art is the new religion

2005-11-08T10:32:00.000-08:00

Hey don't forget you can find me from now on at http://artisthenewreligion.typepad.com/

2005-08-30T08:36:00.000-07:00

My friend Craig was in town last night and invited me to see a screening of "The Baxter" because he did the music for it. The movie was HILARIOUS, you should definitely go see it when it comes out (despite what Ebert & Roeper said).

At the "afterparty" I was amazed to discover that comics attract more aggressive groupies than the musicians I know. I tried to get a shot of the adorable co-ed that sent Michael a drink and got invited to join us, but Craig's head is blocking her. Who knew comedy was so hott?

Check out the website for "The Baxter".

2005-08-27T19:01:00.000-07:00

I <3 the WB!

They're showing an hour long documentary on Fleetwood Mac right now called "Unbroken Chain" which I've never seen before! They're even starting with the Peter Green years. I wonder if I'll learn anything new (I know a lot about Fleetwood Mac.) Today is my lucky day!

Of the many, many lineups Fleetwood Mac has gone through in their 30 odd years, my favorites are the original incarnation with Peter Green and the most famous incarnation which included the magical combo of Stevie and Lindsey.

2005-08-25T10:18:00.000-07:00

Back from the dead. Actually I've just been posting to my LiveJournal. I've been meaning to transfer this blog to TypePad but I can't seem to find the time. Oh, work.

I just had to rave about Google IM. It works like any other IM, except if you have a microphone (I have one built into my laptop at work) you can call and talk to people live! So far I've tested it out with my coworkers (which is stupid because I can just walk over and talk to them in person) but I'm excited to try it out with people long distance. I'm sfist.music on Gmail so look me up, friends! You need a gmail account to join -- let me know if you need an invitation.

More later, I promise. That is, if anyone still checks this blog. (crickets)

2005-07-31T23:11:00.001-07:00

I really need to not have two blogs.

Saturday's Chillin event was a big success, check out my LiveJournal for a camera phone photo of the ginormous crowd. Lots of people-watching and getting to hang out with Audree (her Dutchy booth was next to mine) plus getting paid cash for things I made. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday night.

Today I got perhaps the best surprise gift EVAR:

It's a tote bag made out of a copy of Heart's Little Queen on vinyl. This rules because I named my jewelry line after this record (and song), plus the fact that I want to be Nancy Wilson. No one could possibly appreciate this little tote bag more than me. Pet-sitting for Jet and Nemo is fun enough without getting an amazing present. Thanks Audree!

2005-07-29T13:05:00.000-07:00

In perhaps what might be my proudest moment as Music Editor of SFist...

Please read MattyMatt's interview with Charo.

When Charo's publicist contacted me, I must admit I wasn't man enough to tackle interviewing Charo myself (I was too intimidated). But I didn't relent until I found the bravest SFist on our team, MattyMatt, and harangued him into accepting the challenge. He is now my hero. We can't wait to go see her at Herbst on 8/6.

Says Charo:

"Hello! I am so happy to be bringing original music of today for dancing! I am performing a new style, neosalsa and neoflamenco, because every day I want to improve myself, tomorrow when I wake up I am searching for something better. I'm going to have a bigger thing, ahead of our time, if you love dancing, you gonna wow!"

2005-07-27T22:26:00.000-07:00

Nyla scooped me on blogging about Criss Angel's "Mindfreak" TV show. After seeing the promos, I was a little disappointed at the actual show because I wanted him to be even cheesier than he actually is (the show's theme song and freak-show outro's notwithstanding). Unfortunately, the it's-so-bad-it's-good factor is lacking.

+ = Criss Angel.

---

My copy of Imogen Heap's latest CD speak for yourself just came in the mail! I actually bought it from her website/UK label and paid $22US for it. Some U.S. record company needs to wise up and release it. Hello -- the woman has been on the soundtracks to Garden State and "The O.C." What more do you need?

2005-07-24T13:42:00.000-07:00

Is there such a thing as too much live music?

I'd say no, as long as you're up for some sleep deprivation. Last week I saw five shows, all of which were fantastic, four of which included good old friends from out of town performing. It was great to see Fil, JD (for two whole days) and Ian. (I wish I could say Sufjan was my friend, or my suitor, but alas I've never met the chap.) The Knitters' new album, The Modern Sounds of the Knitters, is out and you should own it. Those kids successfully avoided the sophomore slump.

After our Friday afternoon in-office happy hour, I walked over to Ian's show at Hotel Utah, and when that was finished a group of us went round the corner, literally, to have a house party at another friend's office. So I managed to spend 16 hours at three different places which were all within a block of each other.

Last night Audree and I went to a fashion show that featured her bags. It was fun to see the creative vision of 7 or 8 different independent designers. One of the designers was a handsome rocker looking guy, who I knew I'd seen somewhere before. I bought a really cute hoodie from him and did my best to refrain from asking "Where do I know you from?" Which was a good thing, because after racking my brain all night, I think I remember seeing him on an episode of "Blind Date."

---

Promotional "The" CDs that landed in my mailbox this week: The Cranes, The Occasion, and The Veronicas. I've never listened to The Cranes before (gasp!) but I'm digging the record. Mellow, atmospheric, otherworldly. The Veronicas album came with an exuberant note from their record label and an entertaining bio (their "dynamic Sire Records debut album kicks the "Wow Factor" up a notch or two"). Listening to the album and looking at their photo (hot young twins), it's clear how they could appeal to Avril and Kelly Clarkson fans. It's solid radio pop rock and it will probably blow up. But I was a little taken aback by the lyrics to their song "Secret." Here's the chorus:

You can call me 6 times but still I won't pick up the phone
You can spend all your money on me but I'll still say no
You can write a million letters every day confessing to me
That I am the girl of your dreams
But nobody ever asked me
I never looked at you that way
Cuz I always thought you were gay

Now I'm not advocating for some uber-PC censorship, I just worry that this could give tweens and teens some unnecessary ammo for intolerance, however subtle it may be. Am I overreacting?

---

It's a beautiful day outside and I'm inside blogging. For shame.

2005-07-20T08:14:00.000-07:00

The Knitters kept me up late last night.

A brief list of some of the made-up music genres in the latest Flavorpill newsletter:

Hair Rock
Art Damaged Punk
Not Topic
Nardcore
Prog Thrash
Saccharine Pop
Spazzcore

Somebody please stop them.

2005-07-18T08:20:00.000-07:00

Remember when I told you I was one of 18 finalists for the MSN Road Tour? Well it's under way and you can read what the bloggers are saying here. I wonder if I was up for the rock spot or the alternative spot?

2005-07-17T15:48:00.000-07:00

Odds and sods: Oh blogging, I've missed you.

---

On Thursday night I saw a press screening of "Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus," a film by Andrew Douglas. I'm writing a review of it for SFist, but I'll tell you now that seeing it is like watching a documentary, attending a concert, sitting through a feature film and reading a short story all at the same time. It's playing at the Balboa Theatre for one week starting on July 28th. If you like writing and music that's inspired by the south, or if you came from the south, GO SEE IT!

If it's not coming to your town, the soundtrack, Music from Searching for the Wrong Eyed Jesus, is out now on Luaka Bop. It includes tracks from Jim White, Cat Power, The Handsome Family and more.

---

Read the latest "When The Lights Go Down In The City" on SFist.com. Everyone talks about how talented Sufjan Stevens is, and I wholeheartedly concur, but can I also mention that he's a dreamboat?

---

The hijinks continue on the weekly hour-long Jonathan Hair Product ™ Infomercial, a.k.a. "Blow Out." Whoever wrote the scripts for the second season is a marketing genius, because each episode is about 20% run-of-the-mill reality show, and 80% thinly-veiled advertisement for the Jonathan product line. ("Guess what guys, we're in Sephora!" cha-ching! "I've got to go tell my girlfriend I'm going to be on QVC!" cha-ching!)

The first season had its obvious sponsors, including AmEx and Lens Crafters, and this season there's a cell phone company they mention periodically. But can you be a regular viewer of the show this season and NOT have a growing hankering to head to Sephora to buy some of the wares he's been hawking? Their not-so-subliminal advertising is working on me -- I'm totally going to buy some Dirt texturizing paste. And I wonder if The Pussycat Dolls is in on the deal too? I mean, Robin is his sister, but they're getting tons of lucrative advertising during the show as well.

Yes, the show has degenerated into an infomercial. No, I cannot stop watching!

---

I have a LiveJournal now too.

2005-07-11T20:24:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling the time pinch already people!

Quick links:
Read last Thursday's "When The Lights Go Down In The City." You could enter to win the indie-tastic soundtrack to Wedding Crashers. (We're giving away a pair of tickets to see the brilliant Sufjan Stevens in my column this coming Thursday (thanks to SFist Emily). That's a scoop just for you.)

Read my review of Esthero's show last Friday at the Fillmore. It was fantastic!

Did I already link to my review of the Diamond Nights show?

--

You know what's good? The Shout Out Louds' Howl Howl Gaff Gaff record. The terrible name of both band and album almost forced me to ignore it despite the fact that they are Swedes. (Maybe "howl howl gaff gaff" means something really cool in Swedish?) But I found it on Rhapsody so I checked it out and it's seriously good. I should describe it, but I'd rather eat dinner (time constraints!) Trust me, it's worth a listen. And look how cute they are. They're playing in SF next week, opening for Secret Machines and Kings of Leon at The Fillmore (7/18, 19 and 20!) so get there early if you have tickets. I have a stupid 5-shows-in-a-row schedule next week, but I just might have to double up.

2005-07-05T20:31:00.000-07:00

Being back in the full time working world is quite a change! I need to dust off my rusty time management skills to juggle SFist duties, other writing gigs, shows, KB/dance, socializing, and everything else. Let's see how my new schedule affects how often I blog.

The holiday weekend was dedicated to BBQs -- Penn had one on Sunday at his house with tons of food and lots of cool people. My upstairs neighbors hosted yesterday's BBQ, with more great food and lots of nice new people to meet. I was chatting with Penny and fellow SFist Sam's name came up (via her Becks & Posh blog) and Blakely's name came up while talking to Jen. She must have heard us, because a little while later she and Xav showed up, which was a treat (even though we'd been to the Diamond Nights show together the night before). Jen has a line of fantastic t-shirts called Lacquer (sp?) that should be available at RAG soon. We watched the fireworks from Crystal and Emmett's cozy living room -- we've got quite a view here.

You have to check out the world's ugliest dog! [via SFist MattyMatt] This devil dog is unbelievably ugly.

Blagg strikes again: No Admitted Hipsters Found at 'Total Hipster Party'. It's funny because it's true.

Finally, in a gross self-referential display, I'm going to link to one of my own posts, but for good reason. I want you to scroll to the bottom of the comments to read about the idea that kind commenter Uncle Wendy shared about doing the Record Club online. Genius idea Uncle W, thanks for sharing!

2005-06-30T09:57:00.000-07:00

Podcasting's on the brain today. Rita's "We Read the Weeklies" column on SFist had a link to a (somewhat fluffy) podcasting cover story in the SF Weekly, which you can read here. (I'll pick up my print copy later.) Then Cherry Coloured announced its first foray into podcast listening.

I've been using Odeo for the past couple of days, and I highly recommend it. (I believe they're in their beta version so their Odeo Syncr may not be available to the public yet for download.) You can preview podcasts, then click on individual shows to queue them into your Syncr, or click "subscribe" to get all new shows queued up. You can also how often your Syncr downloads new programs into your iTunes -- when I start my computer, Syncr automatically downloads any new podcasts for me. I don't have any other podcasting software to compare Odeo to, since this is my first foray into podcast listening, although I do plan to download the latest version of iTunes to try out their podcasting downloads. But so far Odeo rocks.

Through a few searches on Odeo I've discovered Tracks Up the Tree and Toronto Star Podcasting. There are also podcasts from indies like Sub Pop and Jade Tree. It's interesting to see how people deal with the nebulous legalities of music podcasting. The Toronto Star is a short show, broadcasting snippets of songs with only one full song thrown in. Tracks Up The Tree podcasts only mp3s that are available for download on the internet. I guess most other music podcasters are counting on their ASCAP and BMI licenses to protect them, or they're just throwing caution to the wind.

--

I read 10-20 blogs a day (33 and counting in my bloglines), and I feel overwhelmed by all the fantastic blogs and podcasts I've yet to discover. And still, when I say the word "blog" to most of my friends, their eyes glaze over in confusion.

--

If you haven't been won over by Feist yet, stop everything and witness her casual musical genius on Morning Becomes Eclectic. She is a one-woman revolution. Viva la Feist!

(Right below the Feist links are links to listen to and watch a set by my old NYC buddies David Poe, Sim and John, with one of my favorite friends who I miss all the time FIL on keys.)

2005-06-29T11:16:00.000-07:00

Hilary Duff is indie rock. Who knew? Check out iTunes' Indie Top 100. (I have no idea how to link to it, so just open your iTunes Music Store and look for the icon.)

Was it just me, or during "Blow Out" last night was there an M&M's commercial featuring a very slow remake of the Postal Service's "Such Great Heights"?

Speaking of "Blow Out"!**

Every time someone made one of the 874 mentions of Jonathan's Legendary Signature Long Layered Haircut ™ during the episode, I expected a little trademark sign ™ to flash across the screen and a little "cha-ching" to sound in the background.

