website and probably your local brick and mortar CD shop as well. It's got all the covers you might expect, and it also features an original song, "Calling On Mary". Also, her version of "You're A Mean One Mr. Grinch" is amusing.

I'm taking my dad along with me to the show. I figure that over the course of my lifetime, he's put up with enough of my shit that he deserves at least night out on me. I also figure that of all the music I listen to, he'd be more receptive to 1) Aimee Mann (even tho he probably wouldn't "get" her) and 2) a Christmas themed show. I don't think he'd be very pleased if I dragged his ass to go see Asobi Seksu or Neko Case. Then again, if I put enough alcohol in him, I could probably get him to sing along to all my favorite Godspeed You! Black Emperor tunes. Anyways, check out Aimee's Christmas track, along with my two favorite birthday songs. Cheers.

Listen:
Aimee Mann > Calling On Mary
The Pixies Three > Birthday Party
Cibo Matto > Birthday Cake

IT'S FUCKING COLD!

It's so cold here, the sky and clouds have turned icy blue. This is a view of San Francisco's Embarcadero, taken from the Bay Bridge.

It's not even winter yet, and it's really fucking cold here. It's in the mid 40s right now. I mean, come on...this is California. Palm trees, blue skies, movie stars...you know the cliches. I can't deal with this cold. Anyways, I've been listening to some random stuff lately. I've been trying to think of one coherent subject, but nothing is jumping out at the moment. Brain freeze, I guess.

The Ramones > California Sun

We're out here havin' fun, in the warm California sun. Riiiiiight. Love this track, tho, the Ramones have always been favorites of mine. Back in junior high, we used to watch Rock N' Roll High School at least twice a week. Man, those were the days. Gabba gabba hey, bitches!

Ted Leo > Dirty Old Town

Pogues cover, in case you didn't know. Although, I'm unsure if it's a traditional song or a Pogues original. I've been listening to Ted Leo quite a bit the past couple days. I love the way Mr. Leo pours himself into this one, it feels right. It's on his "Tell Balgeary, Balgury Is Dead" album, which sorta reminds me of Billy Bragg's Peel Sessions album.

Capsule > Idol Fancy

I put this one on a mix for Mr. Wood for the bowlie mix cd exchange. This track is so fucking catchy, it's ridiculous. I could listen to this all day long and not tire of it. If you're looking for the album, it's called "Phony Phonic". This comes from Madcat (another bowlie peep), who was kind enough to send me nearly 5gb of brilliant jpop.

David Bowie > Rebel Rebel

When I was 8 or 9, my uncle John got me CHANGESONEBOWIE for Christmas. I have since concluded that this was a monumental point in my musical life. I had no idea who David Bowie was at the time, but uncle John was perhaps my favorite uncle and we spent a lot of time together. In any case, I played that album to death. Space Oddity was one of my favorite songs. I didn't get it at the time, but I thought it was cool because he was singing about spaceships and stuff. I also vaguely knew of 2001: A Space Odyssey and thought they were connected. C'mon, I was just a kid. Rebel Rebel was my absolute favorite, tho. I used to run around the house singing it. Who knew it was about cross-dressing? I sure didn't. I'm guessing my uncle didn't, either. Or he didn't care. Knowing him, I'll pick the former.

Off your face

Perhaps my favorite My Bloody Valentine track. I love the way Bilinda sings it, so sweet and melancholy. I remember having the strangest feeling the first time I'd heard it. I had bought Loveless and the Glider EP (which contains this track) after seeing the Only Shallow video on 120 Minutes way back in 91 or 92, when Loveless first hit. I think, musically, I lived off 120 Minutes back then, it was one of the few ways to hear new music out of the mainstream that I was interested in. Anyways, Only Shallow was the song that hooked me. The soothing, sexy vocals set against that glorious noise. The backup vocals, with the oohs and aahs. It was cool how the vocals weren't pushed to the front of the mix, the way they blended in with the rest of the instruments. Off Your Face is a perfect pop song to me, it sounds like the way it would feel to float on clouds in a clear, blue sky.

My Bloody Valentine > Off Your Face

The Fountain

The other night, I saw a movie called The Fountain. I'd been waiting for it since I had heard of it, roughly about a year ago. The director is Darren Aronofsky, whose previous work is Pi and Requiem For A Dream, which were a couple of the more interesting movies I've seen in past years. The Fountain is the story of a man who is trying to find a cure for his dying wife's disease. There are three parallel stories being told at the same time, concerning life, love, death, and spirituality. As I mentioned, I had been waiting for it for quite some time and generally, I'm a total sucker for stuff like this. Sadly, I felt disappointed when it was all said and done. The story felt convoluted and incomplete. It felt repetitive and perhaps a bit forced. This is me trying to be nice. In the end, I was disappointed with the film. Visually, it's gorgeous. The soundtrack, done by Clint Mansell, The Kronos Quartet, and Mogwai, is excellent as well, and worth your time. The movie, perhaps not so much, but you never know, this is just my view.

