THE BAD ARTS

Spoon at First Avenue

2007-10-15T08:24:00.000-07:00

Spoon played two shows last week in Minneapolis. I was able to get to both. This was obviously a big deal to me, as anyone who has ever read this blog knows that I kind of have an obsession with the band.

10.10.07
Utilitarian
Minor Tough
Fitted Shirt
Anything You Want
Small Stakes
Way We Get By
Stay Don't Go
Vittorio E
The Beast and Dragon, Adored
The Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine
My Mathematical Mind
I Summon You
I Turn My Camera On
Don't Make Me a Target
The Ghost of You Lingers
You Got Yr Cherry Bomb
The Underdog
Black Like Me

ENCORE
Chips and Dip
Me and the Bean
Don't You Evah
Quincy Punk Episode

I don't know what to say about it that won't sound like fangirl gushing. It was fantastic. An absolutely solid show. I was in the front row, right in front of Britt and got some (in my opinion) excellent shots.

You can see more on my flickr.

The Thursday night show (10.11.07, for those keeping track) was also amazing. I did write down the setlist, but I'll have to edit that in to this post later, as I do not have it with me.

I was very impressed with the way that the songs off of Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga sounded. I had heard "You Got Yr Cherry Bomb" and "Don't Make Me a Target" when Britt played in Portland last year, but had yet to hear them with a band.

The thing that I personally love about Spoon is that they're a solid band. They sound like their albums when they play live, and yet they're not stale. They have an energy about them and they have that 'je ne sais quoi'.

Overall, both nights were excellent and I'm sad that I'll have to wait for who knows how long until I get to see them again.

So it goes.

FYI

2007-10-04T11:55:00.001-07:00

It should be known that in approximately 152 hours, I will be seeing Spoon.

That is all.

An explanation, of sorts.

2007-08-24T12:43:00.000-07:00

There has been a huge break in service on this blog. Not that I have ever been one who is consistently blogging a few times a week (who has the time for that?)(or the ideas of things to write about? Not me!), but, you know, a few times a year is probably not that acceptable in the "blogosphere".

Again, though, not that I need to be acceptable. By any definition of the word.

However, I feel that I should explain myself and my lack of blogging about musical things.

Quite frankly, I lost interest in music for a while there. I get really stuck with the things that I like and I am always quite excited about the things that I like. But, new music? I don't dig it so much. I have become, in my old age of 27, quite close-minded in what I listen to. You can see the problem, I'm sure, with having a closed mind and, yet, trying to maintain a music blog.

Even a crappy, not ever read music blog.

I'm trying to change. I am. But, mostly, I don't care that much about things that people rave about. I don't get it most of the time. I like what I like.

Spoon!
Pavement!

And others.

The other night, in an effort to change, I went to my favorite record store and bought eight (count 'em: eight!) CDs. Prior to that, I had purchased six over the course of the entire year. The six I bought?

Some Loud Thunder - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Taking the Long Way - Dixie Chicks (I'm not lying about this.)
FutureSex/LoveSounds - Justin Timberlake (Again, I'm NOT LYING about this.)
Neon Bible - Arcade Fire
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga - Spoon
King for a Day - Bobby Conn

Aside from Spoon, I have listened to the others a total of one time each. Spoon has been on repeat for months (even prior to the release).

Acquisitions on Tuesday were:
Challengers - New Pornographers
Grinderman - Grinderman (Nick Cave, really)
New Moon - Elliott Smith
Living With the Living - Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
Songs of Leonard Cohen - Leonard Cohen
Songs From a Room - Leonard Cohen
The Blackened Air - Nina Nastasia
Dogs - Nina Nastasia

Maybe someday I'll write how I feel about them. Though, regardless of how I feel about some of them, it is good that I'm opening up again to new sounds, new things.

This really isn't an explanation at all, is it? It's more pointless blathering from the Bad Arts. Ahhhh, so it goes. So. It. Goes.

The New Pornographers - Challengers

2007-08-22T11:27:00.000-07:00

THE BAD ARTS IS LIVE BLOGGING.

First (kind of) impressions.

My rights versus Yours.
Okay, it is sounding okay here. Promising. It sounds like the New Pornographers without sounding exactly like every other ~~Carl~~ A.C. Newman song. Strong opener, TNPs!

Fade to.....
All the Old Showstoppers.
Twangy opening strings.
Okay, and then the melody. Kind of sounds like, oh, another NPs song. Which one? I can't remember, because they all kind of sound the same.

The twangy guitaring is good. It's not that this song is bad. I just feel like I have heard it before.

Halfway through the song, I'm a little bored.

The New Pornographers like to end their songs with repetition of words/melody. That's okay. They also like to repeat songs. :(

Challengers.
Oooh, the title track. A little melancholy right away -- ooh, I knew Neko was going to be the main singer. She always is on the slow songs. Which is fine. She has a lovely voice. I've loved her for over seven years and, in fact, it was my love of Neko which first made me buy Mass Romantic which still stands as my favorite of all of the NPs albums.

I'm just sayin'.

This is a pretty little ditty. Nothing earth-shattering, but pretty.

Myriad Harbour.
Immediately, I hear Destroyer. Oh, Dan Bejar, I love you. You sound like you without re-writing the same song over and over again.

I love Dan's voice.

I love his songwriting.

All the Things That Go to Make Heaven and Earth.
First impression? I HAVE HEARD THIS SONG BEFORE.
I'm kind of bored. Though, it could just be the fact that I am tired.

Failsafe.
Another Neko track. This sounds kind of like Neko singing for the Magnetic Fields circa 1990. While I like Neko and I like the Magnetic Fields (esp. circa 1999), I don't know. It's not as boring as the previous song, but it's just okay.

Unguided.
Maybe it's ~~Carl's~~ A.C.'s voice. It used to not bug me, but now it kind of does. I'm not sure why. One would THINK that Dan would have the more annoying voice (if one were not me), but no... I don't think that ~~Carl~~ A.C. is a bad singer; I just don't like his voice very much.

And again, I feel like I have heard this song before.

Oh, and now Neko chimes in. I don't know.

Is it my mood? I like 'doot doot doots' in songs, but I'm really really bored. Or tired. As previously stated.

Entering White Cecilia.
Enter Dan again, to make things interesting.

I am just going to listen and enjoy this one. No blogging. Unless something stands out.

(Oh, it's drifting a little into ~~Carl~~ A.C. Newman territory towards the end. Yikes!!)

Go Places.
A promising first twenty seconds of instrumental.
A Neko song!
This song could......go places.

1:52 in and I still like it.
This actually sounds different than the other ~~Carl~~ A.C. Newman songs.

Okay, so this one is a winner. It's not overly exciting, but it was solid. And not quite the same.

Mutiny, I Promise You.
I like the title!
But, again, it's so same-y.

Immediately, one is hit with the same-y-ness of this song. It's so obvious a ~~Carl~~ A.C. Newman song. :/

I'm not saying that these don't make me bop my head or tap my fingers or swing my leg (I am, after all, sitting at work and can easily swing one leg)...it's just that I expect something different every New Pornographers album, and I keep ending up disappointed because it kind of just sounds the same.

Sometimes, bands progress too much, and other times they don't progress enough. Rare is the band that can keep their sound without sounding the same all the time (hats off to you, Spoon!). The New Pornographers is not one of those bands.

See? I'm so bored that I am writing about other things instead of the song. It just sounds the same.

(Pause for coffee break!)

Adventures In Solitude.
Again, I like the title. Probably because I have a lot of adventures in solitude myself. I'm a solitary kind of girl a lot of times.

Immediately, I like this song. I am not sure why. Combination of title, tempo, instrumental, vocals, probably. I never quite know why I like some things and dislike others. Things just hit or they do not.

This one is sounding good.

It hits about 2:30 in.

This might be the best ~~Carl~~ A.C. Newman song on the album. He always has a couple of winners on each album, which is probably what keeps me coming back. Well, that and knowing that I will hear at least one or two Dan Bejar songs that are not on Destroyer albums....

The Spirit of Giving.
A remake of a Destroyer song.

Good stuff.

Overall thoughts:
Challengers is kind of the same as Electric Version and Twin Cinema. I keep buying these albums, hoping for something different, and get a few good Dan songs and a few good ~~Carl~~ A.C. Newman songs, with a bunch of other songs that all sound exactly the same. While, overall, not a terrible album, it probably will not be on heavy repeat.

Other thoughts:
I went on a CD buying binge last night. For the first time in years. Maybe I'll shake the dust off this blog yet...!

Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

2007-07-12T12:51:00.000-07:00

Get it.

Or, at least, stream it here.

Maybe someday, I will actually write an in-depth review of it other than this:
It's pretty much the best album ever.

Back to it. Kind of.

2007-07-02T12:55:00.000-07:00

I have long said that I prefer the Kinks to the Beatles. This has been my stance for years.

However, lately, as my daughter grows more obsessed with the Beatles by the day (thanks daughter's dad) and I find myself listening to them more and more, I might have to change my mind. Maybe I have called myself a Kinks girl because everyone loves the Beatles, and I just have to be different (and difficult). Maybe I was in Beatles denial.

Whatever the reason, I think I'm coming around.

That said, I still don't own any Beatles albums, whereas I do have the entire Kinks back catalogue (well, the good stuff, at least - up through Muswell Hillbillies). I should probably get working on that, huh?