Kimberly pouted and gave great I-was-excluded-from-the-NYC-trip sourpuss from beneath her perfect bangs until Jonathan invited her to do hair for a magazine shoot, at which point she lit up like a Christmas tree and gushed her eternal gratitude towards her boss. Ride the waves!

Poor Edward the Assistant is so in awe of Jonathan that he choked during cutting class and could not come close to replicating Jonathan's Legendary Signature Long Layered Haircut ™. "It's like painting next to Van Gogh," he lamented. While I do not doubt the powers and genius behind Jonathan's Legendary Signature Long Layered Haircut ™, and would love to afford to get my own someday, poor Edward should have taken a clue from lil' Scott and smiled his way through it.

Enter Scott Zorbit. (On a completely unrelated note, I just want to link to these traits of passive-aggressive behavior. Back to what I was saying --) Scott showed up 45 minutes late to the Jonathan Product packaging meeting and then appeared to pull two or three plastic bottles from a little bag and launched into a speech about how he thinks that's the best way to go, and his vision for the line is blah blah blah. The "Blow Out" editors must have edited out the part where Scott asked Jonathan his opinion? When Jonathan asked why Scott didn't bring any other choices, Scott blamed his lack of options on Jonathan's unwillingness to meet in the Zorbit offices. The logic behind that argument, um, must have been edited out. (Because 10 empty plastic bottles would have been too heavy to carry?)

Things reached a fever pitch and Jonathan invited Scott out back, into the Alley of Drama, where they continued to puff up their chests and peck at each other, this time with a ton of cussing. Scott finally crossed the line by referring to Jonathan's "beauty school education" (hello, inflammatory!), causing Jonathan to scream "Get the hell out of my salon!" The home audience cheered, and Jonathan gave the back door an enraged elbow-punch.

Quote of the episode -- Bethann to Scott: "Come on, you've never fought with a client before??"

To counteract the Jonathan ego-fest, the editors show us a few other shades of his personality. He goes to his therapist, he actually reflects on his contentious interactions with Scott (is Scott really impossible or is it just me?) and we get the requisite choked-up "Glurp!" moment when Jason raves to him via cell phone about the Jonathan Product line.

**Allow me to point out that my comments are aimed at everyone's characterizations on the show and not the real people -- because I don't know them.

2005-06-28T17:12:00.000-07:00

I was reading the first article in the June issue of the Believer (Rick Moody's very lengthy essay about how he discovered the Danielson Famile and why he became a fan plus lots of his thoughts on religion) wherein I read about a Record Club happening in NYC. Basically you invite a bunch of friends to gather together and bring two songs they're currently obsessing over and each person takes turns doing their show and tell (or play and tell). It's like a book club, but not. At the end, you can burn up CDs to commemorate that meeting's playlist forever.

Why have none of my friends thought of doing this before?

Who wants to start one in San Francisco? I realize this is a pie-in-the-sky wish, to start an SF Record Club, because people are busy, and how many proactive music-loving friends do I have that can stick to a schedule, and who has a living room with a CD, cassette, mp3 and record player that can fit 6-10 people (not me)? But I can ask. So I ask.

(Nyla and I belonged to a monthly mix CD club a while back called Fellowship of the Mix, which lasted for about 6-8 months. My turn to make a mix never came up, unfortunately, but I did get some cool CDs. The concept of Record Club is way better though, because you actually interact with each other.)

Check out how it works, read the Village Voice article and peruse the NYC Record Club's past playlists. And get back to me.

2005-06-27T10:23:00.000-07:00

Nyla has handed me the musical baton.

Total volume of music files on my computer:
2448 songs or 7 days of music (9.64 GB).
(That doesn't seem like a lot, but I only have the dinosaur first generation 5 gig iPod, and I still use my old fashioned CD and record players. And my Real Rhapsody subscription too.)

Last CD I bought:
I hardly ever buy CDs anymore (I get a lot of promos), but on my last trip to Tower I bought:
Tegan and Sara So Jealous
Ryan Adams & The Cardinals Cold Roses
Depeche Mode Violator

Song playing right now:
the secret song at the very end of the silversun pickups Pikul EP

Five songs I listen to a lot, or that mean a lot to me:
Only five?? These aren't all time favorites, just five that come to mind.
"Love is Stronger Than Death" -- The The
"Anything Can Happen" -- Finn Brothers
"So Into You" -- Shudder To Think
"5 Years" -- Bjork
"Stand Back" -- Stevie Nicks

Three people to whom I’m passing the baton:
Ashod
Alex
Sef
...all of whom are probably too cool or busy to respond. Which is not an insult. Just sayin'.

---

This seems like the perfect meaningless bit of information to blog about -- this morning I noticed that one of my dollar bills had www.wheresgeorge.com stamped on it, so I took the bait.

Turns out this dollar bill started out in Burlingame and travelled 13 Miles in 37 Days, 23 Hrs, 39 Mins at an average of 0.33 Miles per day. Read the stats here.

I will send this bill on its merry way down at my favorite neighborhood eatery, the Ebb-Tide Cafe.

2005-06-26T10:35:00.000-07:00

Worth your hard-earned catfish:

Silversun Pickups' Pikul EP

I've heard about this band many times from Ashod, but never actually heard them until I got a promo of the EP in the mail. Their dreamy dirges are now stuck in my head and I can't wait to see them live to prove to myself that the singer is in fact male.

mp3: Silversun Pickups "Kissing Families"

---

I've refrained from commenting on this week's "Blow Out" episode, mainly because it lacked a jaw-dropping appearance from Scott. This week the stylists went to NYC, they curled, they overslept, they complained. The editors hinted at a B Michael fashion show catastrophe (Will the stylists be late? Will Jonathan only get through half his finger curls before curtain call?), but then everything went off without a hitch. Sigh. Bring back the "Apprentice"-esque business drama! It's exciting to see from your comments that I'm not the only person fascinated by the puffed up ego-fest that is Jonathan vs. Scott.

Trailers from next week's episode promise more hijinks punctuated by a furious Scott-induced door-punch by Jonathan. Can't. Wait.

---

I've yet to tackle the phenomenon of podcasting, but I have downloaded Odeo's Syncr tool and will test it out this week.

---

Mel and I went to SFist Sarah's house party last night, and lots of blog talk ensued with Jackson (whom Isaac recently christened "Jackson Social Club"). Mel and I had been discussing our strangely genetic Texas pride, but after all the writing and blogging talk with Jax, I started to feel some San Francisco pride for the first time. This is a city of ideas and of phenomenally creative people, and I'm extremely excited to be a part of some of SF's coolest offerings. I'm having my own little version of Pride Week.

---

The 15 Minute Hipster, in defense of "X is the new Y." Thanks Hipster!

---

Lastly, check out my new friend Tim's blog postpunkdiary. Meditations and musings on music. He's speakin' my language.

2005-06-23T09:36:00.000-07:00

Take the city as my sister, and the nighttime as my lover...

I'm just now listening to the CD compilation that came packaged with the June issue of The Believer, and I gotta say it's already worth every penny I spent on it, mainly for the covers of songs by Joanna Newsom and The Constantines.

Songs can move me for many reasons, but I have always understood the difference between an amazing song and an amazing performance. Sometimes you find both in the same track, sometimes just one, usually neither. It's hard to kill, say, a Bob Dylan or Neil Young song, no matter what kind of talentless hack is covering it. The song survives the performance. And even though I'm a huge fan, it would be hard to imagine anyone else making most Tori Amos songs sound as good as she does. Her performance makes the song.

I was subconsciously putting Joanna Newsom and The Constantines in the latter category, until I heard covers of their songs on this Believer compilation. Colin Meloy of the Decemberists, with his strummy acoustic and Mangum-esque vocal, revealed Joanna's "Bridges & Balloons" to be a folk masterpiece. Take away Joanna's creak and squeak voice and dreamy harp -- and her melody, phrasing and lyrics emerge to knock you over. I can see this cover being used to trick Joanna-haters into giving the lass some well-deserved respect.

Jim Guthrie completely re-imagines The Constantines' "Nighttime/Anytime (It's Alright)" into a relaxed swagger, removing much of the grit and tension from the original, but the darkness and mystery remain. It's still not a strong song in the classic sense, but Guthrie shows the song has legs and can live apart from its creators. I'm now obsessed with hearing some of Jim Guthrie's own music.

(And in case this post makes it seem otherwise, The Constantines are one of my favorite discoveries of the past year. They fill the hole that Shiner left behind when they broke up (although The Life and Times will rise). Hearing the new Constantines record and seeing them live for the first time are two of my wishes for 2005.)

I haven't gotten into the other Believer songs yet, but I have a feeling they'll be causing more discoveries and revelations. Check out the track listing here. Then buy it before they run out of 'em.

P.S. Read this week's When The Lights Go Down In The City, please and thanks.

2005-06-22T10:46:00.000-07:00

Read my review of Feist's opening gig for Rilo Kiley at the Grand, if you please.

Sunday July 19th could go down as the best day of 2005. It's certainly going to be hard to top it.

It started out with my bus trip down to Stern Grove to see John Doe open for Lucinda Williams. I took two buses from my house, both of which showed up right on time and got me to Stern Grove with ease. I'd never been to the venue before, so I was understandably awe-struck by the beauty of an outdoor stage nestled amongst a grove of towering trees. Apparently the facilities just went through a major upgrade, so the sound was amazing and the backstage area was plush. The weather was perfect and fogless, and the sun shone a little hotter than usual for San Francisco.

Penn and Ms. V met up with me and we spent plenty of time hanging out with Nick, Chris and Richard, who I affectionately nicknamed the Luca's, seen here. The quote of the day came from Nick:

You know, "Sex and the City" revolutionized "Oprah."

Ah yes, the usual backstage rocknroll banter.

When JD and the band played, we sat out at the VIP tables and were treated to sunshine and free refreshments, which totally made up for their Mountain Winery show being rained out. I got to see several friends including Mel and DKatz -- there were thousands of people there. Lucinda rocked, and the rest of us had a great time hanging out, drinking wine and talking about anything and everything.

After we left the grove, we had a great dinner at Indian Oven and then ran into Blakely and Xav on the street on our way out. To make a perfect day even better, JD brought me and the Luca's to the Fillmore to see the Spoon show. We sat up in a back balcony (I never knew those existed) and watched a very tight and professional set by Spoon. It lacked a personal feel, since Britt hardly spoke between songs, but they did deliver and made fans out of my initially skeptical companions. After running into Britt and JV after the show, it was time to call it a night.

Perfect Sunday, in my book.

2005-06-17T14:48:00.000-07:00

Head over to ye olde BlaggBlogg to read about why "Music Critics are Stupid and Pointless." I have to agree with Alex, despite the fact that I have reviewed and will continue to review records online and in print. In my own defense, I try to be descriptive rather than judgemental or self-aggrandizing. As in, here's a record I think you should know about, and this is why you might like it. Jury's out on whether or not I'm successful at that goal.

--> Read this week's "When The Lights Go Down In The City" please and thanks. <--

Did anyone watch "Blow Out" this week? Zorbit Scott is my favorite new reality TV villian that I love to hate.** I wondered if he was a paid actor, but a Google search yielded this possible evidence that he is, in fact, an actual marketing/branding executive.

Watch this week's bonus footage of Jonathan talking to his girl Sescie on the phone. For added comic effect, pay attention to his bedside alarm clock in the background which tracks exactly how erratically the editors hacked apart their phone conversation and created something completely different out of it.

The "Blow Out" website's "blog" section leaves much to be desired, by the way. I applaud whoever had the foresight to include a blog section, but unless people are actually blogging about something interesting, then don't even bother. They should let me be a special audience correspondent.

**Allow me to point out that my comments are aimed at their characterizations on the show and not the real people -- because I don't know them.

2005-06-10T09:34:00.000-07:00

Ce n'est pas un Spoon fansite.

Spoon made a video for "I Turn My Camera On," which can be seen here at RollingStone.com. I really wish I hadn't watched it. Can no one make a good video for Spoon? (Except for Ryan Junell, I mean.) If any images from this video pop into my head the next time I hear that song, I'm going to feel defeated. Spoon, if you don't have a good video to make, don't make one at all.

The word of the day is: multivalent.

Read it used in context in Jessica Hopper's review of Gimme Fiction here.

###

Pixel Revolt is coming! Pixel Revolt is coming!

We have to wait until August 23rd for John Vanderslice's latest, but you can download "Trance Manual" from the new record here.

###

Speaking of JV, he's apparently prominently featured in the Beulah documentary, "A Good Band Is Easy To Kill," which comes out August 2nd. Watch the trailer here. I wonder how the documentary turned out, but it will be entertaining for me to watch either way since I know so many people in the Beulah camp. I can't wait to see which Kurosky nuggets of wisdom and shock value made the final cut!

2005-06-09T15:34:00.000-07:00

Read this week's "When The Lights Go Down In The City" please and thanks. Also enter to win guest list spots to see Amusement Parks on Fire or The Futureheads.

###

The new CocoRosie album Noah's Ark isn't a huge departure from the last one, but the production quality has improved. The duet with Antony, "Beautiful Boyz," is most excellent. I heart Touch and Go!

###

Tivo-worthy: "Blow Out: Season 2"

Bravo's original programming makes me almost happy to pay my cable bill.