Stay With Me (from The Fountain OST)

Once, I wanted to be the greatest

One of the worst gigs I've ever seen was Cat Power at the Noise Pop fest a few years ago. It started off fine but quickly descended into crap. She complained about the reverb on her guitar. She complained about the tuning of the piano. She complained about the stage lighting. She soon had the lighting dude dim the lights til it was nearly complete darkness onstage. She slowly kept creeping towards the back of the stage until it reached the point where I couldn't see her. It was a shame, because I had really been looking forward to seeing her and this is my one Cat Power memory I've been left with.

Now I've read that she's gotten help and cleaned up her act. No more freaking out on stage, no more emotional outbursts...or at least she's cut it all to a minimum. I might try to catch her again so I can replace the shit experience with a good one, but we'll see. In any case, I'm still a fan of her, live performances notwithstanding. Check out these solo versions, they're pretty sweet. Apparently they were recorded for eMusic, although I couldn't vouch for it. And isn't she stunning in that pic? Goodness...

Listen:
The Greatest
Remember Me
Ramblin' Man
Good Woman

Zidane

I don't know much about the guy, I'm not much of a footy fan. I do know that there's a new documentary on him, "Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait", which follows him around during a Spanish league game on April 23, 2005, in which Real Madrid beat Villareal, 2-1. The music for the movie is done by Mogwai. I haven't seen the film, so I can't comment on it, except to say that I'd like to see it.

I've heard the Mogwai album and I have to say I really like it. It's not the usual quiet-loud-quiet-loud dynamic that goes on. It's more like quiet-quiet-and more quiet, quite the opposite of what one would expect to hear in a sports film. Sort of in the way that Explosions in the Sky lent some of their quieter tunes for "Friday Night Lights". The melodies haven't really stuck with me, like how a film score doesn't always linger and instead sets a mood, but they're very pretty and the album is lovely to hear.

Listen:
Mogwai > 7:25

The troubled words of a troubled mind

I'd forgotten about it, but the last couple times I've seen Gillian Welch, she's covered Radiohead's Black Star. It seems unlikely on the surface; Gillian Welch being a folk or alt-country artist and Radiohead being progressive or alternative (and labels being labels); but it fits. In any case, I stumbled upon this the other night while wandering the www, and it's been stuck in my head the past couple days.

Listen:
Gillian Welch > Black Star (live)

Awaiting an audience

I saw Asobi Seksu tonight at the Riottt (don't ask me about the spelling, I have no idea) fest. They were the one band on the bill that I was extremely excited to see. One drawback was that the venue was the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. It's a shitty place to see a show, really, but you take what you can get. Their set wasn't loud enough, the sound kept getting lost or just bouncing off the walls. They were victims of horrible acoustics. I got to talk to Yuki a bit afterwards and she said they didn't even get to soundcheck, which sucked. On the good side, they had a pretty sweet setlist, drawing mostly from Citrus, which is their newest album. They also did a kickass cover of Then He Kissed Me, which was kind of an unlikely, but cool choice of song. I asked her how they chose that song, and she said it was just a song she'd always loved as a kid. Fair enough.

Anyways, I realize there's still a month and a half left in this year, but I might as well say it now, Citrus is my favorite album of 2006. It's ridiculous how many times I've played it during the past six months and I still haven't tired of it. Do yourself a favor, go to their website and place your order. If you still need to be convinced, you can stream clips on their site, there are a few free mp3s you can download, and you can listen on their myspace page. Lastly, they were selling cd's of their 10/6 gig at the Echo (in LA, I believe) that has the aformentioned Crystals cover. Asobi Seksu are coming back to SF on 11/22, supporting Mates of State at the Great American Music Hall. See you there...

Listen:
Asobi Seksu > Then He Kissed Me

Fading reflection of what was...