For your entertainment, here is the story of the Beatles:

2007-02-05T19:36:00.000-08:00

This might be the best birthday present ever. A few days early.

My friend Melinda totally rocks my socks.

:D

Music is my boyfriend.

2006-10-05T08:55:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my Canadian friend, to whom I owe like seven CDs (and WILL send out. I swear.), I have discovered the wonder that is the Hidden Cameras.

It happened like this:

I'm not sure when, but my Canadian friend sent me Ecce Homo by the Hidden Cameras, and when I uploaded iTuned on my newish work computer and had to redo all my music due to a crash on the previous newish work computer (faulty hard drive. let's not go there. it was depressing and i lost around 20 gigs of music) and found the stack of CDs that I had brought to work from my Canadian friend. They were mostly Canadian. Just so you know. Anyhow, I put them all on iTunes and hadn't really listened to them due to a slight obsession with a recording of a Britt Daniel (not Canadian) show and a mix CD that I made for my friend DK.

So, I had these albums on my computer, but unlistened to. Okay? Are you following this truly complex story? Hopefully so....

Fast forward about a month to Tuesday evening/Wednesday morning:

My brother gives me a rough mix of his band's (American, not Canadian) studio session at Electrical Audio. We drive around and listen to some songs. It sounds great. Steve Albini did an amazing job, of course (I have a strange obsession with Albini, FYI). We have discussions about Albini. Fun times.

Wednesday: I put the disc on my iTunes. Cleverly, I label the CD "EA Sessions: Steve Albini Mix". Well, that's not really clever on my part because that is what Drew had written on the disc, but let's pretend that it was me. I listen to the whole thing with headphones. Still sounds great. I'm pleased with it - I can only imagine how the band feels.

My iTunes is organized by album title, because that is how I like it. If I didn't have it that way, then for some reason, Stripped by Christina Aguilera does not play in the correct order. I am 100% serious as to why it is organized that way and perhaps I should not blow my snobby facade by admitting to that, but I cannot lie and now you know. So, album title sort. After EA sessions ends, I hear this little ditty come on and I'm like, "what the eff is this?" because I've not listened to it before. I look, and it is The Hidden Cameras Ecce Homo and it is great. They're Canadian.

I've been listening to that interspersed with MeP's studio sessions on and off since then and things have been good.

That is my long story.

Lessons learned:

I like Christina Aguilera.
Steve Albini is my favorite recorder.
My brother's band is good.
Canadian music is good.
The Hidden Cameras are good.

Word count.
Canadian: 9. Including that one.

it's official...

2006-10-03T13:32:00.000-07:00

...or something.

The news that we learned at a little cafe in NoPo has been written about in Pitchfork:

Janet Weiss Joins the Jicks.

pfft. I knew that like 25 days ago, and I'm not even with it anymore. What's with the delay Pitchfork?

":D"

britt daniel, 9.9.06

2006-09-19T07:45:00.000-07:00

britt daniel. solo. portland oregon. how could i pass this up? this, was the icing on the cake for my trip to portland, as i love spoon, love britt, and want to see him/them any chance i can (within reason). as i have friends in portland, one of whom loves spoon as much as i do, i had to be there for this. the britt show cemented my trip.

and i'm so glad i went for it.

the tracklisting of his show, from the spoon yahoo group is:

Don't Make Me a Target
Lines In The Suit
"Telephone My heart"
The Two Sides Of Monsieur Valentine
Stay Don't Go
"Cherry Bomb"
Metal Detektor
"Nausea" (???)
The Beast And Dragon, Adored
Anything You Want
They Never Got You
I Summon You
Everything Hits At Once
The Way We Get By

it was amazing. i'm jumping ahead, though, aren't i? we made it there around 8, when doors opened, had a quick drink, ran into someone we knew would be coming, and staked our place at the front (to the left of the stage, but managed to inch our way to the left of center for britt's set, which is both mine and my friend's preferred spot for shows. we're totally concert twins!) for the opening bands.

first, came smoosh, the tween wonders from seattle. they were okay, but i feel that if they were 20 or something, people wouldn't like them that much. there was one guy in the crowd (who must have been in his thirties? or so?) who was totally rocking out to them and singing along to every song. it made us laugh.

i think that rowan would like them. i thought that they were okay. the guy in the crowd was the best part of their set.

next came jeremy enigk or something like that - the dude from sunny day real estate. that was like a really boring bar band (less boring than viva voce, though). i was a little annoyed because they played for 1 hr, 5 minutes. at first, i was excited because i had hoped that it would mean that britt would play for 1 hr, 5 minutes. but, he didn't. he played for 45.

here's a picture. the bassist was really hilarious.

but, other than that, not that exciting.

then, britt. he said he lives in portland now (we knew that) and that he loves it there (how could he not?). he pretty much just played a solid show that was wonderful. setlist above. i really think that spoon is cemented as my number one band currently performing and recording music. no one, not even britt, will take the place of pavement. sorry, dude.

so, here are some pictures, because that is what people really want to see.

the chandelier in the crystal ballroom.

britt setting up and seeing me take his picture. oh my.

(that's my favorite)

and that is that. it was really quite an amazing show.

afterwards, i asked britt for the setlist, while he put his guitar away, and he was all, "oh, i promised it to someone else already. that girl over there" (points randomly towards the center of the stage). me: "aww, man. well, thanks!" then, he went to his guitar case, pulled out a sheet of paper, scribbled something on it and then gave it to me. it was lyrics or something? to some song? some unreleased song? and he signed "thank you, britt daniel" on the back. that was pretty cool. no high fives, but lyrics to an unknown song? i'll take that.

thx, britt! :-*

oh, and my acquaintance justin sent a link to my flickr to britt (he is actual real live friends with britt, which is pretty awesome) and britt responded:

nice ones.
thank you

nice!

britt update to come

2006-09-18T11:44:00.000-07:00

HOWEVER, in the meantime, it would be really nice if someone would tell me how to turn m4a files (iTunes) to mp3 (universal) files. yes, that would be fableeeous.

thx!

:-*

sm/joos

2006-09-14T19:02:00.000-07:00

as you may know, i attended this year's musicfestnw festival in portland, or. well, attended the festival is a bit of a stretch, since i only attended two shows for three artists. the experience was well worth the price of admission (or, in my case, the price of airfare).

the festival took place in various venues throughout portland and featured many prominent artists. my main ambition, however, was to see stephen malkmus, the silver jews, and britt daniel. sm and the joos were on friday night. britt was on saturday. i expected nothing short of pure awesomeness and i was not disappointed.

sm/joos
this show was highlighted in the portland mercury as a show to attend. they lauded david berman as the bob dylan of our generation (excuse any typose: i have a little child on my head) and as he and the joos never tour, it was the thing to see. i was more excited because not only would i finally get a chance to see a band that i have loved for some years, but because i would get to see stephen malkmus, whom i have loved for as long as i've had good taste, open. i assumed it would be with the jicks, but thought there was potential for another arrangement.

prior to either of those artists coming onstage, we were entertained by the trachtenburg family slideshow players, who were fun to watch. that said, though they were fun, i don't know that i would ever buy anything by them because the whole experience revolves around slides, and it probably wouldn't really make much sense to listen to their music without the accompanying pictures. the pictures make the show. overall, they were fun and i would not mind watching them again as an opening band.

the second band of the evening was a local (to portland) act, viva voce. they were lame. i could hardly understand what the singer was singing about and they were just really boring.

here is a picture anyhow, because it IS important to document - even the bad.

the highlight of the set was seeing stephen malkmus in the wings, sporting an awesome moustache.

i got in trouble by a teeny tiny (i am very tall, and so is my friend) security guard for using flash. that, too, was more interesting than their performance.

then, oh then, came stephen malkmus. as previously mentioned, we were unsure if it would be a jicks performance or if it would be a malkmus performance. it turned out to be a solo acoustic show, which was pretty amazing. he played a short set of about 45-50 minutes, but played some jicks songs, some covers, and two pavement songs (!!!)(trigger cut and lions (linden) from the watery, domestic ep). amazing. then, he pulled david berman from the silver jews up to play a song. overall, great set. if i had a tracklist or had kept one in my head, i would tell you about it. alas, i do not, so you have to deal with adjectives like "amazing!" "fantastic!" and so on.

(reunite! the original joos!)

up next were the silver jews. i was extremely excited for this, especially after seeing david berman sing onstage with malkmus. they did not disappoint! they played a long set with many of their "hits" such as pretty eyes (swooooon!), trains across the sea, a good chunk from tanglewood numbers, and some more that i'm forgetting. their performance was simply outstanding, though at times, dc's wife was a little much (i think it's his wife).

they left the stage and came back for a two song encore, in which malkmus joined them. they played "smith and jones" and "new orleans" (which i was hoping that they'd play). malkmus did interpretive singing/dancing during the set and it was pretty much the best thing i'd ever seen. ever.

when they were done, david berman went up behind malkmus and ripped open his jacket and shirt and gave malkmus a hug.

(unfortunately, i did not catch the bare-chested moment on film, but that picture captures the emotion, i'd say...)

the britt daniel review will have to wait until later. malkmus and the jews together was practically musical history and ranks up there with the first show of the pixies reunion tour as one of my most important shows of all time. it was significant. but, this is coming from a major pavement-fan, so what do i know?

coming up....