The first season of "Blow Out" followed uber-famousse hair stylist Jonathan Antin as he opened a second salon location in Beverly Hills. Multiple Hollywood hairstylists all in one room is a recipe for drama in itself, but what really carries the show is Jonathan's charisma. He's handsome, professional and ambitious, as well as moody, self-centered and overworked. But he balances seemingly vapid statements like "I'm about perfect hair, man," with thoughtful reflections on life as an entrepreneur. He's sincere about his art, and I respect that. Despite his leonine presence, he has a big ol' heart underneath the tattoos and hair product. Every time he cries (it's no rarity), I just want to hug him. Did I mention how handsome he is?

This season he's starting his own line of hair products, complete with a group of corporate suits who are toeing the big, bad Bottom Line. Check out this video clip preview of Episode 2, where Jonathan is introduced to Scott, some sort of branding/marketing guy they're putting in charge of the Jonathan product. Scott comes to a big meeting unprepared to show Jonathan any ideas or samples of past work, then acts supremely offended when Jonathan calls him on it. Extra points for the repetition of one of my favorite phrases, "dog and pony show." **

**Allow me to point out that my comments are aimed at these people's characterizations on the show and not the real people -- because I don't know them. The "Blow Out" editors have created some fascinating characters in the editing process!

2005-06-08T10:49:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love a change in the weather? Sunny to rainy, cold to warm, I don't care what it's changing from and to, I just love the change. It reminds me that change is possible and unexpected, and makes the challenges in my life seem a little more bearable.

One sad change happening in NYC is the closing of the Luna Lounge, the location of many of my late nights spent between the autumns of 1999 to 2001. There was the time when a few of my V2 co-worker friends and I folded ourselves up into a tiny backseat of a car with our friends Grasshopper and dreamboat Jeff Mercel of Mercury Rev to meet up with our boys in Grandaddy at Luna, because they were there to meet up with Elliot Smith (who hung out there often). There were the many nights that my Tex-pat friends Billy, Pamela, Blu, Dan, Wes, and I all convened to watch Skywriter play. There was the spin-the-bottle experience with friends and members of the Morgan Taylor Rock Group that I only remember vaguely. There were a few times Dave D. and I shut the place down, laughing at the tiny marlin mounted on the wall behind the bar. There was the time Blu and I sat at the bar and witnessed, in the reflection of the mirror behind the bar, two of our friends emerging from a secret makeout session in the backroom. They thought they got away with it unnoticed, until Blu and I busted them, and subsequently laughed ourselves silly. So many nights there with Karla, Lily, LT, Fil...it's a shame it won't be there when I go back to visit.

The good news is that Luna Lounge is set to re-open in Williamsburg, according to Brooklyn Vegan. I borrowed that photo from MurphGuide.com -- click here here for their interview with Luna owner Rob Sacher.

###

In my habitual combing of Craiglist job ads, I discovered an application for the MSN Music Road Tour, and applied. Much to my surprise, I was selected as one of 18 semi-finalists with a shot to become one of six selected to hop on a tour bus and ride around the country to promote MSN Music at summer festivals and events. In my phone interview with the MSNers in charge of casting, I was completely honest, highlighting my interest in travelling around the U.S., seeing tons of music, and blogging about it every day. When they asked me how I felt about doing street promotions (i.e. handing out flyers and tchotchkes), I also answered honestly. Which is why I'm not leaving on the bus tomorrow. I think they made the right decision!

It was very flattering getting chosen as a semi-finalist though. Dan from MSN, if you read this, email me so we can swap music recommendations. I'll be following the MSN Road Tour from my laptop right here in SF, CA.

###

I got a last minute invitation on Friday to go see The Mars Volta at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, because a friend had an extra ticket. Four of us made the trek out there and got positively rocked and rolled. Cedric's tight, tight polyester pants were thankfully no hindrance to his noodly-limbed, James Brown-esque, slide-footed dance moves and banshee screams.

2005-06-02T09:06:00.000-07:00

Read this week's "When The Lights Go Down In The City" please and thanks.

This morning Sef linked to Spoon's KCRW performance, which is a must-watch. (Although, the way the studio is lit, it looks like they're taping a Saturday Night Live performance from the 80's.) The first half of the performance is all new songs, and in the last portion they play "Utilitarian," "Everything Hits At Once," "Someone Something" and "My Mathematical Mind."

Of course I love Gimme Fiction. (Britt would have to try really hard to diminish my respect for Spoon.) I love that they stuck with Merge. I love the Spoon swagger -- he's not afraid to sing about dragons, dukes and neckrugs, and dares you try to figure out why. In "The Beast and Dragon Adored" lyrics, I love that he makes self-referential mention of GF songs "I Summon You" and "They Never Got You." And I'll never get bored of hearing Britt embellish a song with his signature "alright!" or "ow!"

Simple, majestic, nuanced, raw, real, revealing, fantastical Spoon.

I know that Gimme Fiction is getting a lot of attention, and they're playing every hip festival this year, but I've said it before and I'll say it again: Spoon is way underrated.

2005-06-01T15:42:00.000-07:00

I love it when record companies allow entire records to be streamed on the internet, especially prior to their release date. Lately MySpace.com has been the place to do it, with both bands and labels getting exposure for major releases by streaming them on the site.

Now, I do understand the logic behind disabling the fast forward button when you're streaming an album for promotional purposes. And I certainly didn't mind listening to the Audioslave album in its entirety. When I heard that the new Black Eyed Peas record was streaming on MySpace, I was excited to check it out since one of my close friends is a writer on one of the songs. Unfortunately, it was track 4, meaning I had to wait through no less than twelve minutes of BEP's catchy nonsense before I could check out my friend's track.

For someone who dislikes BEP as much as I do, it was pure torture. Oh, fast forward button, how I miss you...

2005-05-31T09:10:00.000-07:00

An open letter to purveyors of fine mp3 blogs:

Dear purveyors of fine mp3 blogs,

I really respect what you do. You take your free time, surely unpaid, to write and post about music you want the masses to hear. You're the equivalent of that friend who used to invite people over to play records, tapes and CDs whether they liked it or not, just to show them what they were missing out on and needed to buy. But now that the Internet is our shared living room, we all get to hear new music (at our leisure, no less), which is fantastic.

For the most part, you all are pretty respectful of the artists you're recommending. You usually only post one or two mp3's from an album, for a limited period of time, along with tons of bio info and even links to purchase the record. But sometimes when multiple mp3 bloggers all get excited about the same artist, a dangerous thing starts happening. In your efforts to have fresh content for your readers, you all tacitly refuse to post the same mp3 that's already been posted elsewhere. If a record gets really popular, then you can have five, six or more mp3s posted from one album across the blogosphere for people to collect.

This is happening now with the forthcoming Sufjan Stevens record, Illinois. Granted, the record does have 22 tracks on it, but there is no fair and sane reason that I should have already collected SIX of those tracks, nearly a third of the record, without even looking for them and well over a month prior to the release date. (This also happened with Arcade Fire last year, and has probably happened with other records I didn't notice.)

Clearly the mp3-bloggerati is still a small population of bloggers, and each of you are obviously aware of what other tracks from an album have been leaked, since you take pains to post different songs and new content on your own site. My suggestion to you is to have a gentlemen's agreement to collectively keep the leaked tracks to a maximum of three amongst yourselves, and whomever posts those three first "wins" (if you're keeping score, and I reckon you do). Then, in a nod to that mp3-blogger's superiority, if you wish to write about the record you will have to simply link to their already posted tracks instead of uploading new ones (and screwing over the artist - a very indie artist in Sufjan's case).

How does that sound?

To alleviate some of your guilt, rest assured I will still buy the Illinois record from the comely and talented Sufjan Stevens when it comes out on July 5th because I can already hear that it's going to be great.

Your friend,
artisthenewreligion

2005-05-27T09:35:00.000-07:00

OK, I admit it. I can't handle Tom Cruise's truth. Or Britney & Kevin's for that matter. Anyone want my television? It's back to good old-fashioned book-readin' for me.

Here's to the good kind of crazy:

ODE TO THINGS (oda a las cosa)
by Pablo Neruda

I HAVE A CRAZY
Crazy love of things.
I like pliars,
and scissors.
I love
cups
rings
and bowls -
not to speak, of course,
of hats.
I love
all things,
not just
the grandest,
also
the infinite
ly
small-
thimbles,
spurs,
plates,
and flower vases.

Oh yes.

And a few words from e.e. cummings:

Humanity i love you
because you would rather black the boots of
success than enquire whose soul dangles from his
watch-chain which would be embarrassing for both

parties and because you
unflinchingly applaud all
songs containing the words country home and
mother when sung at the old howard

Humanity i love you because
when you're hard up you pawn your
intelligence to buy a drink and when
you're flush pride keeps

you from the pawn shop and
because you are continually committing
nuisances but more
especially in your own house

Humanity i love you because you
are perpetually putting the secret of
life in your pants and forgetting
it's there and sitting down

on it
and because you are
forever making poems in the lap
of death Humanity

I hate you

2005-05-26T12:23:00.000-07:00

The return of my beloved Ms. Imogen Heap. Download the marvelously creepy "Hide and Seek" here. Let it transport you, courtesy of the fine folks at Central Village. Lyrics here.

mm what you say
oh that you only meant well, well of course you did
mm what you say
mm that it's all for the best, of course it is
mm what you say
that IT'S JUST what we need, you decided this
mm what you say
what did she say?

2005-05-24T10:25:00.000-07:00

Aggressively annoying:

Mushroom-sized and shaped Mary-Kate Olsen is dating Encino Man.

Tom Cruise, what is Scientology's position on feeding the general public rampant, blazing lies? We are not fooled! And we are not going to go see either your or your "girlfriend" Katie Holmes' blockbuster movies this summer!

TOO SKINNY.
NOT glamorous.
No longer funny.
If bleaching your naturally gorgeous red hair into a stringy pale yellow mess isn't a sign of self-hatred, then perhaps starving yourself is.

2005-05-19T09:48:00.000-07:00

Odds and sods: Stream the new Audioslave record on MySpace.com. I also found the new much-talked-about Mountain Goats record The Sunset Tree on Real Rhapsody. Hooray for streaming! Speaking of free music, I'm giving away a copy of Citizen Cope's latest record on SFist here.

Now when someone asks me what my favorite restaurant in San Francisco is, I will know how to respond.

In trying to make a point about how much I love Shiner's out of print and back in print record Lula Divinia, I told my friend that it's in my all time top 5. Which of course prompted him to ask me what the other four were. D'oh! I knew that was coming. Working on a response...

From the ashes of the late great Shiner comes The Life and Times, who are releasing Suburban Hymns on August 8th on Desoto Records. Allen Epley is one of those artists who I will trust no matter what they do.

If I had a dog, you can bet I would be at the Walkadogathon tomorrow morning. Maybe I can steal Jet for the day...

2005-05-17T09:21:00.000-07:00

The gift fairy brought me a ticket to see Audioslave last night (thanks Penn!), which brought back my youthful concertgoing enthusiasm for one night. Normally I am a cranky jerk who doesn't want to go to a show unless I can stand or sit somewhere away from the crowd, but last night I didn't care. I braved the dude-heavy, sweaty rock crowd just to watch Chris Cornell up close, and it was worth it! Sure, his voice was shot, so when he talked he sounded like a screamy frog, but I was just happy that he actually spoke between songs. I'm used to Cornell being grumpy and silent, but he seemed happy last night. The highlight was when Chris came out alone with an acoustic guitar to sing three songs, including a Temple of the Dog track. So, so good. [I borrowed this Cornell photo from www.amyweiser.com. I hope she doesn't mind.]

A little fun-time Bay To Breakers nonsense for your viewing pleasure. That's Alexa in the fuzzy hat and Audree in the tall black wig. The weather wasn't as nice as last year, but that didn't prevent the costumed or, in many cases, naked revellers from dancing and drinking through the streets of San Francisco. Oh and there were runners there too, from what I hear.

2005-05-16T09:54:00.000-07:00

Blu Sanders, my friend of many years and an amazing singer-songwriter I worked with for a long time, just sent me a CDR in the mail. A plain recordable CD with "Blu" written on it with a Sharpie. Just some recordings he worked on, live takes, recorded over a weekend. Half the tracks are spoken word and the rest are acoustic versions of his songs. Simple, but with the spoken word, a little adventurous.

I remember an afternoon in New York City a few years ago when I visited Blu at his apartment. He was showing me his recording setup on his computer, various microphones and whatnot. He mentioned some writing he'd been doing. It wasn't songs, he's played me many songs or parts of songs over the years we've known each other. These writings were little vignettes, he said, a few paragraphs each, about how he'd been feeling or what he thought about. Sounded like he was describing journal writing, most of which is only interesting to the writer. But he wanted to share them with me, so he brought some up on his computer screen and I read.

His writing was alive, succinct, honest. It cut through. A few times in my life, people have shared a little slice of their secret art with me, without having any idea how great it is, or could be. Without knowing its worth. Witnessing this ego-less vulnerability, it's spiritual.

I encouraged him, honestly told him how good the writing was, laughed at the funny parts. Some of Blu's writing is crass and hilarious, most of it is touching. When we relaunched his website a few years ago, we decided he should publish the writings as a journal. I've never heard him speak them aloud before.

The spoken word tracks on this CD focus mostly on love, lost love. Blu knows heartbreak. He's lived it, writes about it, and sings it in one of the most heartbreaking voices I've ever heard. Listening to Blu reminds me, if we can't make love work, we can still make art.