I really don't know much about her, but Holly Golightly's "There Is An End" has been kicking my ass lately. It's another track that's on the Broken Flowers soundtrack, which she performs with a band called The Greenhornes. I don't know anything about The Greenhornes except that they do a sort of 60s British Invasion kinda sound. Apparently, I don't know much of anything. In any case, somebody please correct me if I'm wrong. The original version of "There Is An End" can be found on Holly's "Truly She Is None Other" album. At this point, I prefer the Broken Flowers version, probably just because that's the first one I'd heard. Previously, I'd only heard of her because of that White Stripes track she shows up on, "It's True That We Love One Another", and I can't stand that one. It makes me wanna smack all three of them and tell them to shut the fuck up. And of course, I'd also heard of her because of "Breakfast At Tiffany's", although that's a different Holly Golightly if you can believe that. Mmm, Audrey Hepburn.

Listen:
The Greenhornes and Holly Golightly > There Is An End

*EDIT*

Okay, I've done a little bit of reading and now it all seems to make sense. Check out this powerpoint presentation, complete with bullet points, I've prepared for you in order to simplify the complicated world of rock n' roll.

• The song was originally written by one of the Greenhornes, Craig Fox.
• It appears The Greenhornes are friends with Jack White, he produced a couple of tracks for them.
• Holly Golightly shows up on the White Stripes album, "Elephant", and possibly is introduced to The Greenhornes.
• She then records"There Is An End" with The Greenhornes, which appears on their album, "Dual Mono".
• "Dual Mono" predates, by about a year, Holly's solo version which appears on her album, "Truly She Is None Other".
• The Greenhornes' Patrick Keeler and Jack Lawrence are the rhythm section for The Raconteurs, who are fronted by Brendan Benson and, ta-da, Jack White.
• The Greenhornes + Holly Golightly version of "There Is An End" is also the one that's on the Broken Flowers soundtrack, and here we are.

Keep in mind, this is a lot of speculation in the space of about 30 minutes and 4 beers, so please correct me if I'm wrong.

You're on time out.

Hmm, I was gonna post something tonight but yousendit seems to be down. This brings me to something I've been thinking about...does anyone have any recommendations for inexpensive online storage for music files? I haven't really looked into it, but perhaps I will this week.

I came around to tear your little world apart

I feel compelled to write this just as an aside to the Garbage vs. Curve thing. Remember when Vow first came out in the mid nineties? I think the single preceded the album by a month or so and it was oh so sexy. I mean, really, was there anyone hotter than Shirley Manson back then? Anyways, not gonna put too much else here, as I've been promised a Garbage post before the end of the year. So for now, relive the brilliant darkness...

Garbage > Vow

Death at one's elbows...

So yesterday I had this brush with death. Well, not exactly brush with death, I just said that because it sounds cool, but the chance for a pretty nasty injury was there. I had been photographing. I was finishing up and about to turn off the flood light when there was a buzzing noise and the bulb exploded. I had turned away in that half second when I heard the buzzing, and luckily so. The shards flew everywhere and were so hot that they had melted into the carpet. It was so weird, I've never seen anything like that happen. I imagine if I had been facing the bulb, the shards would have landed on my face and arms, the heat melting them into my skin. I'd guess my eyes would have been fairly safe, since I wear glasses. But yeah, me...dead.

Joe Jackson > Jack, You're Dead
Joy Division > Dead Souls
M83 > Gone
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds > Death Is Not The End

I'm impatient for the sun to go down

Somebody over at one of the BBs I haunt posted about Curve, whom I haven't listened to in a while. Curve were always pretty underrated, I felt. They were dance, industrial, electronic, goth, shoegaze, etc all rolled up into one. Toni Halliday had (and probably still has) the voice of a siren temptress, not to mention that she's completely gorgeous. Jennifer dissed me for my love of Curve (I forget exactly what she said, but she didn't like them), but this will have to be one of those times we simply disagree. These are some of my favorite Curve songs.

Listen:
Missing Link
Cherry
I Feel Love (Donna Summer cover)

Wishing life wouldn't be so dull...

Recently, I'd been tipped to The Konki Duet. I've been listening to their album, "Il Fait Tout Gris", obsessively. It could be the perfect soundtrack to a bizarre fairy tale or a journey down a forest path lined with gnarled, old trees. Aside from what I've read on their website, I don't know much about the three girls in the band (Zoe, Tam, and Kumi). They have an album, "Mountain Mouton", coming next week. You can buy it here. Also, you can, of course, listen to them on their myspace page. They've got some downloadable goodies on their site, as well as the tracks I'm going to preview here. These are the third, fourth, and fifth tracks on the album. I really love the sequencing and the way they flow in and out of each other. That can be said of the whole album in general, but these tracks are particularly striking to me.

*Please note that these files are m4a, as I generally post mp3 (just in case it makes a difference)

Check em out:
Tu Vas Partir Sans Moi
Il Fait Tout Gris
Melody