2006-07-18T06:49:00.000-07:00

july 29 - jolie holland

i'm excited about this. i missed her last show in town PLUS i get to see it at a venue that i walk by every single day but have yet to go to.

august 12 - bonnie prince billy

(free instore! how cool is that?!)

september 12 - shellac

steve probably wants another hug. i think my brother is more excited about this than about recording with steve a few weeks later.

i need to get back to monitoring the first ave and 400 bar website with a diligence usually reserved for work. that said, my diligence is usually reserved for work.

music fest

2006-07-14T09:33:00.000-07:00

today is the day of posts.

with approximately 97% certainty, i will be attending this awesome looking festival in september.

musicfest

stephen malkmus! britt daniel (solo, no less!)! scout niblett! the silver jews!!

oh my.
it's like my dream come true.

especially the malkmus/britt bit, considering that they're my two rock star boyfriends (that don't know that i exist except maybe as the high five girl in malkmus' case). if only we could get howe and dan and others to come, too. neko? could sleater-kinney reunite JUST FOR ME? quasi?

we shall see. it should be fun and awesome and there is a 100% certainty of that.

mise en place, big v's

2006-07-14T09:01:00.000-07:00

on july 11, 2006, minneapolis' own mise en place played their first show in some months (they had taken a break from performing to prep for an upcoming recording session with that famed producer, steve albini) at big v's in st. paul. though i am a biased listener (my brother and fake brother are two of the members), i thought that they sounded really good. not that they didn't before, but the two months off seemed to reenergize and revitalize their sound.

you can listen to their music on their myspace page, found here. and, if you are in the minneapolis area in late july, they'll be playing at the famed 400 bar (famed in my heart, mind you. IN MY HEART.) on july 27 for a mere $5.

photos from big v's.

m. forrester

drew patrick and cory rath

(i swear that i might get sick of the blurry photo look soon, but i doubt it.)

wizard rock revisited yet again

2006-07-14T08:28:00.000-07:00

it would appear that i have an obsession with wizard rock. i really don't. in fact, as a genre, i have some issues with it (as evidenced by previous posts here and here), but think that harry and the potters are tops.

anyhow, they rocked the library in minneapolis this week. it was pretty awesome.

highlights include:

paul running around during voldemort can't stop the rock and rocking right in front of us in the second section of the auditorium.
joe playing the tenor sax all around the auditorium during save ginny weasley from dean thomas.
the megaphone during the human hosepipe. my sister and i just looked at each other and were like, "yeah!"
hearing the new songs from the power of love for the first time, and then rocking out to the cd at home afterwards.
overall wizard rockery goodness.

photographic highlights include:

there are plenty more photos available for your viewing pleasure here.
(that *should* work)

(have i ever mentioned how much i prefer a blurry concert photograph to a crisp one? it's a strange phenomenon indeed. crisp ones are good, though, for creating magnets with. just so you know.)

a side effect of the show was that my daughter, age four, who attended with me, has not stopped singing "i am a wizard" since we attended. this was four days ago. she sings it every morning in the car and every evening on the way back home. as they say, though, the proof is in the pudding, so here you go: evidence of the singing.

the new album is really fantastic. i plan on writing more about that at a later date and time, but just know that if you like music and you like harry potter and you really like good music, then you should probably check them out. they're pretty much the best thing since sliced bread.

wizard rock, part a million

2006-07-03T13:03:00.000-07:00

oh jesus, i can hardly wait.

(information lifted directly from the harry and the potters website)

Tracklisting:
1. New Wizard Anthem
2. Song for the Death Eaters
3. Flesh, Blood, and Bone
4. Save Ginny Weasley From Dean Thomas
5. Felix Felicis
6. Slug Club
7. Smoochy Smoochy Pukey Pukey
8. This Book is so Awesome
9. (not gonna put on) the Monkey Suit
10. We Save Ron's Life, Part 8
11. Hermione's Birds and Boys
12. In Which Draco Malfoy Cries Like a Baby
13. Dumbledore
14. Phoenix Song

totally awesome, right? pretty much.

i'll be rocking to them next monday. pics will come, i am sure.

today, i am wearing my "Save Ginny" shirt and when i went out to eat with some coworker/friends, a little girl was whispering to her brother, "look, it's ginny from harry potter!" and i kind of displayed my shirt proudly and shared a conspiratorial grin with the brother. i wanted to spread the news of the wizard rock, but didn't want to look like a weird adult when the parents were there. i'm not sure that my love of wizard rock is entirely 100% appropriate for someone my age. oh well.

*
in non wizard rock related news: sleater-kinney are no more. very sad. this is also very old (last week) type of news.

Quick Update

2006-05-11T11:40:00.000-07:00

2006-04-12T08:45:00.000-07:00

i love my new camera.

mise en place. 3.31.06. red sea bar. minneapolis, mn.

destroyer, 400 bar, 3.22.06

2006-03-23T13:19:00.000-08:00

the setlist. procured for me by one of the nice guitar players whose name i did not get. actually, it was the bassist, whose name i still did not get. nice man. good set.

destroyer are (is?) (usually, as i am fake british, i use are for bands, but destroyer is a band that i typically think of as just dan bejar plus random people, so i'm hesitant about using the are)(random thought there) awesome. they/he played last night in minneapolis and it was a fantastic show. it was a co-headline gig with magnolia electric company, which i did not stay for. they played for about an hour and played all those songs in bold black sharpie marker except for holly going lightly and the crossover. i kind of wish they had played the little pen written set, because streethawk II has become one of my favorite songs ever, i think. alas, maybe that is only for when they are the second headliner and have time to play an encore and such.

this was such a different experience than when i saw dan in 2001 (the last time i saw him) and he was playing by himself except for the occasional backup play from the main band whose name escapes at the moment. there were five people at the front at that show, and maybe three people sitting in the back of the venue. the five of us were solid supporters and four of us (the two others that i knew, me, and the random guy i stood next to) were there last night. aside from us four, there were at least a few hundred people there, which made me happy for dan but made me think that the secret is out and people now know about destroyer. sometimes, it's good to have these things a well-kept secret, though i suppose it's good for dan's pocketbook to actually have people show up to these things.

dan looks different, too. aside from his stonewashed, tapered pants, he looked quite dapper with his curly out of control hair and lovely raglan sweater.

dan circa 2001:

(with me and my ex)

dan circa yesterday:

i did not get a chance to talk to him, but i'm sure i would have said hi and we would have had an awesome conversation that might have gone something like this:

me: "hi dan. you're awesome"
dan: "thanks"
me: "how about a high five?"
dan: "sure"
[high five]
me: "thanks! talk to you later!"
dan: "bye"

it probably would have been great. it's pretty great even imaginarily.

more photos:

i am only posting the blurred ones. straight lines are for amateurs.

right?

anyhow, destroyer was good. i would highly recommend destroyer's rubies to people, as it will probably be one of the best albums of 2006 (though so far both quasi and howe gelb do come ahead of it)(as does neko case)(it IS still good, though. i swear!) in my list that i will compile eventually in my head and never share with anyone because apparently i forget to actually chronicle things like that.

however, if you really want to hear destroyer in their prime, check out streethawk: a seduction , because you just cannot go wrong with that.

2nd letter to howe

2006-03-21T09:44:00.000-08:00

dear howe,

your album comes out today! i am so excited. after work today, i am going to go buy chicken little for my daughter at target (hot tip for you: the first week a dvd is released at target, they're always on sale. what typically costs over $20, you can get for $16.99 or less! it's pretty great.) and then head to my favorite cd store to pick up your new album.

i just have one request for you: please tour minneapolis. thx.

love,
erin

p.s. i see that we're still not myspace friends. that's cool, but, you know, i AM awesome.

letter to howe

2006-02-17T06:30:00.000-08:00

oh, howe, how did i not know that you had another new album coming out? you did this to me last year, too, with the release of arizona amp and alternator. at least this year, you had the sense to use your own name, but still. and, at least this time, i found out about it in advance. *sigh. of. relief.*

i'm anxiously awaiting the march 21 release date of 'sno angel like you. i'll buy it right away and probably listen to it and cherish it for always. hopefully it's better than "the listener" and i know that it will have to be better than "all over the map". make another confluence or chore of enchantment or even a glum. i know that you're constantly recording and changing direction and that is something that i do love about you, but sometimes you do take some missteps along the way.

no matter, though, i will still love you and continue to buy your albums (though i did not buy the second all piano album since lull some piano just didn't do it for me).

oh, and add me as your myspace friend, k? i like you. i do! and, i'm pretty cool and stuff and would be an alright internet friend to have.

thx.

love,
erin

r. stevie moore, part 1

2006-02-06T09:02:00.000-08:00

part 1 of infinity? i have a feeling i'll be talking about him more later.

anyhow, for now, enjoy this song that i really can't stop listening to:

wayne wayne go away

eef barzelay

2006-02-03T07:32:00.000-08:00

eef, front man for the band clem snide and one of my favorite magnets (er, of the players who potentially form the superstar magnet band on my cubicle metallic surfaces) is releasing a solo album on february 21, entitled bitter honey. also, he will be touring to support said album. tour dates are:

February 21st	Louisville,KY	Ear X-Tacy (w/instore - 6pm)
February 23rd	Lexington,KY	CD Central (w/instore - 6pm)
February 25th	Nashville,TN	Grimey's (w/instore - 4pm)
April 6th	Seattle,WA	Crocodile Cafe
April 7th	Portland,OR	Doug Fir
April 10th	San Francisco,CA	Cafe Du Nord
April 11th	Los Angeles,CA	Largo
April 12th	San Diego,CA	Casbah
April 14th	Memphis,TN	Hi Tone
April 15th	Nashville,TN	The Basement
April 19th	Madison,WI	Cafe Montmarte
April 20th	Minneapolis,MN	400 Bar
April 21st	Chicago,IL	Schubas
April 22nd	Dekalb,IL	House Cafe
May 4th	Arlington,VA	Iota
May 6th	New York,NY	Mercury Lounge
May 7th	Cambridge,MA	Middle East
May 10th	Cleveland,OH	Beachland Ballroom

exciting times! tour dates abound for many artists that i love to see live. i'm a bit overwhelmed here.

upcoming excitement

2006-02-02T06:34:00.000-08:00

aside from the excitement of seeing britt daniel "act" on veronica mars last night, there is new excitement in the world of the bad arts.

neko case, whose upcoming fourth album fox confessor brings the flood hits the shelves march 7 (u.s.), is playing minneapolis on march 29.

excitement abounds.

neko is one of my all-time favorite performers. i have seen her twice as a new pornographer, once as a corn sister, and five times performing with her boyfriends (though she has dropped the boyfriends from her album titles, they're still there on tour. especially the amazing jon rauhouse on pedal steel.). amazing! so, to see a minneapolis date pop up on billions.com this morning was ~~fairly~~ very good to see. no one puts on a show like neko. while i wouldn't say that her performance is up to par with such acts as spoon or even harry and the potters, she commands a different type of stage presence and her voice is as pure live as it is on her albums. pure, sultry, amazing.

the new album, too, is supposed to be great, so be sure to go shopping on march 7. did you get that? MARCH 7, k?

Track List:
01. Margaret vs. Pauline
02. Star Witness
03. Hold On, Hold On
04. A Widow’s Toast
05. That Teenage Feeling
06. Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
07. John Saw That Number
08. Dirty Knife
09. Lion’s Jaws
10. Maybe Sparrow
11. At Last
12. The Needle Has Landed

MARCH 7.

also, you can listen to "star witness" here

drake tungsten

2006-01-20T11:56:00.000-08:00

clocking out is for suckers
self-released cassette, circa 1994.

super rare. super awesome.
available now for only one week or so.

enjoy.

(more information on drake can be found HERE)

exes

2006-01-20T06:56:00.000-08:00

today, i have spent the better part of an hour getting lost on myspace. sometimes, a girl just needs more "friends" and, so, i was searching for people and adding people and seeing if i could find people.

i stumbled across rowan's dad's myspace music page and discovered that he's gotten much better than he used to be. he'd probably kill me if he ever read this blog and knew that i was posting this here (maybe), but, maybe he wouldn't. i don't know.

anyhow, i present you with wallace wylie and three of his songs:

back down
come look at the moon
once i had a golden crown (i think that is the name)

if you like folky scottish singers, then you will probably like him.

oddities

2006-01-19T07:05:00.000-08:00

maybe it is snobbery. i know not. all i know is that sometimes i really just do think that my taste in music is better than everyone else's.

even better than my brother's, who i used to idolize for his musical taste.

and then other times, i don't think that at all.

today, however, i do think that. i am feeling the music snob inside coming out.

reminder to self: make data cd of good music to give to m forrester of the band mise en place tonight. the new joos? he mentioned clap your hands? destroyer is out. the arcade fire? spoooooooon rarities? (i should zip those and post them here)

other reminders, regarding upcoming things:
show: jan. 21, bobby conn, the cave, northfield minnesota (northfield? c'mon bobby conn! that is so out of my metro range.)
cd: jan. 24, cat power, the greatest
cd: jan. 24, robert pollard, from a compound eye (double?)
show: jan. 25, mise en place, uptown bar
cd: feb. 21, destroyer, rubies
cd: mar. 21, quasi, when the going gets dark
show: mar. 22, destroyer, the 400 bar
show: mar. 30, robert pollard, first avenue

there are things that i will not be able to attend, even in that list.

i also wouldn't mind it if someone would babysit my awesome child on my birthday, so that i could see the handsome family, who i did not see in november of 2004 with giant sand even though i have the tickets sitting here at my desk. that was kind of stupid. i don't really know why i did not go to that. oh, regret. alas, i will not see them, because there are other plans on my birthday. and, also, i will not see giant sand anytime soon as howe seems to be avoiding the midwest. oh, howe. i will just have to put in drunken bees and deal with weird kind of bloated long haired glum era howe. yeah, maybe i will do that.

correction: the strokes

2006-01-17T09:34:00.000-08:00

the strokes' first impressions of earth is not runner-up for worst album of 2005, but rather will most likely win worst album of 2006 award.

i got confused. i listened to the album in or around october of 2005 and thus assumed that it came out then. since i had no intentions of purchasing it, i did not ever bother to research whether or not a real copy of the album had been released. if i had, then i would have learned that january 3, 2006 was the release date, thus making it among the first and definitely the worst albums released this new year.

if you want to hear it, let me know. i'll zip it up nice and pretty for you. however, i am warning you that listening to this album might cause upset stomachs, headaches, and general nausea, so proceed with caution.

---

in other, unrelated news, the greatest by cat power is streaming on her myspace site, but this girl cannot get it to work. the album is properly released next tuesday and, as i mostly like her, i will wait until then.

kk at the entry

2006-01-09T08:28:00.000-08:00

saturday night found me at the seventh street entry, quite loaded, for my first and only gangsta show ever. kevin kash arranged a night of, well, gangstaness, and though i don't really remember it to review it properly, i seem to recall having a good time.

(and the photos were taken blurry on purpose. not just because i was quite drunk. i prefer the blurred look of concert photos to nice crisp ones. though, crisp ones are more suited for magnet making, but this is probably a topic for a different post altogether.)

Mise En Place

2006-01-05T12:34:00.000-08:00

or, listen to my brother's band!

another gesture - mise en place

photo by me, just so you know

worst album of 2k5

2005-12-29T08:10:00.000-08:00

the worst album that i listened to was cocorosie. tres horrible!! antony of antony and the johnsons makes me sick to my stomach and not even devendra could save the album. it was crap.

if you are thinking of buying this, i would highly recommend going against any instincts that tell you yes and follow my advice and just say no to noah's ark.

second worst would be the strokes new one whateveritwascalled. i couldn't listen past song three because it, too, made me nauseous. when will the strokes do something different? they really only have one song, you know. just thirty odd variations on it.

2K5

2005-12-28T09:40:00.000-08:00

here it is. some of my favorite songs released in 2005.

MIX!

1. the beast and dragon, adored - spoon
one of the best opening songs of all time, and rowan's favorite song evah.

2. notorious lightning - destroyer
yes, it's 9 minutes and 51 seconds long. but, yes, it's fantastic.

3. wolfie - scout niblett
this song haunts me.

4. sovay - andrew bird
though i find his album to be, overall, just okay, i really really like this song.

5. let the cool goddess rust away - clap your hands say yeah
this band was one of my favorite surprises from 2005. they're fun. they're catchy. they're good.

6. this modern love - bloc party
when i first listened to this album, i really loved it, but it kind of faded from memory after a while. however, this song is really good.

7. rollercoaster - sleater-kinney
SK rock! need i say more?

8. stoner jam - blood on the wall
kk introduced me to this band, and though they're a bit sonic youth tributey, they're still pretty good. their album awesomer is pretty awesome, i must say.

9. man on a string - arizona amp and alternator
i love howe gelb. i love scout niblett. put those two together?! magic. pure magic.

10. long haired child - devendra banhart
devendra is like the now version of a sixties hippie. he works it.

11. holding back the year - lou barlow
oh, lou. how could i not put lou on here? one of the standouts from EMOH.

12. punks in the beerlight - the silver jews
I LOVE IT TO THE MAX.

13. intermission - nine black alps
little band from manchester, england makes good.

14. i summon you - spoon
yes, i have broken my rule and put two spoon songs on here. however, spoon are awesome and thus deserve two songs on a mix. this is probably my favorite track from "gimme fiction". i think it's because i'm a romantic at heart.

15. no more shoes - stephen malkmus and the jicks
i probably could have chosen a different song, however, there is something about this eight minute rock out session that i really like. maybe it's just because i really just love malky.

16. baby man - bobby conn and the glass gypsies
live version of one of my favorite bobby conn songs from "rise up".

17. baby man refrain - bobby conn and the glass gypsies
i actually like this one more, but i can't have the refrain without the song and i can't have the song without the refrain. these two go hand in hand.

18. the bleeding heart show - the new pornographers
perhaps not the best way to close a cd, but this is my favorite track from "twin cinema" and i love neko and i quite like the new pornographers, so it's on here and it's the closer...just because.

i'm sure that there are many more that could have been put on here, and maybe next year i'll figure out some hidden 2k5 gems and put those on a revised and updated best of mix. but, for now, this will do.