Listen to:
things changed
"By His Side" acoustic

I don't know if Blu will release any of these recordings to the public, but if he asks my opinion, I'll encourage him.

2005-05-13T15:26:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday night I met up with Daria of DKiss Designs at Project Sunshine West's kickoff party at Bambuddha Lounge. (Project Sunshine is a non-profit organization that provides free services to children who are hospitalized for AIDS, cancer, and other life threatening illnesses.) Daria and I were among several local designers who donated to the silent auction, and they invited us to attend the event.

We didn't know what to expect, but it turned out to be a really fun evening with great food and entertainment and interesting people, for a wonderful cause. Highlights were a performance by dholrhythms students (sign me up!), the vegetarian noodles from Asia SF, and meeting Alex Blagg in person after knowing him through SFist. Visit the BlaggBlogg for some truly twisted comedy. SF Weekly's readers voted him Best Comedian and Best Blogger. Nice work Blagg!

After the benefit, I was abducted by a crazy Scot (is that redundant?) and ended up dancing with strangers at the Starlight Room. Can't say that it was my kind of crowd, but I did feel like I was checking out a local landmark. Nice view there.

2005-05-13T10:55:00.000-07:00

SF Weekly's "Best of San Francisco" issue is out, and SFist was named best local blog. Feels kinda nice, actually. Read this week's "When The Lights Go Down In The City" here.

Check out the tracklisting Dave Eggers compiled for the June issue of the Believer [via Stereogum]. It's indie rock bands covering other indie rock bands, and yes, I love it. The appearance by The Constantines as well as a cover of their most excellent song "Nighttime/Anytime (It's Alright)" is going to make me a Believer.

01 The Decemberists - "Bridges & Balloons" by Joanna Newsom
02 Spoon - "Decora" by Yo La Tengo
03 Constantines - "Why I Didn't Like August '93" by Elevator
04 CocoRosie - "Ohio" by Damien Jurado
05 The Mountain Goats - "Pet Politics" by Silver Jews
06 San Serac - "Late Blues" by Ida
07 The Shins - "We Will Become Silhouettes" by the Postal Service
08 Josephine Foster - "The Golden Window" by the Cherry Blossoms
09 Cynthia G. Mason - "Surprise, AZ" by Richard Buckner
10 Jim Guthrie - "Nighttime/Anytime (It's Alright)" by the Constantines
11 Espers - "Firefly Refrain" by Fursaxa
12 Two Gallants - "Anna's Sweater" by Blear
13 Vetiver - "Be Kind to Me" by Michael Hurley
14 Ida - "My Fair, My Dark" by David Schickele
15 Mount Eerie - "Waterfalls" by Thanksgiving
16 Devendra Banhart - "Fistful of Love" by Antony & the Johnsons
17 Wolf Parade - "Claxxon's Lament" by Frog Eyes

Buy the June Music Issue of The Believer here.

2005-05-12T11:43:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the writer of the Gary Benchley chronicles, who is quitting The Morning News to focus on the book deal he got from Penguin's Plume Books (via Gawker). Read his hilarious rock n' roll writings here while they're still free. Read more about the writer here and visit his blog here.

Although I do admire the strength and realistic voice of the character Gary Benchley, anyone who thought the chronicles were written by an actual 23 year old rock star wannabe is seriously overestimating the focus and literary skills of most 23 year old rock star wannabes. Trust me on this one, I know a lot of musicians.

2005-05-11T08:59:00.000-07:00

You could be like me and listen to Gimme Fiction on Real Rhapsody, since I don't have the record yet (update: the gift fairy just brought me a copy! Thanks buddy!). Track 3, "I Turn My Camera On," was the one Mike, Britt and Jim were mixing when I visited them that day in Brooklyn. I think my favorite song so far is "I Summon You." For those of you not keeping track, Spoon = genius. Too genius to be fully appreciated in the now, I reckon. Britt deserves at least as much adulation as Sir Jack White, if not more.

Jen, my fellow -ist, posted a very interesting mp3 on her Daily Refill blog today. It's Angela McCluskey covering "Love Is Stronger Than Death." This is one of my favorite songs (I put it on a special mix last year) from one of my all time favorite albums, The The's Dusk. Here is the original, for your listening pleasure:

mp3: The The "Love Is Stronger Than Death" from the album Dusk [BUY IT]

On Sunday I volunteered with an organization called One Brick. It's a really painless way to volunteer without any paperwork or commitment; just go to their calendar and sign up online for what you'd like to do. I joined a large group of volunteers to "beautify" Justin Herman Park in the rain on Sunday morning. Beautify means pulling weeds and spreading wood chips. The rain actually wasn't that bad, I got to do something nice for the city, and I made a few friends as well. If you live in SF, New York or Chicago, check it out.

Grapefruit salsa, y'all.

Basically you take your favorite salsa recipe and replace the tomatoes with grapefruit. Chop up the grapefruit and add white onion, cilantro, jalapeño, the juice of a lime, garlic and a tiny bit of sugar. Yummm. (This janky photo is from my camera phone, which lacks the quality control of, say, a real camera.)

Just call me Nostradamus. First, read this item I wrote for the Bitch List in the issue of Bitch Magazine that came out this spring:

Hmm...who was on Oprah on Monday? Oh yes, CESAR MILLAN! Our very own beloved Dog Whisperer himself was tackling the issues of Oprah's dog Sophie. Unfortunately the Oprah segment wasn't as informative or entertaining as Cesar's own show; Oprah's producers focused more on her stressing out than on Cesar's rehabilitation. Also, I think Cesar was a little nervous. He did get a big laugh when Oprah freaked out about his gentle pit bull, Daddy, and he reassured her by saying, "He's just energy, in a different outfit." Now millions more people can love him as much as we do. Go Cesar!

2005-05-04T10:29:00.000-07:00

Opening acts for Tori Amos' "Summer of Sin" tour will be our girls in the Ditty Bops and Imogen Heap! Tori usually takes a male singer-songwriter out as her opening act, but she's done really well with breaking that habit this time around.

Imogen Heap has been one of my favorite artists since she released her first solo record I Megaphone back in '98. (I was working at a record store and fished it out of a promo pile.) That record made a little bit of noise with the single "Come Here Boy," but Imogen didn't resurface in the US again until Frou Frou released their album in the summer of 2002. Details is a fantastic record, and thanks to "Garden State" a lot more people heard it. Now I hear that Imogen's got another solo record in the works, set for release this summer. This is good news!

I'm at RAG today, chillin' with my main man Chupa. Here's photo evidence of the love that Chupa and I share. I've had my camera phone for a year and I just discovered all these new options, like the sepia tone here.

2005-05-03T09:14:00.000-07:00

Here's a real good friend of mine playing with my idol Nancy Wilson. I should have been in Seattle this weekend.

2005-04-30T19:32:00.000-07:00

Worthy of our obsession: Okkervil River's Black Sheep Boy.

Listen here. Better yet, buy here.

This album speaks to your inner Jeff Mangum. Literate, passionate, folk-rock-art. (Dave, you'll love this.)

Some lyrics from "So Come Back, I Am Waiting":

A black sheep boy dissolves in hot cream, in sweet moans, in each dead bed and empty home, in each seething bacterium. Killing softly and serial, he lifts his head, handsome, horned, magisterial. He's the smell of the moonlight wisteria. He’s the thrill of the abecedarian. (See the muddy hoofprints where he carried you?) ... So come back to your life on the lam. So come back to your old black sheep man. He says “I am waiting on hoof and on hand. I am waiting, all hated and damned. I am waiting - I snort and I stamp. I am waiting, you know that I am, calmly waiting to make you my lamb.”

Notable tour stops:
05/01 Dallas, TX - Gypsy Tea Room
05/06 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
05/20 San Francisco, CA - Slim's
05/21 Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour

~~~

Today's quote:

"Do not hurry; do not rest."

-- Goethe

2005-04-29T12:39:00.000-07:00

Stream "The Beast and Dragon, Adored" from Spoon's forthcoming Gimme Fiction. T minus 11 days and counting...I have to get a copy with the bonus 4-song disc. I can't remember the last time I counted down to an album's release date.

Radio.blog.club will let you stream music from your website. I really want to do this, but the instructions seem a little bit intimidating.

Amazing Grace: Jeff Buckley rocked the Boston Film Festival, as usual. Read more about it on Cherry Coloured, Fungible Convictions, and Dykstranet.

2005-04-28T17:15:00.000-07:00

In case you were wondering what to get me for my birthday, I would like one of these:

I'm not exactly sure what it is, but it's quite possibly the cutest thing I've ever seen. I'm talking about the tiny animal, not about the boy holding him. No offense to Blu, who I adore because he knows me well enough to send me photos like this.

Take a look at Blu's other camera photos, and click here to read about his funny & touching experience with the late great comedian Mitch Hedberg.

2005-04-26T15:16:00.000-07:00

Something new to file under the aggressively annoying category, along with Mark McGrath's flapping white choppers: Frickin' A.

I caught their video for "Jessie's Girl" on MTV's Fresh New Music show the other day, and had to rub my eyes in disbelief. It's not that I was transported back to 1981 when Rick Springfield's song topped the Billboard charts -- although, Frickin A's cover isn't much of a departure from the original. No, I just thought we were through with the intolerable trend of rock bands trying to achieve a number one hit with an ironic cover from the 80's. Weren't the successes of Limp Bizkit's cover of "Faith" and Alien Ant Farm's cover of "Smooth Criminal" enough? When was the last time anyone even said the phrase "frickin' A"???

My question to the members of Frickin' A -- is it really rewarding to top the charts with a rehash of someone else's hit song? I guess I'm applying my own values of original songwriting and creative innovation where they're really not welcome. Some people just want to rock in a band with no regard to artistic exploration or expression.

It's interesting to note that Frickin' A is the first and only band on an independent label to land a spot on a NOW! That's What I Call Music compilation. Um...positively groundbreaking. Rick Springfield thank$ you.

~~

In other news, my friend went to the doctor while on tour to find out that he has corneal ulcers. That means ulcers. On his corneas! Frickin' A! Sounds like something you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. He said it wasn't so bad, except that he couldn't wear his glasses or contacts and therefore couldn't see very well. Beware the dangers of long-wearing contact lenses, people.

2005-04-25T09:20:00.000-07:00

I wrote up part of my interview with Feist, which is the headline article in the Venus website's music section. Click here to read, please and thanks!

Inspired by my friend's suggestion that ties are sexy on women (hi you), I decided to wear one on Saturday night to Bottom of the Hill. I was taught to tie a tie by my father when I was about 8 years old, so my skills were understandably rusty. Tim had to step in and fix it for me, at which point he became inspired to wear a tie on stage. Instead of grabbing one from his suitcase like he said he would, the next thing I know he's stolen Craig D's tie, as well as the shirt off his back. Craig ended up with Tim's wrinkly plaid shirt here, but it was a noble sacrifice for the rock fans.

2005-04-20T19:30:00.000-07:00

Last night I took my friend who's in town to the Opera Plaza Cinema on Van Ness, which I've never been to before. We were shocked to see that there were a grand total of thirty seats in our theatre. THIRTY. The screen itself was only about twice as big as a large television. But once the lights went out, we got used to it.

We saw Dot the I starring the always toothsome Gael Garcia Bernal, the excellent James D'Arcy, and the stunning Natalia Verbeke. Aside from the beauty of the main actors and many of the shots in the film, I can't really recommend seeing it, unless you're a big fan of crazy plots. I wish the whole "Two Thumbs Up!" rigamarole came with a money-back guarantee. But Verbeke, she's amazing. She basically scowls and/or cries throughout the entire film, but she does it well, and you never get tired of looking at her.

Most of the soundtrack was really good as well. Here's a tracklisting:

.Doris Day - Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps
.Pink Martini - Sympathique
.Space Raiders - Beautiful Crazy
.Ozomatli - Super Bowl Sundae
.Doves - There Goes The Fear
.Bentley Rhythm Ace - T-Spot
.Carlos Jean - Mira Pa Dentro
.Idlewild - Out Of Routine
.David Danvers - Cross The T
.Rachid Taha - Barra Barra
.Lotte - Empty
.Tito Herido & Olayo Guiminez - Dot The I Flamenco Song
.Omar Faruk Tekbilek - Red Skies
.Aqualung - Just For A Moment
.Christian Basso - The Movement
.Iota - Gears
.DJ Shadow - Blood On The Motorway
.Fun Lovin' Criminals - Fun Lovin Criminals

I think "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps" is my new favorite song of all time.

2005-04-19T15:17:00.000-07:00

Read my brief interview with the singer of Electric Six on SFist here. And if you're in San Francisco, go see them tomorrow night. Thanks to my good man Mr. "Dequindre" for the hookup.

2005-04-17T10:55:00.000-07:00

At last night's Chillin event, a nice stranger came up to me weilding this sign. It said "You are beautiful! And so much more." He wanted me to pin it to his shirt. The little sign was so cheesy, but he was too genuine and cheerful to be annoying. I dug around and found a straight pin, and wished him luck with his pick-up line. He balked at my assumption, so I called it an icebreaker instead, and sent him back into the crowded venue to spread his message. It was interesting participating in a sample sale at night at a crowded club with people drinking, dancing and chatting you up. There are never that many men at a normal fashion event.

It was a lot of fun but exhausting. As the long day (two sample sales back-to-back) and night drew towards a close, my friends appeared out of the clear black night! Xavi, who has been gone a long time, is back and we took it as a good reason to celebrate.

2005-04-15T15:48:00.000-07:00

Pick up the current issue of Bitch Magazine to read my reviews of Client's City and Esthero's We R In Need of a Musical Revolution EP. Actual hold-it-in-your-hands, ink-on-paper style.

Sometimes I fantasize about moving to a small town, but living in the city has its advantages, not the least of which is the fact that sooner or later most of your friends come to visit, whether they're on tour, on a business trip or on vacation. Plus, the weather is just too perfect today; I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. And in a big city, it's easy to disappear completely.

I need to get back to work. If you have a copy of Kid A nearby, throw it on, and climb into spring:

"Eyesight" by A.R. Ammons
It was May before my
attention came
to spring and

my word I said
to the southern slopes
I've

missed it, it
came and went before
I got right to see:

don't worry, said the mountain,
try the later northern slopes
or if

you can climb, climb
into spring: but
said the mountain

it's not that way
with all things, some
that go are gone

2005-04-13T09:01:00.000-07:00

One of my fellow -ists, Jen from Gothamist, is buzzing about The National. I saw the first song of The National's afternoon set for WOXY at SXSW and was enthralled. My dear friend Brandon, who I only get to see once a year, knew one of the sets of brothers in the band (there are two sets) and encouraged me to stay. I would have stayed, but I promised a friend I'd see his band's show so I dutifully left.

Jen posted a link to this player where you can preview their record Alligator, which I listened to yesterday. I'm having an unusual reaction to it. I'm officialy on the fence. Part of it is brilliant, and speaks to me in a way that favorites like Criteria and Shiner know how to do. But part of it irks the crap out of me -- maybe it's some of the lyrics, or the way he sings them, can't put my finger on it yet. So far the like and dislike are head to head -- I don't know what will win out. Frustrating.

I am happy to report that South San Gabriel's new record The Carlton Chronicles: Not Until the Operation's Through is gorgeous. It's one of those records that can take you somewhere if you give it your full attention. I haven't focused in on the cat-centric lyrics yet, but I've decided that whatever inspires Will Johnson to make music is OK by me.

The Dark of Garage mp3
I Am Six Pounds of Dynamite mp3

2005-04-12T09:42:00.000-07:00

Stereogum posts about Death Cab For Cutie selling out, and gets some interesting comments from readers. The sad part about any major-label-sellout discussion amongst fans is that they focus on the artistic integrity issue without understanding the financial stakes. I don't think any band that jumps to a major is planning on changing their music. I believe they go in with the best intentions, having their egos so recently fed by suits upon suits making them huge promises to make their genius music heard by the world.

What the bands don't think about, in my opinion, is the financial reality of signing to a major. Sure the payoff could be bigger (commercial radio, more fans) but the stakes are higher. The recoupable amounts and overhead get way higher, they take home fewer dollars per records sold, and suddenly they have people who've failed their way up the corporate ladder pressuring them for a single. Forget the indie one-release-per-year pace and hands-off artistic freedom. All this for the shot at one radio hit. I mean, best case scenario is what Modest Mouse just went through. You get your big hit, but then you go away. If Modest Mouse has another huge radio hit, I will eat my words.

My bet is that DCFC will look back on the times when they could sell a few hundred thousand records on Barsuk as the "good old days."

(As far as the issue of selling out goes, I don't think bands should be criticized for having their songs played on "The O.C." or licensing their music to commercials. It's hard to make money out there as a musician. And that licensing money, unlike a major label contract, should come with no strings attached and therefore be no threat to derail anyone's career.)

But I digress. One of the most interesting comments on the Stereogum discussion had a link to a rant by Dave Eggers from 2000, in response to some Harvard literary magazine writers who asked, among other questions, if Eggers was "keeping shit real?"

The rant is wordy but interesting. If you wish to skim, don't miss the part toward the end where he namedrops a bunch of celebrities and mentions money amounts he was paid by prominent media outlets to do very little work.

This is my favorite part. It shall be our thought for the day:

And I do not get along with people who say no. When you die, and it really could be this afternoon, under the same bus wheels I'll stick my head if need be, you will not be happy about having said no. You will be kicking your ass about all the no's you've said. No to that opportunity, or no to that trip to Nova Scotia or no to that night out, or no to that project or no to that person who wants to be naked with you but you worry about what your friends will say.

No is for wimps.... No is to live small and embittered, cherishing the opportunities you missed because they might have sent the wrong message.

2005-04-11T09:27:00.000-07:00

Sunday in the park with Jet. Note the leash, the only thing preventing all hell from breaking loose.

Sef has some photos from Austin on his blog. I'd never heard of Shiner Light before -- I'm not a big fan of light beer but Shiner is close to my heart.

2005-04-09T12:03:00.000-07:00

Feist took home two Juno awards, for Alternative Album of the Year and New Artist of the Year.

See what the fuss is about by downloading "One Evening" for FREE from iTunes this week.

2005-04-05T20:28:00.000-07:00

South San Gabriel's new record The Carlton Chronicles: Not Until The Operation’s Through is out today. That tidbit is for the Will Johnson and Centro-matic fans among us, which ought to be all of you. I haven't listened to the record yet, but it's a bit of a concept record about a sick cat, which is enough to chew on for now.
~~
This amused me. Ah, if only it were that easy. I scored an "A" but didn't feel motivated to complete the Girlfriend Application, although I'm sure he's a great guy. Dude's gotta run spell-check though, because calling it a "bacholor's" degree is not a good idea.

2005-04-03T20:23:00.000-07:00

Brad Armstrong plays a mandotar on track 8 of Maria Taylor's new CD 11:11. What the hell is a mandotar, you ask? Why, I was wondering the same thing myself.

According to Bill Littleton, who erroneously considers himself "the only active mandotar player on the planet," a mandotar is a

"'twelve-string soprano guitar' or 'twelve-string mandolin' -- Charlie Louvin tells me that Ira built a half-scale guitar that he called a mandotar, but it has only six strings (and currently resides in the Country Music Hall Of Fame)"

This is a photo of Hammertone's mandotar. Someone should cook up a Wikipedia entry for it, so no one goes around thinking a mandotar was a wooly beast from the dinosaur age.

2005-04-02T13:24:00.000-08:00

Friday night multitasking.

My friend Darren was telling me about Jonathan Safran Foer's new novel Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. I haven't read his first novel yet, but I am going to read an excerpt of the new one and this Village Voice interview. JSF apparently has a blog as well. I already own too many books I haven't read yet -- I finished Cherries in the Snow and I think Middlesex is next on my list. I should be reading instead of blogging.

A Jonathan Safran Foer quote from the Village Voice interview:

"Auden once said that he looked at what he wrote so he could see what he thought. That's how it is for me, too. Understanding comes after. I have no points to make. Not even a story to tell. I have my instincts, my past, my subconscious. Sometimes the switch is at the end of the dark hallway, and you have to feel for it with your hands. A book is a lot like a light switch."

2005-03-29T13:27:00.000-08:00

I and Feist

The Feist/Apostle of Hustle/Stars show at Bimbo's on Saturday night was a real treat, even if I did miss most of the 2nd half while I was interviewing Ms. Feist. We all know she's a talented musician, but I can now attest that she's also gracious, genuine, thoughtful and funny. Let It Die comes out in the US soon on Cherrytree/Interscope, but why wait? Buy it now for the low price of $10US from the fine folks at Arts & Crafts.

PS -- John Doe will be performing "Hwy 5" live on Conan O'Brien this Thursday, 3/31, with the lovely Ms. Neko Case. You fancy types should set your Tivos accordingly.

PPS -- I had to write this post twice, because Blogger.com is being characteristically uncooperative. I'm loath to complain too much about a service that is completely free of charge, but I'm thinking of referring to Blogger as Bugger from here on out, puns intended.

2005-03-28T10:32:00.000-08:00

Is this for real, or is it an old "Saturday Night Live" skit starring Maya Rudolph? If not, it should be. I like when she points to her right hand with her left hand.

[via TinyLuckyGenius]

2005-03-26T11:08:00.000-08:00

Check out a thorough and informative post on Feist at The Tofu Hut here.

2005-03-25T13:12:00.000-08:00

Read my interview with The Ditty Bops on SFist here. Please and thanks.

I think I've set a personal record for SFist postings this week. Whew.

--------
Did anyone see "The Apprentice" last night? First of all, did anyone apologize to Craig? His teammates completely rejected his idea, which turned out to be such a success that Home Depot launched a nationwide promotion around it. Hello!

But it was the board room-firing ritual that really floored me. Erin walked in there with a protective force-field around her. Trump has been so obviously enraptured by her looks, poise and impressive tenacity that she walked into the board room 100% invincible, and she knew it. Everyone pointed their finger at Erin to get fired, but you could tell Trump was having none of it, and was looking for any reason to can either Angie or hot-head chaw-chewing Chris. And then it happened:

"Well," Trump sighed, "I have to listen to my trusted advisors George and Carolyn, who tell me I can't fire Angie, so..."

Erin smirks and interjects "Do you have to listen to them, Mr. Trump?" [wiggle, wink].

There's the line. There's Erin pole-vaulting over the line.

Cut to the uber-composed Carolyn, whose normally placid stare has been replaced with enraged bug-eyes and flared nostrils. You can almost see smoke coming out of her ears. A few hairs have even escaped from her perfect coif, so you know that the depths of Erin's disrespect were not lost on her. Trump's vision clears, and he cans his beloved Erin for being a wise guy.

I liked Erin, she's tough, smart and attractive. But her self-assuredness is a clear threat -- to herself and others. It's not the last we'll see of her. Read the transcript and relive the trainwreck here.

2005-03-24T14:43:00.000-08:00

Read this week's "When The Lights Go Down In The City" concerts column on SFist, please and thanks. It was fun to write this week.

Thanks to Real Rhapsody, I'm surprised to have enjoyed these new records:
Martha Wainwright's BMFA
Marianne Faithfull's Before the Poison

Check them out.

2005-03-22T18:55:00.000-08:00

Read my SXSW wrap up for SFist here.

2005-03-22T13:42:00.000-08:00

Reader poll:

Does this look like networking to you? Is that what the kids are calling it these days? Click here to see crucial music industry networking in its full glory.

2005-03-21T11:17:00.000-08:00

For the love of John Doe.

Allow me to say a few words about my friend on the eve of the release date for his amazing new CD Forever Hasn't Happened Yet.

If you didn't catch his three performances during SXSW, you can still...

-- Read a nice CD review by Jim Farber here.

"Doe can afford to be dry in his lyrics because his voice communicates an unusual degree of emotion. His greatest gift, in fact, is his ability to express humanity in his vocals. Exuding a masculinity untainted by macho swagger, he has become an icon of American goodness in both his music and his movie performances."

-- Download or stream the track "Hwy 5," co-written with Exene and sung with Neko Case, from the Yep Roc site.

-- Catch him on one of his tour dates (say hi to my boys in the Nick Luca trio).

-- Watch Conan O'Brien on Thursday March 31st when John performs live.

-- Buy Forever Hasn't Happened Yet when it comes out tomorrow, will ya? (If you buy from Amazon, you can stream the record immediately. On the Amazon page you can also download "Forever For You," a duet with Jane Wiedlin & my favorite song off of his last record.)

-- Free music from artisthenewreligion! To the first person who emails me at sfist.music(at)gmail.com, I'll send a code for a free iTunes download of "Ready" from the new record.

2005-03-20T23:10:00.000-08:00

I'm back from SXSW and will post about it soon, but for now I leave you with my new favorite blog:

DogBlog. Does this guy have any idea how happy his blog makes me? He deserves an award.

(via n-judah love song)

2005-03-15T14:28:00.000-08:00

SXSW is upon us, and I greet it with one arm open and one arm crossed against my chest. Ambivalence sums up my true feelings toward the festival.

On the one hand (of the open arm):

It gives me a chance to go back to the gorgeousness of Austin

I get to see my friends from across the US (NYC, Seattle, LA, etc.) and overseas (see you soon, Simon!)

I can catch music by hundreds of great bands (OK tens of great bands because no one can be in 20 places at once)

I always meet at least one or six new people who I'll keep in touch with

Tex-Mex. Queso. BREAKFAST TACOS.

But on the other hand (crossed arm):

It's expensive. I don't have a corporate sponsor to buy me a badge and the wristband is useless for any crowded show

So many non-Austin artists are denied showcases due to lack of inside hook-ups, yet the same roster of crappy local bands plays year after year

I'm especially frustrated right now because the music press liaison denied me a last minute press badge for SFist. Hey, I know they've got rules, and it's insanely busy there right now, but in the time it took her to email me back three denials, she coulda ran that badge through the laminating machine and have been done with it.

The tiebreaking factors that draw me down south each year are the lure of friends, Tex Mex, and the mysterious and magical free party list. I don't know who compiles said list, but without it, I'd be lost, and with it, I hardly miss having a badge or wristband. At least during daylight hours. Thanks anonymous list-compiler!