2005-12-28T08:53:00.000-08:00

i forgot some albums for honorable mentions.

the silver jews - tanglewood numbers
devendra banhart - cripple crow (though, in all fairness, i probably have not listened to that enough to give it h.m., but i know that it's good, so it goes up there. for goodness sake.)
blood on the wall - awesomer

the mix is made, but not quite ready to go. i like to quality control these things. once it's had the run through, i'll post it here with notes and the like. so, be prepared for that.

top of the pops

2005-12-27T09:22:00.000-08:00

or, alternately, the bad arts gives a rundown on the year 2k5.

album of the year
hands down, this has to go to spoon for their fantastic album, "gimme fiction".

hands down.
i was hooked upon first listen. well, that is a slight exaggeration, as i really enjoyed it as of the first listen but was a bit taken aback by what i thought was the abrupt end to the album. it just.....ends. suddenly. anyhow, by the second listen, i was hooked. from the opening measures of the beast and dragon, adored to the still somewhat abrupt ending of merchants of soul, everything is pure quality. there is not one bad track on this album. in fact, this album pushed spoon into the stratosphere of obsession and britt into the status of ROCKSTARGOD. in my opinion. of course.

any album that can hold my attention span for months and months after repeated listening and wear and tear (this was the only album played in my car for about three months), is a good album. not every album gets that privelege, but gimme fiction does.

spoon rocks.
plus, britt is really hot.

best album of the year and probably in my top five albums of all time, were i to revisit that list.

honorable mentions:
destroyer - notorious lightning and other works (ep)
bobby conn and the glass gypsies: live classics vol. 1
clap your hands say yeah - clap your hands say yeah
arizona amp and alternator: arizona amp and alternator
stephen malkmus and the jicks: face the truth
sleater-kinney: the woods
the new pornographers: twin cinema
scout niblett - kidnapped by the neptune

there surely are more, but those are the standouts at the moment. spoon just was leagues above everyone else and thus my vision is a bit clouded by that.

i would like to give a special shout out to the british band nine black alps and their debut album "everything is". while i enjoyed the album quite a lot and would recommend it to people who like good british rock, that is not why i am giving the shout out. once upon a time, i traded mix tapes with sam forrest, the main man behind the band, and he makes a mean mix and makes a good album, and thus, the shout out. so, that was a debut in 2k5 that is quite good. okay? okay.

concert of the year
this one is a little bit less clear-cut, and thus, i am giving the honors to two bands.

1A. HARRY AND THE POTTERS in the park, july 19, 2005.
i love wizard rock. perhaps people know this? i love harry potter. i love harry and the potters. i love everything about this band. they rocked it out in the minneapolis park on a lovely, sunny, but not too hot summer day. it was fantastic. super fun. super energetic.

they showed heart. they showed soul. they showed pure awesomeness (but not pure-blood. oh no.).

1B. SPOON, 400 bar, december 8, 2005.
again, the awesomeness of britt and his voice and his fantastic songs and the sound of spoon overshadow most everyone else. most. i was very close to britt (front row at a small venue with a low stage) and i think it made all the difference in the world. see, i saw them play in june at a larger venue, but, due to the day of three concerts, we had to stand in the balcony and though it was awesome (they sounded incredible), it was not the same as being RIGHTTHERE in a small, sweaty crowd, knowing that you're witnessing rock godness in the making.

so, yeah, spoon rocked. read my review of this for further details on the show.

honorable mentions:
sleater-kinney, first avenue, june 15, 2005.
neko case, first avenue, june 7, 2005.
lou barlow, 400 bar, march 15, 2005.
ted leo and the pharmacists, first avenue, june 14, 2005.
stephen malkmus, electric fetus, june 12, 2005.

i did not go to as many concerts this year as i have in years past, and some of the concerts that i should have seen were cancelled (destroyer! bobby conn!) and others (scout niblett! grr...) i just could not attend. alas, the ones i did see were pretty quality, so that is good. not really a bad one in the bunch, though i did leave some off the list. i couldn't list everything, right?

random weird music thing of the year
my mom knows more about the hip hop world than i do. it's weird.

musical discoveries of the year
one album that came out in 2k4 that i quite like is the arcade fire's funeral. i was a bit anti-buying this because sometimes i don't like to follow the hype, but, i must say that that is an album that i have enjoyed thoroughly since its purchase one year after its release. that's not necessarily a "discovery", but it would be my album of the year not released in the year.

jim guthrie. he's pretty fantastic. i was sent an edited version of his first album, a thousand songs this fall? or late summer? anyhow, regardless of when it was, i found that album to be kind of....just okay. however, after listening to morning noon night repeatedly later this fall, i realized that i really liked him. a lot. that album was one of my favorite new to me albums of 2005, though it came out in 2002. i would also recommend now, more than ever (2003) as a solid pick.

new band alert
my brother has a band called mise en place. they're pretty good. i've seen them live and heard rough cuts of their demo, and i'd say, (with just an ever so slightly biased opinion) that they could do good things. i'll let you know if/when they explode beyond the local circuit. they just played st. paul for the first time the other day, so they are expanding beyond minneapolis. fifteen minutes beyond, but still.

other random weird music thing
how did the emancipation of mimi score eight grammy nods? granted, i have never listened to it, but eight? that's kind of a lot.

tomorrow, if i remember, i'll have a best of 2005 mix ready for you. it should be pretty mixtastic.

wizard rock, part deux. . .

2005-12-22T09:03:00.000-08:00

(. . .or the post where i blether about wizard rock with no real point and no real direction, as per usual for the bad arts)

wizard rock is taking over the world, and i'm not entirely sure that this is a good thing.

yes, once upon a time, i would have been pretty excited to see my favorite band about books, harry and the potters, leading what is apparently a world-wide trend in writing music about the harry potter books. well, scratch that. i am still excited that harry and the potters seem to be a phenomenon and are pretty much considered the kings of wizard rock and are written about in entertainment weekly, on mtv.com, and (with their indie cred, perhaps?) pitchfork.com...to name a few. they're really all over. this bothers me not one bit except that paul and joe aren't nearly as quick with responding to queries as they once were as i'm pretty sure that their fanbase has grown tenfold or more since the release of voldemort can't stop the rock.

no, harry and the potters success has bothered me not one bit. however, i am a bit dismayed at the sheer number of bands that have since popped up who attempt to rock in the same vein, but come up pretty short.

for example, recently, a livejournal community has been dedicated to the genre of wizard rock (check it out here), and with some investigation into the matter i was able to see just how much this has grown as a genre. apparently, wizard rock is the new black, and writing songs about harry potter and life in the world of magic guarantees you legions of fans.

(you don't even necessarily have to be good, as some of those bands most definitely are not.)

maybe i wouldn't mind if i didn't just really love harry and the potters so so much. i hold bands that i love near and dear in my heart and i don't want H&tPs success to be infringed upon by other bands such as draco and the malfoys (who are actually quite good, i must begrudgingly say) or the remus lupins or the whomping willows, or the whole list of wizard rock bands that can be found in the info section of the wizard rock community. i mean, is it necessary to have a band for every character that appears in the harry potter books? and, at what point does originality cease to exist? harry and the potters were the first wizard rock band (well, first harry potter wizard rock band, as there definitely have been wizard rock bands in the past, as people are apt to point out...) and though the other bands are writing their own songs with their own takes on the harry potter mythology, it's not very original to cop the idea when someone else did it first and has done it better and has started this genre of harry potter wizard rock?!

though the brothers degeorge do not seem to mind this, it still bothers ME (and here, as i've said before, my opinion is what counts). they even recently organized and performed at what appears to be a very successful rendition of the yule ball. (which i wish that i had been able to attend, however, boston is kind of far from minneapolis)

maybe it was inevitable, though. harry potter has taken over the world in so many ways that perhaps the music world was the next logical choice and if H&tPs hadn't started it then someone else would have. so, perhaps, i shouldn't be so judgmental and i should just go with the flow. if something is going to take over the world, i'd rather it be wizard rock than something horrible. after all, almost all of these bands are anti-voldemort (grrr, draco and the malfoys. grrr....), and thus, anti-evil, so that must be a good thing. it really could be worse.

so, in conclusion, i have no point. just that the number of wizard rock bands is overwhelming. and, if you're looking to start your own, i have some ideas:

the severus snapes
the potion masters
the golden snitches
the gryffindor lions
the squibs
the dementors
the basilisks
the half blood prince
the death eaters
the order of the phoenix
the prophecies (perhaps you could sing about all of madame trelawney's predictions? just an idea!)
gilderoy lockhart and the obliviators
professor quirrell and the turban of doom
wormtail and the silver hands
the flying cars
the muggles
dudley and the dursleys
the fleur delacours
viktor krum and the wronski feints
the veelas
the room of requirement
the tom riddles

and so on...

wizard rock, part une

2005-12-21T14:18:00.000-08:00

currently, in my post settings at the bad arts, i have a post in which i rant about wizard rock. well, that is where it will go eventually, because i really feel that there are far too many bands out there writing songs about harry potter books when really there should only be one (the fabulous brothers degeorge and their band, harry and the potters). however, today, i got the best cd ever in the mail (from H&tPs) and it has made me laugh so much and so, in the spirit of christmas and wizardry everywhere, i present to you a downloadable link to "a magical christmas of magic" featuring many wizard rock bands. this is probably very bad of me to do, so please, dear reader, don't share all over the place (i'd rather you support the fine art of wizard rock - at least until i tell you not to), but here you go: a magical christmas of magic -- zipped all nice and pretty for you.

happy holidays! enjoy the gift of music!
(at least until this link expires)

and now for something completely different....