~~~

I'm still puzzled as to why SXSW did not select "Amazing Grace: Jeff Buckley" to screen during the film or music festival. HELLO? Matt Dentler, you claim to be a music fan, in addition to a film afficionado. How did you fall asleep on this one? Austinites love Jeff, and AGJB has sold out at every film festival (usually two screenings per fest) including Woodstock, CMJ, Leeds, and just this past week Cinequest. (Read Mary-Lynn's review of the doc on SFist.com.) Yes, I'm in the documentary and have become friends with the filmmakers and Mary since I met them through this project. But I'm also a fan of Jeff, and can honestly say that, aside from my involvement in it, the documentary is amazing. I wonder if we'll ever find out why SXSW just wasn't interested.

Not to worry, plenty of other festivals are interested in hosting some sold out screenings of their own. Check out upcoming screenings at:
-> FEST: Festival de Cinema e Video Jovem de Espinho in March
-> Belfast Film Festival in April
-> Buenos Aires International Film Festival of Independent Films in April
-> Seattle International Film Festival in May, the most highly attended film festival in the U.S., and one of 6 North American Film Festivals that qualifies a film for the Independent Spirit Awards.

~~~

Speaking of SFist.com, they just named me Music Editor. Thanks SFist!

2005-03-09T14:42:00.000-08:00

Read my review of last Friday's CocoRosie and Antony and the Johnsons show on SFist here.

Last night I got to see my good friend Kevin, who I haven't seen in years, and finally meet his lovely wife Karen. Kevin's one of my closest friends from college, so it was great to hang out with them. They came with us to the Feist and Kings of Convenience show at Great American -- yet another double bill that blew me away. I'm happy to report that Ms. Feist is as sweet as she is talented.

Tonight is Cinequest's first screening of Amazing Grace: Jeff Buckley, so I'm looking forward to hanging out with Nyla and Peter and seeing Laurie and Mary for the first time since last October. More later...

2005-03-05T17:52:00.000-08:00

I'm adding this to my wish list:

The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less by Barry Schwartz

I've been fascinated with what I refer to as the "burden of too many choices" for years now. It looks like this book addresses just that. Read this excerpt from the excellent Powell's review by Doug Brown:

"In the film 'Moscow on the Hudson,' Robin Williams plays a Communist-era Russian defector in New York City. In a memorable scene, he goes to a supermarket for coffee; encountering an aisle full of different brands of coffee to choose from, he faints from the overload, mumbling the word "coffee" over and over. Barry Schwartz understands the feeling. Schwartz is not a "let's get back to the good old days when we had nothing and liked it" Luddite; he acknowledges the freedom to make choices is a vital part of the richness of our lives. The paradox is that the more options we have, the less satisfied we often are with the choices we make.

Schwartz splits people into maximizers and satisficers. Maximizers feel the need to try all possible options; they have to find the very best one. Satisficers are willing to try a few things and select that which is good enough. Studies suggest that maximizers are often less happy with their choices than satisficers, largely because maximizers are more emotionally invested in those choices. Maximizers spend much more time and energy making choices; instead of going to one store and trying a couple of items, they must go to all the stores and try all the items."

I wonder if Schwartz applies his theories to the dating scene in big cities. I've often thought it's harder for maximizer-types to settle down and choose a mate when they live in a huge city like Manhattan, knowing that there's a slew of new candidates around every corner. Think about a smaller community, where there is a finite number of eligible mates in your age range -- it might be easier to make a choice and stick with what you've got. But with the advent of internet dating, even people in small communities can expand their search to anywhere around the world. Makes me wonder about how beneficial all this "progress" really is for us. I can't wait to read this.

2005-03-03T19:02:00.000-08:00

Odds & Sods

How come I had to hear about Daniel Johns' new band via Anna Nicole Smith's latest shameful exploit? Listen to the The Disassociatives here.

Now that "Project Runway" has run its course, what shall we do with our Wednesday evenings? Watch the latest installment of "America's Next Top Model," obviously.

I'm listening to the Stars album Set Yourself On Fire for the first time and I'm totally digging it. I think I need to send a love letter to Arts & Crafts.

Very excited about the CocoRosie and Antony and the Johnsons show on Friday. I wrote about them in my latest installment of "When The Lights Go Down In The City."

In book news, I regrettably lost my copy of Birth of Venus somewhere during my trip to LA to interview for Fontana. I was 300 pages into the brilliant novel, and now I'm either going to have to buy it again for the last 80 pages, or spend an afternoon in the book store to finish it because I'd rather spend $15 on a new book. Like Emma Forrest's latest that I just bought, Cherries in the Snow. I hope I'll enjoy it as much as I did Namedropper, her first novel. She describes herself as a female Nick Hornby, which I'm not sure I agree with, but what I wouldn't give to write like a female Nick Hornby myself.

2005-03-01T12:17:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to blog about podcasting for a while now. I downloaded iPodder a couple of weeks ago but have yet to install it, so I can't write an informed post yet. From what I understand, podcasting enables you to download radio shows into your iPod (or mp3 player of your choice) to listen to at your leisure.

Think of it as: iPod is the new Tivo.

Read this article in the NYT about local company Odeo which aims to be a forerunner in the podcasting movement. (I found the link to the article from Gen's site.) Seems as though podcasting stands to give both commercial radio and satellite radio a run for their money in terms of popularity, especially with anyone who loves music/is technologically inclined enough/has free time/has the disposable income to own an iPod. But I'm not sure if Odeo or any other company will figure out a way to turn a profit off of podcasting.

Also, while you're at it, check out the launch of UpTo11.net, a new music recommendation service. Type in the name of one or more bands you like, and UpTo11 searches through thousands of music collections to show what your fellow fans are also listening to. For instance, type in Spoon + Ryan Adams and you'll get a whole list of what other fans of Spoon and Ryan Adams are listening to. Click on one of the suggestions, like Broken Social Scene, and you'll see their popular songs with links to purchase them, any Wikipedia information that's available, and interesting stats on the band's popularity. The site's not too easy on the eyes as of yet, but it's an interesting solution to the ongoing problem of how to find new music.

2005-03-01T10:52:00.000-08:00

Howdy ladies and gents. I haven't blogged lately because every time I sit down at my laptop, I'm willing it to send me a job lead so I can abandon the ranks of the unemployed. No luck yet.

Anyone else feeling bombarded by too much celebrity information? I'm entertained by celebrity antics as much or more as the next guy; I read the occasional People magazine, watch award shows, read Gawker and the like. But has it not gone a little overboard lately?

I think the hacked Sidekicks are what put me over the edge. Instead of giving us fresh insight to a misunderstood celebrity, the information found in their Sidekicks makes their caricatures even more over-the-top. Now we have hacked-Sidekick confirmation that Paris Hilton really is vapid and vain in her personal time, and Fred Durst truly is a dirtball rock-n-roll cliche. Somebody surprise us already! Could the next celebrity's hacked-Sidekick reveal that they read books, do charity work, care about someone other than themselves?

Being a fan of conspiracy theories, I wonder if these Sidekick-hacks could be a part of a secret advertising campaign. A very successful one. Incidentally, I saw my first Sidekick up close last Thursday night at the Papercuts/Built Like Alaska/Heavenly States/Portastatic show. Ted from Heavenly States whipped out his Sidekick to enter in John Vanderslice's contact info, proving that Sidekicks really are for celebs, Bay Area indie rock style.

In better news, yesterday was a fantastic mail day for me. LT sent me this funny tshirt, and I got a magical package from Arts & Crafts, which included the Feist record. Hallelujah! Looks like Feist's record is coming out in the States, and she'll be touring my way soon.

For the (fashion) record, I have to make the prediction that sequins are coming back. And you can go here to bid on clothing from the Project Runway finale.

2005-02-15T11:28:00.000-08:00

Since I went through the pains of watching the GRAMMY telecast in its entirety, I might as well say a few words about it.

Overall, I have to say it was an improvement over past years. The performances were a little better, Latifah such a good hosting job that you could almost forget they had a host, and though the constant interjections of Lifetime Achievement Award winners was distracting, at least some long-lasting talents were given their props. That being said, it was still the puffed up egofest it has always been. Thank you, Neil Portnow, for informing us that the GRAMMYs are "the pinnacle of musical achievement and excellence." If you do say so yourself.

Highlights:

Green Day's performance. I wonder if they got the cold shoulder backstage from any of the red-state country stars like "Red Neck Woman" Gretchen Wilson. Not that they would care.

Melissa Etheridge, answering the question "What body part can a woman expose, in this post-Nipplegate era, to shock us anymore?" Her shiny bald head looked fantastic coupled with the giant smile on her face. I thought it was an awesome PR stunt until Nyla told me Ms. Etheridge had recently gone through chemo. That takes it from pressworthy to downright political, cheers for her refusal to cover up. Here's to a speedy recovery.

U2 not playing that Vertigo song.

Loretta Lynn scolding Jack White during their acceptance speech like a crochety grandmother to a shy grandson. "Where you goin' now? Get up here!" She made his deference look like squirrelly mischief.

Lowlights:

Gwen Stefani's pantless pirate getup.

The multi-band medley that concluded the opening musical numbers. Maroon 5, Black Eyed Peas, Franz F. and Los Lonely Boys all singing at the same time -- was that to show some sort of hand-holding solidarity, or was it demonstrating the homogeny of today's top hits?

The underwhelming duet by J. Lo and Marc Anthony. Marc's singing put her off-key nasal warbling to shame, as did her bedazzled nightgown, the cheeseball art deco boudoir set and the scrunchie she had in her hair. What was that he threw around her shoulders at the end, the soggy bathroom rug? I do have to give them props for insisting on singing in Spanish though.

Kanye West's strong-arming the GRAMMYs into letting his protégé John Legend onstage for two different musical performances. Legend got up from behind his piano and almost scared Mavis Staples off-stage with his intimidating "duet" with her (was that planned?) Show some respect -- she's Mavis Staples, and you're, who are you again?

The all-star country jam on "Freebird." Embarrassing.

Kanye West's acceptance speech. You could tell he wanted to say something profound and show-stealing, he wanted to have all the buzz on Monday morning. Instead, he made a reference to "Married With Children"'s Al Bundy. You fell a bit short there, Kanye.

Joss Stone, you're beautiful. You looked great in that dress. But you're no Janis. Please sit down, back there where you belong, with discarded GRAMMY diva-darlings Nelly Furtado and Macy Gray.

The GRAMMY's continued reliance on multi-artist jams. They tout them as "history-making," but really they just kill two, three, four birds with one stone. It's easier to pack more star power into your show if you make them play onstage at the same time. Does anyone really find these star-jams exciting? Alicia and Jamie, Melissa and Joss, nobody cares.

Go here for photos.

2005-02-11T11:20:00.000-08:00

The news today is good:

The days surrounding my birthday are getting better and better. In addition to being able to see the Constantines live for the first time, I will also be able to get Spoon's new record Gimme Fiction on May 10th. According to their website, it's the longest Spoon record to date.

AND -- Feist is coming to San Francisco on March 26th! Joy!

It's like all my musical wishes are being granted. Gotta run, Lindsay Buckingham's here to start pre-production on my solo record.

...

Wait, I'm back, because Conor has crossed the line. Sef just sent me the link to this news item:

Hey, do you live in Texas? Were you at the Bright Eyes show in Fort Worth on Monday? If you weren't, then you were probably busy lassoing steers and forcing yourself upon Native Americans — at least according to Bright Eyes frontman Conor Oberst, you were. According to a review of Bright Eyes' show at the Ridglea Theater in The Dallas Morning News, Oberst "drained another bottle of beer" and then began bashing the Lone Star State before a shocked audience. "I don't know about you, but I hate your f---ing state," Oberst announced. "I'd put a f---ing gun to my head before I'd live in your state." Later on in the show, he continued the verbal assault, noting that "if you came to this show tonight, you're not a normal Texan. If you were a normal Texan, you'd probably be roping steers and ..." Well, we'd rather not even reprint the rest.

Conor has severely underestimated the Texas pride that flows in even the most liberal of Texans. That's it -- it's Austin vs. Omaha in a grudge match. I'll take Britt Daniel over Conor any day.

2005-02-10T19:02:00.000-08:00

Please read today's When The Lights Go Down In The City column on SFist.

When I was searching for images for today's column, I ran across the addictive Acme Heart Maker. Enter one or two words of up to four letters each and choose a color, and it'll generate a candy heart for you.

I talked to my good friend Jeff yesterday who's booking a great new venue in Toronto. The act he booked for Valentine's Day is Dandi Wind. Do yourself a favor and go to the ZeD site and watch some of their videos. Vocalist Dandilion Schlase is a little bit PJ/Peaches/Karen O. and a lot bit out of her mind. Spandex is surprisingly good to her. More info here.

2005-02-09T10:56:00.000-08:00

How much does where you come from influence your creativity?

My friend and I were talking about bands and the cities they come from, and he was claiming that no good bands have ever come out of San Francisco. I'm not sure I agree with him on that, but it did make me wonder if bands were somehow at a disadvantage if they were trying to come up in a big city.