2005-12-14T09:06:00.000-08:00

now, we at the bad arts do not like to write about things that do not pertain to music or what we like, as, well, this was set up to be a music blog of sorts, even if the writing is juvenile at times and gushy at others and not always entirely sensical. however, we at the bad arts do have other interests aside from music. we love books! and knitting (it's true!)! and movies! and, maybe more than other things, television! we love television. not the band, mind you, but the medium. television shows are awesome.

it seems that ever since dawson's creek, television has been a way for musicians to expose a larger audience to their work. musicians and songs that fans would never expect to appear on television shows are suddenly popping up on fairly popular shows. the o.c. has become a show for bands to actually showcase their work by performing live at the teenage drama's music venue "the bait shop" as background for the storylines. some even say that this show is what helped put the band death cab for cutie on the map, as it were, due to seth cohen's obsession with the band. i am convinced, by the way, that all people secretly love this show. it's a theory that i won't go into now, but was developed after seeing stephen malkmus and the jicks in june and them playing a snippet of the theme song (california by phantom planet) during the encore while they were being jickish and laissez-faire in their performance.

moving on, though we do love the o.c.and the fact that we've heard such acts as elliott smith, lou barlow, spoon, bloc party, and so on on the show, there is another teenage drama that we love even more: veronica mars. today, pitchfork media released a great little write-up about spoon and we find out that, OHMYGOD, britt daniel is performing on our favorite show!! even though britt has not watched it (or so he says), it's still pretty cool that he's performing on it.

television sometimes really does rock.

and on that note, we're out.

spoon at the 400 bar, minneapolis, 12.8.05

2005-12-12T06:24:00.000-08:00

what can i say about this most fantastic show?

that britt rocked? that the band sounded awesome? that every song they played was great? (even paper tiger, which is probably my least favorite spoon song) that if i had missed it, i probably would have cried just a little bit? that, overall, this might have been my favorite concert of 2005 (though harry and the potters is still high up on the list) and one of my favorite concerts at the 400 bar ever?

though i am still not quite sure what prompted this sponsored show or how we were lucky enough to host it or how it was free or any of the details regarding that, i have decided that that doesn't matter and that, since i was in attendance, it was a great idea. (thanks to: schell's beer, the onion, and the current. for real! and thanks to the nice lady from an accounting firm who works with schell's who sent me free tickets after i missed out at the giveaways that one could attend to try to obtain free tickets!)

so, to set the stage, as it were, the 400 bar is a very small venue with a very low stage (hits me just around mid-thigh, and, granted, i am very tall, but that should give you some idea as to what kind of place we were dealing with) and very bad sound if you are not in the front. we arrived in the neighborhood shortly after seven, hit an african restaurant for coffee and a quick bite to eat, and then headed to the 400 bar around 7:57 as doors were at eight. we waited for a bit in the minneapolis cold and eventually, a little late, the doors opened and we were the first in the door (even though we were not the first to start waiting outside and not the only people there, either). i made a beeline for the front and lodged myself in my favorite spot on the left (our left) side of the stage. and thus, we waited.

the opening bands were.... well, i thought that they were both pretty crap, but i know that some people thought that the first band was okay. both acts were local and neither was great. beau kinstler and the somethings was the first band and kind of sounded like a typical bar band, if you ask me. but, that's just my opinion. michael morris, the second act, sounded like a discount clem snide. really crap. and boring. they were really boring.

and then, spoon.

spoon really rocked it. britt was hot. the band was tight. they played for about an hour and a half, including the encore. britt got a little hoarse towards the end, but it didn't interfere with the show, as his voice sounds cool no matter what. there were a few moments of annoying fandom in the crowd, but, overall, it was fantastic. and, i grabbed the setlist at the end of the show. not britt's, but still... pretty cool.

the set was:

the beast and dragon, adored
me and the bean
someone something
lines in the suit
the fitted shirt
the delicate place
i turn my camera on
sister jack
anything you want
paper tiger
small stakes
vittorio e
they never got you
i summon you
the two sides of monsieur valentine
the way we get by
thirty gallon tank
the infinite pet
my mathematical mind

-encore-
everything hits at once
car radio
jonathan fisk

it was great.

2005-12-06T09:53:00.000-08:00

tonight, mise en place.
thursday, spoon.

this girl is excited.
especially about spoon. holy crap. could britt be any hotter?

for the record

2005-12-01T12:25:00.000-08:00

the origins of the newly invented word mixtastic come from me and my head.

JUST SO YOU KNOW.

2005-11-09T06:50:00.000-08:00

the idea for a spoon promotional show where one must win tickets is the worst idea ever. particularly because i seem to not be winning.

also, bobby conn broke his arm or something and so that show, too, got cancelled.

my concert luck is just.... it's just not good right now.

stuff

2005-11-03T07:55:00.000-08:00

did i ever mention that the new pornographers and destroyer were cancelled in minneapolis? because that show was and it broke my little hahhhhhhht. a little bit. though, this way, at least my previous concert experiences of both bands (which were pretty awesome) were not marred, so that is quite good.

bobby conn is playing here in two days and i cannae wait. that was me being fake scottish. for a minute. anyhow, a preview of his weirdness could be found here at the following link: never get ahead video

(hopefully that works)

2 days. let's hope that doesn't get cancelled, either. because that would be crappy. really really crappy.

tanglewood numbers

2005-10-24T08:39:00.000-07:00

the awesomeness just hit me.
it's superb.

because i am lazy, and do not feel like uploading anything for you, i am going to send you to drag city to download "how can i love you if you won't lie down" (video)(apparently). because, well, i am lazy and that song is just as good as any other. this album is good.

in unrelated content: the new pornographers and destroyer cancelled their minneapolis date. it's as if the concert gods were cursing me....or, it's as if one of the members was ill or something.

2005-10-20T21:10:00.000-07:00

i learned some very interesting information tonight. bobby conn, the bobby conn who is so weird and yet so wonderful, is playing minneapolis on november 5th. as i will be in town and not busy, i am so there.

bobby conn is like the... hmm. bobby conn is not the anti-christ, though i thought he might be for a while. bobby conn is not normal. bobby conn is glam. bobby conn is awesome.

november 5th.

mark your calendars, kids.

in other news, i have been completely obsessed with jim guthrie as of late, which is neat but kind of odd, since i've never much cared for royal city and thought that, to be honest, they were kind of crap. but jim? jim = good.

and, also, i cleaned out my random cd storage area and found numerous cds that need to be listened to, up to and including a copy of red apple falls by smog (which probably belongs to my brother, but he doesn't need to know about that unless he stumbles across this in which case, i will give it back to you if it is yours, drew), two unlabeled pavement random downloads discs (once again, these do not belong to me....drew), and too many elliott smith random albums to even count. i also found a live disc of the jam, random burned copies of albums that i love that i must have intended on giving away at some point, loads of classical music (this is what actually prompted me to search in the area, as i was looking for something for rowan to listen to), tons of mix cds that were made for me from a long time ago, an up records sampler, and a vhs copy of the fellowship of the ring - which is clearly not music, but kind of funny all the same. there was more, too, but the inventory would be too long and boring to continue to tell, so just take my word for it that there were lots of surprises and some things made me happy and some things made me just a little bit sad.

the new pornographers play in less than 48 hours. though i am excited for them and love twin cinema, i am definitely more excited for destroyer. destroyerrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

rock.

mise en place revisited

2005-10-19T14:02:00.000-07:00

last saturday night, i had the pleasure of seeing the second official debut of the local band mise en place. kids, they're going to do great things and i'm not just saying that because my brother is involved in the band. they're actually really good**. trust me. i have excellent taste in music and my opinions should be trusted.

they played a lengthy set of material that i had previously only heard in demo format (with just drew patrick playing various parts on a four track recording) or at solo drew patrick shows, of which there have been like 5 in history or something like that. maybe more, maybe a few less.

but, as pre-usual, i digress. mise en place was the band of the hour and they seriously rocked. i was very impressed with their performance, given that they've existed as a band for about two months or less and all work various full-time jobs and have real lives that take up a lot of time and they still managed to sound goooood. real good.

for videos and photos and their own write up of their performance, i highly recommend that you check out the mise en place blog found here: mise en place

this site also has some linkage to a photobucket and putmefile space for the band. i'd link myself, but really, why do that when it's already been done for me?

so, in conclusion, mise en place are good. they're from "edina" (but really not.). they rock. my brother is in the band. and, that is probably all you need to know right now.

just wait for more big news as it happens.

**(see, i was kind of worried that i would have to lie about them and say that they were good when really i wasn't impressed at all, but, luckily for all parties involved, no lying was necessary because they sounded fantastic. and i mean that from the bottom of my little hahhhhhhht.)

and now for something completely different...

2005-10-12T14:05:00.000-07:00

if, for some reason, on this gray and rainy and gloomy day (in minneapolis town, at least), you feel the need to listen to something kind of gangsta, give this (link!) a try. it's quite good. 48ish minutes of stuff that is completely different from typical bad arts fare, but good all the same. except for the last three minutes, but we don't need to talk about that now.

2005-10-07T17:30:00.000-07:00

some time ago, rowan and her father made a mix together. apparently, rowan has not read my rules on how to make a mix cd and what to put on it, for she (being the one who picked the songs) broke many of my rules. her dad should have known better.

there is no need to put donovan on twice. the beatles on SIX times. no need to ever put the grateful dead on any mix. no need for ... actually, i can't really criticize too much beyond that.

it is apparent, however, that i need to do some active parenting when it comes to the art of the mix.

that said, i do appreciate that at her young age (three), she is already interested in making mixes to fit her mood (this was a dance mix, apparently) and that she knows that it's her mix and that it starts with an R and that it's music she likes. i also appreciate the fact that her father helped with this, though, as i said, i do need to teach her the rules to this and hopefully help her out for future mixing efforts.