Conventional wisdom would argue that a big city is the best place for a band to be. You have more choices in bandmates, venues, practice spaces, press, music stores, other bands to inspire you, etc. But what about the burden of too many choices? What about having to share your drummer with five other bands, because there never seem to be enough good drummers? What about getting undue adulation from the local weekly? Add that to well attended shows by friends, girlfriends, boyfriends, and random citizens and a band might get too-positive feedback too soon, and not push themselves to get as good as they could be. Then there are the million distractions that can make music just a small part of a busy life.

Contrast this with what a small town has to offer. A handful of potential bandmates, maybe one or two venues, practicing in your garage (because it's free and your neighbors are far enough away to not call the cops on you), one music store, etc. You may have few resources, but sometimes scant hope and resources can bring out the best creativity. Your band might be your only hope to escape the town, therefore the dedication to succeed is strong, however delusional it may be. There's probably little to do with your free time but practice, practice, practice. And remember the joys of a low cost-of-living? Sigh.

The reason this is on my mind is because I saw a fantastic show by Eisley last night. Eisley is from Tyler, Texas. I've visited Tyler many times throughout my life, because all of my grandparents lived there. There is nothing to do in Tyler but go to church. It's a dry county. The kids in Eisley were apparently raised religious and home-schooled. They've probably all been playing their instruments since they were strong enough to lift them. And it shows. The three sisters that front the band were confident, playing their guitars and keyboards with self-assurance, singing like angels. Their songwriting was mature and melodically interesting, their harmonies spot-on, their lyrics meaningful. I'm not saying that Eisley is going to be as culturally relevant as the Rolling Stones, let me not overstate my point. But the band was tighter and better than most bands you'll see this year, and they're all in their late teens and early 20's.

Watching them onstage, it made me wish I was encouraged to play music growing up, or pursue any type of art, rather than running around breaking curfews and having meaningless teen misadventures. Granted, maybe the parents of the Eisley members were militaristic and cultish, maybe those kids are burning with resentment inside and will tear out in a Lohan-esque bender the minute they're left unsupervised. But my point is, what if we didn't have a thousand bars, clubs and events to go to, but were stuck in a basement with nothing to do but come up with our own entertainment? What sort of art might come out of us then?

Related: The Mars Volta is from El Paso. Their new single "The Widow" is excellent, watch the video here. Cedric is one of the best rock vocalists alive today. Can't wait for Frances the Mute to come out in March.

2005-02-07T13:26:00.000-08:00

Dictionary.com's word of the day for today is a keeper:

importunate \im-POR-chuh-nit\, adjective:
Troublesomely urgent; overly persistent in request or demand; unreasonably solicitous.

Now get on out there and use that in a sentence!

The ever-so-kind Nikki sent me tickets to Eisley tomorrow. I can't wait. Go here to watch their videos.

2005-02-04T17:28:00.000-08:00

Read this week's When The Lights Go Down In The City on SFist.

I'm very excited about going to see Eisley on Tuesday. Watch their video for "Marvelous Things" and see what my fuss is about. I've spent a bit of time in their hometown of Tyler, TX, and I would have never thought something this cool could have come from there.

The new Clem Snide record, End of Love, is a must hear, especially for any fans of Virgil Shaw or Vic Chesnutt.

2005-02-03T14:58:00.000-08:00

I should be writing my SFist post, but I'm too busy IM'ing with Sef and discussing corporate efforts to market to hipsters.

Read this article in the NY Post. And maybe reread my post on the new Tylenol campaign with Sef's comments.

I just got my February edition of The Sampler which I told you about here. The Sampler is a genius DIY crafter subscription service started not too long ago by a Bay area artist. I thought it was pretty underground still, but no, the marketers at Tylenol got their EP in there. In my Sampler package I got handmade zines, buttons, candles, jewelry and tchotchkes by different independent artists from around the country, plus another copy of the American Analog Set/White Magic EP. I gotta give it to them, they're really digging deep into the underground.

Apparently this is one of the companies responsible for marketing to hipsters. Some people say it's evil. I'm on the fence. I kind of like the Robin Hood mentality of taking corporate money and giving it to artists and people on the fringe. But is it really possible to market to true tastemakers? Isn't a strong personal sense of style part of what defines a trendsetter? Can you tell a tastemaker what to wear by giving them something for free? What would Malcolm Gladwell say?

Bottom line is, there aren't that many true tastemakers, or people with strong opinions that they're not afraid to express, regardless of what others will think. There are plenty of followers though, and that's who the marketers are ultimately trying to get through to. And maybe everyone has their price, even the trendsetters. Getting stuff given to you for free because you're cool just reinforces a person's desire to perceive and present themselves as VIP. Being able to tell their followers that they're sponsored reinforces their unattainable Alpha status.

Isn't it nice when trends are started more organically? Check out this article Sef sent me about the movie Sideways spiking the popularity of pinot noir.

By the way, I'm curious how the DJ in the NY Post article got $15K of free stuff. That's a whole hell of a lot of stuff. She says she has "no idea" how much her free ticket to Interpol cost? No more than $30, lady. $15,000 = 500+ tickets to see Interpol. Maybe Lacoste gave her a big ol' box of overpriced aligator shirts. I've been given many free concert tickets, CDs, tshirts and so forth in my day, but I wouldn't say that I was "sponsored" by a band or record company.

Maybe "I'm sponsored" is the new "I'm on the list."

2005-02-02T15:07:00.000-08:00

Have you all heard about The Heavenly States' headline-grabbing tour to Libya? Newsweek just ran a writeup about it. Good work, Teddy! I'm glad they're getting publicity because their music is good enough to back it up. Genevieve is going to bring back rock violin to the masses! And congrats to RJ for getting to play bass for them in their tour through the US and Australia. Send photos, RJ.

2005-02-01T16:55:00.000-08:00

My friend Chris is headed to Melbourne to write with Chloe Lattanzi, Olivia-Newton John's 18 year old daughter. Being ONJ's offspring, is that a blessing or a curse? You be the judge.

Amazing Grace: Jeff Buckley update:
** Screening dates & times for Cinequest have been announced. Tickets go on sale this Wednesday, February 2 at http://www.cinequest.org:

Wednesday, March 9, 2005 at 7:15 PM
Camera 12 Cinemas
201 S. Second Street on the Paseo de San Antonio, downtown San Jose
www.cameracinemas.com

Saturday, March 12, 2005 at 5:15 PM
University Theater, San Jose State University
Fifth and San Fernando Streets, San Jose
(408) 924-4555

** Read what Sebastian Bach had to say about appearing in the documentary.

2005-01-28T17:32:00.000-08:00

The other day I was in Aquarius Records buying the Ditty Bops CD (read my review on Stylus here). While I was chatting with the friendly chap behind the counter, I noticed a box of CDs that said FREE - TAKE ONE. I picked one up and saw that it was a split release with White Magic and American Analog Set called Songs of Hurt and Healing, in a gatefold cardboard sleeve with nice artwork. Pretty good score for a free CD.

When I turned it over, I noticed something curious -- a small red Tylenol logo. "Brought to you by Tylenol?" I wondered aloud, to which the clerk replied, "Oh, I think that's a joke." I shrugged my shoulders and dropped the free CD in my purse and went on my merry way.

Back at home behind my computer, I took the CD out again to study it. There was a URL in the liner notes: OuchTheWebsite.com. So I went there. Sponsored by Tylenol indeed!

So it's no joke. Some mutinous and/or delusional marketing honcho at Tylenol has decided to market to the indie rock counterculture skateboarding shoegazer set. On the content-rich site, you can click on "Ouch Zines," "Ouch Events," and "Team Ouch" which features a photo of skater Tony Trujillo. Here's the explanation of the tenuous connection between a mass-marketed pain reliever and marginalized artists:

Life hurts and anyone who tells you differently probably hurts the most. Whether you like it or not, pain’s a part of life. But pain isn’t always a negative thing, and for some, it’s actually something worth celebrating. To do anything meaningful, you're going to have to deal with pain, whether it's physical or emotional or somewhere in between. It's just part of the process.

Ouch is a program brought to you by the good people who make Tylenol® to showcase those individuals who face pain in order to create something positive. These amazing people brave the cuts, scrapes, bangs, bruises, headaches and heartaches to do something innovative pursuing the things they love.

But we don’t just showcase the talent, we get them to do the work too. To get an inside look into the pain of living, we’re letting the stories come directly from an inspirational collection of artists, writers, illustrators, musicians and photographers who bring their own piece of artistic vision to this project.

This concept is so preposterous it's brilliant. I'm all for underground artists benefitting from corporate cash and exposure -- the cash cow conglomerates should be taken advantage of whenever possible. But I just can't imagine a legion of hipsters adopting Tylenol as their painkiller of choice because they suddenly feel Tylenol's down, understands them, speaks their language.

I highly recommend visiting OuchTheWebsite for comic relief. Hurry before funding for this ill-conceived marketing ploy is inevitably yanked and the yahoo responsible for it is unceremoniously canned.

2005-01-21T18:15:00.000-08:00

Ben Gibbard is ready for his close-up.

Watch the video for Death Cab For Cutie's "Transatlanticism" here.
Watch the video for The Postal Service's "We Will Become Silhouettes" here. (via Stereogum.com)

I'm partial to the Postal Service video, directed by "Napoleon Dynamite"'s Jared Hess.

You can read this week's "When the Lights Go Down In The City" on SFist.

You could also read my review of Tilly and the Wall's Wild Like Children on StylusMagazine.com.

And take your vitamin C so you don't get as sick as I did this week.

2005-01-20T13:55:00.000-08:00

'Member when I accused Mark McGrath of being aggressively-annoying for co-hosting Extra and dueting with Shania? As if that weren't enough, he's now a judge on American Idol!! I thought the triumvirate of RandyPaulaSimon was impenetrable. Can you imagine how many has-beens, never-weres and legitimate celebs would have wanted that spot? And they give it to McGrath?? Somebody lock up his agent, we've seen enough of him.

Also, somebody lock away whatever pills Paula's on. Does no one notice the lolling eyes, crooked smirk, slurring and inability to concentrate?? Is Paula the new Anna-Nicole?

Dear Robbers on High Street,

You are not Spoon. Thought you needed a reminder.

2005-01-14T19:23:00.000-08:00

Best way to spend $0.99 on iTunes right now: John Legend's "Used to Love U"
You can't argue with those background vocals: 'Holla, holla, holla!'

Happy Birthday to me! The Constantines are playing Cafe du Nord on May 8th. And Spaceland on May 9th. Either way, they'll be the perfect birthday present.

2005-01-13T13:12:00.000-08:00

New writing links:
-- Today's When The Lights Go Down In The City on SFist.com
--Review of the Papercuts Mockingbird on StylusMagazine.com

So I thought I could just review records, try to be honest and informative, and thus avoid upsetting anyone, but I'm already seeing how this record review racket is dangerous business. If I get a CD from a publicist/label and don't end up being able to review it, will they be justifiably angry? And forget writing a positive, thoughtful review for a band you like if you're not going to give it an "A+". I hear the Papercuts are upset by the "B-" I gave them. I didn't realize a "B-" was so offensive, I was just giving myself wiggle room for records that change my life or revolutionize our cultural landscape. For the record, I don't consider myself a "critic" or any more or less qualified to judge a record than any other music fan. I just love to write and hope that I can turn people on to good music. Stay tuned to watch my naive optimism slowly crumble.

Have I mentioned how amazing the novel The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant is? I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys art, history, politics and forbidden passion. I'm almost finished with it; it managed to hijack my interest away from The Time Traveller's Wife.

How good is Project Runway? In the beginning I loved Austin, but he's not proving to be versatile enough. I initially dismissed Jay for his showboat tendencies, but now his demonstrated design skills are giving substance to his soundbytes. Because of her calm personality, Kara doesn't get as much screen time, but I wager that she wins the competition.

This photo should be on a postcard.

2005-01-07T14:48:00.000-08:00

Eric Myers made this comic based on one of Blu's journal entries.

And, I'm a day late, but this week's When The Lights Go Down In The City is up on SFist.com.

2005-01-05T10:31:00.000-08:00

Yesterday John invited me to a set in Alameda where he was shooting a bit part for the movie The Darwin Awards. The movie stars Winona Ryder and Joseph Fiennes, and John was in a scene with fellow music legend Jerry Harrison. They played locals in a bar who get in an argument with Fiennes' character.

I've never been to a movie set before, so the whole thing was pretty interesting. Actually I think it would be very boring if I had to be around it every day, but spending a few hours there was fun. I watched John & Jerry shoot their scene three times. Everyone treated me like royalty since I was "John's friend" -- definitely the right way to visit a movie set. We ended up having an unsavory paper plate catered lunch with Fiennes, who was reserved and quiet, with enormous caramel colored eyes. Winona is tiny and gorgeous with perfect porcelain skin.

I blogged about this on SFist too.

2005-01-04T10:56:00.000-08:00

My review of Rocky Votolato's Suicide Medicine is up on the Stylus Magazine site.

By the way, it was Nyla who pointed out that those lyrics were paraphrased from James Joyce's The Dead -- I had no clue. Thanks for making me look like I have some book-learnin' Ny!

2005-01-03T10:17:00.000-08:00

Listmania: My year-end list on SFist.com. I'm especially proud of my Ignatius Reilly reference and use of my friend Chris' pseudonym, and the Joseph Arthur link will take you to a bunch of great live songs. While you're at it, read Mary-Lynn's and Rita's too.

Dear America,

I would like to introduce you to Feist, our first great musical discovery of 2005. Go to her website immediately and listen to every song clip and watch every video available. Then help me get my mitts on a copy of her record let it die, which is not yet available Stateside.

Sincerely,
Krissy

P.S. Thanks to the listmania of Torontoist Joshua for turning me onto Feist.

P.P.S. Nyla, you're gonna love her.

2005-01-02T21:36:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I'm watching Subterranean and just saw the video for Kasabian's "Club Foot". In the video they look pretty hot, in a scruffy Hungarian kind of way, and the song is growing on me. I think they're actually from England, but I can't be sure since their website is acting up on me right now. Speaking of hot Hungarians, check out the new song by my friends in Phaser here.

I also just saw the video for Chromeo's "Needy Girl", which sounds an awful lot like Timex Social Club's hit "Rumors" from the '80s. Look at all of these rumors, surrounding me every day. That's a good jam, so I checked out Chromeo's website, only to uncover a rollerskating goldmine. If only I were this good.

New Year's Eve was surprisingly fun. I didn't get back from Houston til around 7pm, and if it weren't for Jason's heroic efforts, I would have probably gone home and gone straight to bed. We ended up having a tasty dinner at Blue Jay Cafe and then headed to Rickshaw Stop to ring in the new year. Well, when I say "ring in the new year," what I really mean is "look at our watches confusedly as 11:59pm turned into 12midnight, then 12:01, with nary a countdown, confetti shower or champagne glass in sight." Hello! That's the whole point of New Year's Eve, is it not? Without an obnoxious countown, spontaneous cheering, and making out at midnight, it's just another night on the town. We finally found the real revelry at a warehouse party in SOMA that Blakely and Xavier told us about. The hipsters were out in droves, with their angular bleach blond and/or dyed black haircuts and jeans tucked into their boots. The music was great, the atmosphere was relaxed and fun, and Jason looked almost as dashing in his tie as Dawn did in her feather boa.

2004-12-30T15:54:00.000-08:00

Odds and sods:

** America's Next Top Blogger: Elyse Sewell. You remember her from the first season of ANTM, she was the snarky, skinny med student with the extremely ambivalent attitude toward modeling. These days she's in Hong Kong modelling like crazy, and while she's still ambivalent, intelligent and hilarious, she's now armed with a blog and a digital camera. Somebody give this woman a book deal! I can't believe I get to read this stuff for free, it's my new favorite thing.

** I forgot to share with you the most important detail about the uber-creepy Polar Express: there's an animated cameo by STEVEN TYLER. I'm not joking. It's brief, unexpected and completely bizarre, and I bet he got paid a mint for it. (Did Tom Hanks voice all the adults in the movie? Sure sounded like it. He didn't make a very convincing Santa Claus.)

** On my flight from SFO, I was seated next to a 90 year old grandmother named Susie Victoria, who was the sweetest flight friend I've ever made. Dressed to the nines in a matching faux leopard fur pillbox hat, scarf and gloves, she told me she was "so very pleased to make my acquaintance," offered to share her sack lunch and movie headphones with me, told me all about her surprise 90th birthday party, and showed me the opal necklace she got as a present. I almost asked if we could become pen pals, or have tea the next time she came to visit her daughter in Oakland, but it sounds like she has more than enough kids, grandkids, senior trips and church friends to fill her busy schedule.

2004-12-28T11:04:00.001-08:00

These are the two monkeys I've been hanging out with the past few days.

Carl just turned 8 and Kristian will turn 6 in February.

Yesterday I took them to see the Polar Express at the movie theater. I was pretty nervous driving the big blue van and being responsible for them all by myself, but I proved to be an able Auntie. It helps that they're mostly well behaved and think I'm the bee's knees. After the movie I took them to Tae Kwon Do. They were too cute in their little outfits doing their punches and kicks -- they are so tall and skinny, little blond beanpoles. By the time our visit is over, I'll be an expert on Lego's, ninja turtles and dinosaurs. Being an Auntie is the greatest.

P.S. My "new contributor profile" is up on SFist here. It would be more mortifying if I thought a lot of people actually read the site, and somehow less mortifying if my last name were Jones or Smith. I didn't know what photo to send them -- I hardly had any without other friends in them, so I used one from SXSW and cropped out Richud and Garrett (sp?). Sorry Richud! Next time I'm in Austin, I'll buy you a tarcor to make up for it.

2004-12-27T18:39:00.000-08:00

Honk if you love chihuahuas who can drive!

Looks like Chupa took the Jeep for a spin around town. I wonder if Santa brought him the little elf coat for Christmas.

Listmania continues: Check out Josef's Top 11 Indie Cover Songs.

2004-12-23T16:52:00.000-08:00

I'm watching Blakely's boutique again today (I'd take this as a compliment, but I didn't work on Weds.) and I decided to play only holiday music. I began with spinning the OC's Chrismukkah record, one of the goodies the kind, kind Molly B sent me this week. Once that was done, I turned to Real Rhapsody which has an impressive offering of holiday tunes.

The best holiday record I've found so far is Jose Feliciano's Feliz Navidad. If you have Rhapsody, you can listen here. Feliciano is a genius. He's a master of guitar, and his voice is unique, powerful, gentle and heartbreaking all at once. Despite being born blind, he became a groundbreaking international crossover success over his decades of music-making. He was kind of a heartthrob back in the day too. His cover of "California Dreamin" will hook you.

Since everyone's gone mad for Best Of lists, here's my...
Top Five Gift Mixes of 2004:
** "Left Outside by Josef" : This cleverly titled mix includes artists that Josef sees as outsiders, including 13th Floor Elevators, Fugazi and the mysterious Jandek. Given that Jandek is from Texas and has been called "the longest-running, weirdest, loneliest enigma in popular music," it's entirely appropriate that Josef turned me onto him.
** "Krissy's Portable Roller Rink" by Nyla: The concept makes this one a winner from the getgo, but tracks by Heart, Girlschool and Olivia Newton-John proved to be most excellent for skating.
** Mix by JD: Balm for the broken heart.
** Ashod's mix: Indie rock love songs by a bunch of bands that I should have already known but mostly hadn't heard before.
** Rough mix by Jason: Frustratingly, this came without a tracklisting, but the blue CD case and shiny green ribbon made up for it.

What's better than getting a mix CD from a friend? One of my New Year's resolutions is to make more gift mixes for my favorite people.

2004-12-21T14:13:00.000-08:00

I'm watching Blakely's store today since she flew to Montana this morning, and I'm laughing because all of today's customers so far have been men. Last minute gifting! One of Blakely's friends, Jeremy, taught me a trick while he was picking out earrings for his lady -- you can tell if something's sterling silver if it doesn't adhere to a magnet. Only cheaper metals stick. Now that's a fine piece of knowledge, from Jeremy to me to you. How to produce a magnet upon request is a skill that just can't be taught.

NP: Coolfer's Best of 2004 mix on Real Rhapsody. (I want a comp Rhapsody membership for Xmas.)

2004-12-20T16:31:00.000-08:00

Forget Cassettes broke up! That's just not right. Read the disappointing explanation here.

2004-12-18T19:07:00.000-08:00

I'm back from Feria Urbana, and I'm a little beat, but things went very well. I made some great trades, and several of my friends actually came to visit me! Thanks Jamie, April, Melissa, Jen, and Jason for stopping by, it made me very happy.

I'm also happy to report I'm going to be reviewing albums for Stylus, an online magazine/blog and home of the Stypod. Go here to read the edited version of my review of Jolie Holland's escondida. I pasted in the original version below (everything's pretty much the same except for the 4th paragraph). Thanks to Nyla for reading the review before I submitted it, and for always encouraging me.

Jolie Holland
escondida
Anti-
2004
{8}

The cover photograph on Jolie Holland’s “Escondida” is a blurry black and white, showing Holland holding a fiddle and bow next to a man in a wooden chair playing harmonica. The photo is your first clue that the album’s a bit of a relic, waiting to take you back to a time when storytellers sang their porch songs in the twilight, no amplification necessary. There’s a feeling of impromptu performance throughout; you almost expect to hear muted handclaps and footstomps on a wooden floor in the background. This spontaneity was perhaps born from the time Holland spent traveling with an itinerant group of performers while the rest of her peers were cramped into college classrooms looking forward to their future. With her timeless blues-folk-Americana, it’s clear that Holland prefers looking back.

Holland’s official bio warns that knowing where an artist comes from “does not explain her sound,” but the Texas-born California resident still has some of that slow southern heat oozing through her veins, fueling an epic “go West” sensibility. After co-founding the Be Good Tanyas and appearing on their first record, Holland set out on her own, touring the west coast from Vancouver to her current home in San Francisco. Her first solo release, Catalpa, originated as a collection of lo-fi demos. Enthusiastic fan-sharing and a nomination for the 2003 Shortlist Music Award from label-mate Tom Waits led to critical acclaim and a healthy anticipation for her follow-up release.

“Escondida,” Holland’s first studio album, was released on Anti-, one of the few record labels that carefully curates their roster. Anti- signs “real artists creating great recordings on their own terms.” Having label-mates like Merle Haggard and Neko Case automatically brings some credibility to a new artist’s career, but Holland lives up to it. A self-taught musician, she wrote most of the songs on the record, except for covers of traditional songs “Mad Tom of Bedlam” and “Faded Coat of Blue.” Whether she’s picking guitar or playing the fiddle with her band, the music shines a warm spotlight onto her voice. Her unique phrasing is an instrument itself, whether she’s crooning like a trumpet or rolling syllables around on her tongue like fine aged whiskey.

Musically, Holland could be considered as the more eccentric and authentic second cousin of Norah Jones. Most of the songs are a relaxed mid-tempo; think of a slight warp on a vinyl record spinning at 33 rpm. Her sound is soothing and pleasant, but she’s willing to push the boundaries lyrically. Whether she’s entreating “give me that old fashioned morphine,” or confiding she’s “just about sick to death / of taking breath / and walking this line of mine,” her laid back style manages to put the listener at ease, even when she’s perhaps singing about offing herself. “Do You?” is the best beat-down ballad for lovelorn folkies since Ryan Adams’ “Come Pick Me Up.” “Do you have to go crazy / Is that the best thing that you can think to do?” she sings, torn between lust and exasperation. “…You motherfucker, I wanted you.”

Holland’s still capable of the youthful swings between elation and despair, but those extremes are tempered with a world-weary maturity, a sophisticated equilibrium. “I don’t let it bother me none,” she tells us, and we can’t help but believe her.

2004-12-17T09:07:00.000-08:00

Great reality show:
Project Runway: Each week Heidi Klum and her band of snooty judges give fledgling designers truly challenging projects and they have just a day or two to come up with an original design to present on the runway. They even make the designers select their model at the top of the show, with the last one standing getting sent home. The egos and personalities, the true talent, and Heidi's German accent make this show truly entertaining. Best dismissal since Trump's "You're fired": Heidi's "Auf Wiedersehen!"

Related: Wendy's winning dress at BananaRepublic.com

Terrible reality show:The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Search: Are you kidding me? Not since Victorias Secret's "Angels" hit prime time to strut in their fancy underpants for an hour have we seen such flagrant catering to salivating cavemen. And this is a series. I rate this up with any news program doing a "serious pornography investigation" -- let's be honest: it's just an excuse to show a slew of mostly-naked women on TV to get ratings. How long does it take to select a hot girl in a bikini anyway? I know that modelling can be difficult, I watch America's Next Top Model. But how are they going to change things up every week? How will they rate the girls? "Bambii, your work in a standard two-piece is unparalleled, but when we put you in a thong and a mesh tank top, you fell apart. We need more from you."

Honorable mention: Who's Your Daddy?

2004-12-16T14:58:00.000-08:00

Today's When The Lights Go Down In The City on SFist.

I'm spent. Back to crocheting and deciding my professional future.

2004-12-15T11:52:00.000-08:00

Amanda from The Apes, a.k.a. Majestic Ape, is not only talented but also very gracious. I'm going to buy the portrait she drew of me. Please read my "Get Drawn By An Ape" post on SFist.

This post is dedicated to a few of my ridiculously awesome friends:

To Nyla and Laurie, two of the coolest females alive, whose award-winning documentary "Amazing Grace: Jeff Buckley" was accepted for the upcoming Cinequest Film Festival. To Mark, my first boyfriend ever from 4th grade, who had coffee with me yesterday. Let's hope he moves to SF from NYC. To Matt in LA, who I met at my first music business internship ever, who just hooked me up with a very promising opportunity. Details TBA. To Blakely, who got "discovered" at the Coke audition the other day! Let's hope her callback goes swimmingly.

At the SFist party the other night, I extolled the virtues of the Dog Whisperer to my fellow SFist Mary-Lynn. Today she sent me this email:

Krissy, I have to "thank you" for turning me onto the addictive programming that is The Dog Whisperer. My Tivo has been faithfully capturing episodes for me since Friday and I cannot stop watching. Those are some of the dumbest animal owners I've ever seen (and I watch Animal Precinct)! I adore watching Caesar have to tell them "It's not the dog, it's you, you stupid idiot" though in a much gentler way. While I knew much of what he espouses (the human being the alpha male, dominant behaviours, etc.) I did not know the wonders of a doggie backpack! Awesome.

She totally gets it. It's just a matter of time before everyone catches on to the genius that is Cesar -- I predict a jump to network TV and an Oprah appearance in 2005.

2004-12-14T13:52:00.000-08:00

I have an etiquette question. When a friend comes to visit your city, are you supposed to call them if/when you find out, or should they call you to let you know? There probably isn't a rule, and I suppose this is a situation unique to musician friends, since normal people don't have websites listing their itinerary for all the world to see. Still, I wonder.