...

in other news related to music, i have recently been given the gift of pavement rarities and i cannot stop listening to them, even though i was also given the gift of many other albums at the same time. the gift of music is fantastic and it is even better when it is the gift of hard to find songs by one's favorite all-time band ever...it's like new music from a long dead band! it has been a terrific few days of all-out pavement looooove.

with the occasional mix of other things, of course. occasional.

my recent summation of indie rock in 4000 words or less was this:

pavement rocked.
the end.

i'm not sure that that is good and i'm not sure if anyone else will think that that is good, but i do know that it sums it up pour moi, and that is the most important thing here. please remember that at the bad arts, only my opinion counts.

:-*,
me

more music

2005-09-27T13:38:00.000-07:00

in other music news: thanks to a certain gangsta, i have been enjoying the sounds of pre-pavement malkmus with the legendary lakespeed demos? album? i am not certain what to call it.

all the i know is that it's good.

if you want to read what rabid fans have to say about this, then please click this link (<--link!) and you can see for yerself. they're legendary. apparently.

mise en place

2005-09-27T08:53:00.000-07:00

apparently, this should be good.


Location:	Java Jack's Coffee Cafe (Basement) 818 46th Street W., Minneapolis, MN
When:	Saturday, October 15, 7:30pm
Phone:	612.825.2183
Your presence is humbly requested at a special evening performance of music by Mise en Place, a recently formed quartet from Edina. If you have received this invitation, then either (1) the band thinks favorably of you, or (2) the band is using you. It is equally possible that Mise en Place collectively feel "obligated" to ask you. In any case, come take part in history and witness Mise en Place's debut performance in the basement of Java Jack's in South Minnie. DISCLAIMER: This is not for the meek-hearted (or minded), i.e., some of you may want to bring earplugs. Feel free to bring your requests, and Mise en Place will feel free not to play them. Join the band after the show at the Bryant Lake Bowl for a post party. Post-post party location yet to be determined. M Forrester - guitar Drew Patrick - guitar, vocals Cory Rath - bass, vocals Shaun Westphal - drums “Mise en Place is an overly melodic noise outfit from the notorious post-prior Edina scene. Think of a blank canvas marked by a red X, a black X, and some other stuff.”

then again, it could be crap. i'm just trying to be a good sister here. you know?

u.s. maple - talker

2005-09-23T06:07:00.000-07:00

last night, as i took an inventory of all my albums, i remembered that i own and quite like all of u.s maple's albums. they're kind of weird. not my normal "thing" (i.e. they're not pretty), but they're good. i think that partially the reason that i like them is because once upon a time at a david grubbs show in chicago, my brother and i had an hour or so long conversation with one of their guitarists and he was really nice. so, i like to give nice people a chance... i did, and i started to actually like their deconstructive rock.

here is their third album talker, for you to try to enjoy.

1. bumps and guys
2. running from kabob
3. go to bruises
4. more horror
5. apollo, don't you crust
6. breeze, it's your high school
7. stupid deep indoors
8. [untitled]
9. so long bonus

for what it's worth, breeze, it's your high school is probably my favorite track.

music overload

2005-09-22T11:32:00.000-07:00

dear fans of the bad arts (all two or so of you):

i have been operating on music overload the past few weeks. probably, and more accurately, i should say past month or so. this is both a good and a bad thing. good in that i am trying and searching and scouring the wide world of music to find rare gems to pass along to you, my loyal reader(s). bad in that, in all my searching and scouring and listening and buying and acquiring, i have found myself in that rare position of too much music to listen to to even make sense of any of it.

there have been some standouts in the recent acquisitions. oh, just fantastic stuff in general. however, i have not had time to properly digest and dissect any of the albums enough to even attempt to give one of my craptastic reviews. i mean, let's face it here, my reviews are a bit craptastic, even when i have listened to an album numerous times. but i couldn't even attempt one of those at this moment. i'm still absorbing everything and need to revisit at least twelve albums before i can pass along anything to you.

in the meantime, there is one song that has stood out more than most and that is the song "man on a string" (<--link!) by arizona amp and amplifier, which is really just howe gelb. oh, silly howe. and the only reason that i even feel okay in passing that along is because i have found myself listening to it on repeat over and over and over again (oh wait, that is the definition of repeat, isn't it?) in car rides here and there in my meanderings in greater minneapolis.

so, i give you that. for now. chew on it. think it over. hopefully, love it. if not, then that's fine, too. to each his own, as they say.

i will work on overcoming my music overload problem. and, someday, have some proper recommendations and reviews to dish out.

love,
erin

we'll build them a golden bridge

2005-09-08T06:20:00.000-07:00

because i'm super nice and just uploaded this whole incredibly rare album for a destroyer community, i thought that i would be super super nice and share the love with any and all of you.

so, i give you "we'll build them a golden bridge" by destroyer. this album is super hard to find. but, because i am awesome, i have a copy of it. (of course!)

1. revolution
2. j. tailor
3. smith
4. i, as mccarthy
5. mending song
6. leave little fiddler (alone)
7. the pornographers
8. war on jazz
9. islands in the stream
10. saddestroyer
11. streets of fire
12. rose fleched this
13. breakin' the law
14. whistilin' dixie (she shoots)
15. riota
16. knowing when to leave (slang mix)

acoustic guitar

2005-08-31T07:05:00.000-07:00

how do you feel about acoustic music? the other night, my fake brother was telling me that acoustic music is the worst thing in the whole wide world, and is actually a killer of rock music. i like acoustic music done properly. i mean, elliott smith? uh. some others? his stance was that people like frank black can put an acoustic guitar in a song and make it sound good, but that the whole MTV unplugged phenomenon was the worst thing to happen to music. ever.

but, anyhow, without boring you with random stupid details, during the whole debate, the following song was going through my head and i would have started singing it except that i don't think that fake brother knows this song.

so, here you go:
acoustic guitar - the magnetic fields

this is from disc three of 69 love songs, and though the file name may say something like "how to say goodbye" it's NOT. my computer sometimes is stupid and misreads and misnames files or whatever, so, you know, just know that it is the song i intended for it to be. regardless of name.

and then, tell me how you feel about acoustic music. i'd really like to know.

we have arrived....

2005-08-30T06:24:00.000-07:00

the more and more i listen to twin cinema, the more and more i like it. in fact, it's actually taken the place of the newest flavor of the month, "clap your hands say yeah" as the album that is most likely to be listened to in my car. this is kind of a huge honor. probably not, actually.

a large part of the liking has been the song the bleeding heart show, which could be and often is listened to on repeat, over and over and over again. there is just something about it...

so, i give you the bleeding heart show by the new pornographers; maybe you will love it as much as i do.

naked, if i want to

2005-08-26T11:58:00.000-07:00

2 versions.

naked, if i want to - moby grape

naked, if i want to - cat power

this is always a good song. doubly so, now!

if there are linkage problems, let me know. somehow. they always work for me, but that might not mean anything.
[/technodolt]

unofficial canada day

2005-08-24T08:53:00.000-07:00

yesterday, the new pornographers, in conjunction with matador records (US), released twin cinema.

now, i have to confess, i was not anxiously anticipating this album. not even a little bit. however, my loyalty to dan bejar of destroyer and neko case of neko case was too strong to not buy this album. and, you know what? after one listen, it's quite good. i still don't think that AC newman is all he's cracked up to be, but this is a far better album than their last album, electric version, which up until this morning, i had not listened to since shortly after its release in 2003.

in celebration of the new new pornographers and all things interconnected in that tangled little web those indie musicians weave, i have decided that i am going to celebrate an unofficial canada day and will only listen to canadian stuff, namely stuff involving neko case (an unofficial canadian herself), dan bejar, and the new pornographers peops.

the most exciting part of the day is that i stumbled across a destroyer rarities compilation and downloaded it and finally, finally have the version of "the music lovers" on CD that i previously only had on a 7" single that i could not play since i have no record player.

so, here you go...
the music lovers - destroyer (alternate version, of course!)

if i get 'round to it, i'll post more fantastic canadian tracks. but for now, this will do.

carry on.

rarity

2005-08-23T06:56:00.000-07:00

new monkey - elliott smith

from the either/or sessions. maybe someday, when i'm feeling super nice, i'll post the whole lot. well, at least disc one of the lot, since i don't have the second disc or whatevz.

(the sound quality is not the best, mind you, but that is just something you will have to deal with.)

home, vol. 4

2005-08-22T11:58:00.000-07:00

i'm feeling nice.

here you go, the one time that i will ever ever ever willingly and ablingly listen to conor oberst, and that is only because he is playing with [my fake rock star boyfriend who doesn't actually know that i exist but who i brushed shoulders with once] britt daniel.

spent on rainy days
you get yours
southern state
let the distance bring us together

now, mind you, i still can't handle conor even a little bit, but i'll tolerate him for britt.

fake autobiographical

2005-08-22T05:55:00.000-07:00

south dakota - liz phair

call me mommy - make up

and, just because i like this song:
the loneliest duet - the secrets

this. and a little bit of that.

2005-08-21T14:20:00.000-07:00

wow. my last post was so fantastic that i don't even know that i can top it. ever.

riiiiiiiight.

today, i rediscovered the magic of pavement (did i ever really undiscover it? nope, don't think so.) and am slowly working on turning my daughter into the world's largest little pavement fan. though, her favorite song still is "the beast and dragon and dog" (aka the best and dragon, adored, by spoon). i'm working on it. spoon are great, but pavement are greater.

and yes, i know i refer to bands in the plural. i'm a fake brit. have i never mentioned this before? when your daughter's father hails from scotland, then these things tend to infiltrate the vocabulary.

no songs today, as, once again, i am at home and on dial-up, but tomorrow there should be more. should be being the operative words there. there is a fantastic old giant sand song that i may post and i need to expand my horizons and find some new things for all you lovelies to listen to, because i still am pretty certain that my taste in music is tops. it just needs to be expanded.

and, if you can't get sarcasm in writing, then there may be no hope for you.

photo journey

2005-08-18T13:12:00.000-07:00

today is a day off, so there are limitations as to what i can post. a girl can only do so much with dial-up, y'see? so, today is a day for random photographs and, also, a very sad tale, indeed.

first. the everchanging cast of the magnet band. forgive me if you've seen these pictures before, or if you are one of the lucky few who have seen these fantastic creations in person. as i said, i have my limitations today, so do what you will with that.

i have some more. i have some on my fridge here at home, too. in fact, with the magic of digital photography and instantaneous upload, i present you with this:

please ignore non-rock star magnets, as, i have quite a little soft spot in my hahhht for magnets. i like them. they're fun. this, however, is NOT the magnet blog (if it were, though...oh, if it *were*!), so focus instead on the rock star magnets. steve albini! kim deal! neko case! elliott smith! stephen malkmus! jesus! oh, wait, not jesus.

and now, for my tales of sadness and woe.

firstly, i present you with the following cleverly doctored photograph (i am very clever.):

my aforementioned copy of hisser, that, indeed, i scoured the stores of glasgow, edinburgh, dundee, stirling, and other places in scotland for before finally obtaining in one fantastic record store in london whose name now escapes me. oh, london.

but, to the point, as you can see from my mad paint skillz, he spelled erin with an A. that is just not right. as much as i love you, howe (and i do i do i do!), this is incorrect. however, his high fives are solid and he's still a nice man. and, though the new giant sand pretty much blows, his old work with john convertino and joey burns (oh, those pesky calexicans) is pretty fantastic. it truly is. and his solo work ain't too shaggy, either.

also, i took a photo of a photo the other day as i do not have a scanner and i wanted to show how howe kind of does resemble joey fatone (and, plus, i quite liked this picture of me). unfortunately, my photography skillz are not as good as my paint ones, at least in terms of figuring out how to avoid flash, but here you go anyhow. see the resemblance? i do!

unfortunately, this original photograph, along with a book that i truly love, were accidentally released into the universe at a random stop at a convenient store yesterday afternoon; the purpose of which was to pick up the new issue of entertainment weekly, which has a snippet about my favorite band about books, harry and the potters, in it. this is a sad, sad, sad, but true story and i am very sorry to know that some random person has probably one of my favorite photographs ever along with my copy of "half asleep in frog pajamas" by tom robbins.

this is a far more personal bad arts post than normal, as you may have noticed. cherish it. i'll be back to my old tricks tomorrow, or, at the least, soon enough.

long songs

2005-08-17T08:11:00.000-07:00

notorious lightning - destroyer
9 min. 51 sec. from notorious lightning and other works ep, 2005, merge records.
this is far superior to the version of notorious lightning that opens up 2004's your blues. far superior.

have i ever mentioned that i love destroyer?

from her to eternity - nick cave and the bad seeds
5 min. 33. sec. from from her to eternity, originally released 1984.

not my favorite nick cave song, but pretty fantastic nonetheless. he's great.

oh comely - neutral milk hotel
8 min. 18 sec. from in the aeroplane over the sea, 1998, merge records.

long song. i love this album.

shangri-la - the kinks
5 min. 20 sec. from arthur, or the decline and fall of the british empire, originally released 1969.

the kinks are the best british band of the sixties, and possibly, in my opinion, ever. EVER.

that should do.

(apologies for the random picture sizes. and apologies, too, because two of those are not even that long and i was too lazy to upload any more.)

edit: okay, how could i not put another nick cave song on this post? i couldn't not, so here you go. bonus!

the mercy seat - nick cave and the bad seeds
7 min. 17 sec. from tender prey, released 1988.

this is actually one of my favorite albums of all time.

rainy day song

2005-08-16T14:26:00.000-07:00

it's not raining!

4 door maverick - howe gelb

that should work. i've been having the worst experiences with my protected media content and my technological ineptness.

but, howe gelb = fantastico!

apparently, according to some, he looks like joey fatone's long lost dad. i've seen joey fatone's dad on the other half and howe gelb is not even remotely a look-alike. though, i do see an odd resemblance to joey fatone. i guess. whatevz.

howe is also really nice. and he likes scotch. and if you go to him with your rare copy of "hisser" that you scoured the UK for, he will appreciate your stories about this and sign it for you and even give you a high five. it's true.

he may, however, spell your name wrong.

word is out on the street....

2005-08-15T14:15:00.000-07:00

this is probably my third favorite song ever, if i were the type who rates these things, of course.

rise up - bobby conn

i love bobby conn. he's so weird.

song of the day

2005-08-12T10:17:00.000-07:00

pretty eyes - the silver jews

in keeping with my pretty theme of the past two days, i am presenting you with probably my favorite silver jews song. i love it. it's PRETTY.

lyrics:

Everybody wants perspective from a hill
but everybody's wants can't make it past the window sill
I can see you in yourt room at night
the pictures on your walls
little forest scenes and high school halloweens
but they don't come to you
they don't come to you at all

All houses dream in blueprints
our house dreams so hard
Outside you can see my shoeprints
I've been dreaming in your yard

One of these days these days will end
Thru the kitchen window the light will bend
You'll be carving a pumpkin with a knife
when someone at the table says
"that's not what I call a life!"

The elephants are so ashamed of their size
hosing down I tell them "you got pretty eyes"
Out in the backyard I used to make like I was a cowboy
I'd set my dog before a hoop and say "now boy, now boy!"

When the governer's heart fails
the state bird falls from its branch
Icicles on hell's higher hills
Meanwhile back home at the ranch
I still get up early in the morning
and I never knew a better place

I believe the stars are the headlights of angels
driving from heaven to save us
to save us
Won't you look at the sky?
They're driving from heaven into our eyes
and though final words are so hard to devise
I promise that I'll always remember your pretty eyes
your pretty eyes

(lyrics janked from the corduroy suit)
d.c. berman is a genius.

i am anxiously anticipating tanglewood numbers' release in october. i actually have already downloaded this album, but, you know, i like to wait until i get the complete package. i'm a bit of a "needs the actual object" type of girl.

enjoy the song. it's......pretty. of course!

songs that are good

2005-08-11T07:24:00.000-07:00

today is a day for pretty songs.

pretty ballerina - the left banke
i first heard this song on a mix tape that the father of my daughter gave me many many years ago. i still love this song, even though i no longer love him.

ventricle - ponies in the surf
this is a brother/sister duo from boston whom i am quite enamored of, even though they only have one short ep out and have never played here and sound a bit unpolished at times. they're still quite good. i like pretty music. what more can i say?

i wanted to treat you to more songs, but yousendit is being a bit of a pain, so i will leave you, instead, with really truly wonderful descriptions of pretty songs and why i like them. and maybe, someday, yousendit will stop being a balginey and will actually start uploading tracks and i can make these into pretty little mp3s for you, too.

edit: two more songs uploaded. excellent.
waterloo sunset - the kinks
I LOVE THE KINKS. LOVE THEM. LOVE THEM, even. they're fantastic. this song is really beautiful and sometimes, on somedays, it can even make me cry. though this is not my favorite song of theirs, it is fantastic and everyone should listen to it.

clam, crab, cockle, cowrie - joanna newsom
another lovely song. when joanna played this live last summer, i almost cried. that was a lie. i did cry. it's a really beautiful song and the lyrics are fantasticly fantastic.

all her favorite fruit - camper van beethoven
okay, i know that cvb are maybe a bit out of date. but, dude, this song is so good. the first time i heard it was when my brothers first learned to play guitars and started a little band and played covers at my small town moonlight madness in 1994. we still have the video tape. and their performance is still pretty awesome. but, i digress...this song? super good.

pretty!

second edit: yousendit is fantastic today. just so you all know.

excellent news

2005-08-10T07:03:00.000-07:00

destroyer/new pornographers tour has finally been extended to minneapolis.

this might be the best news ever.

october 22. first ave.

(big. thumbs. up.)

rock star high fives

2005-08-09T18:52:00.000-07:00

elliott smith (x2)
steve albini (+ hug)
dan bejar
kim deal (+ wristband?)
howe gelb (x2)
joe pernice (x like a million)
thom monahan
neko case (x2)
sam coomes
janet weiss
stephen malkmus (x2)
lou barlow
harry and the potters

oh wow. i think that's all. i thought for sure that it was more than that.

clap your hands

2005-08-08T18:38:00.000-07:00

say yeah!

after 1.5 listens, i quite like this album. we will see if it stands my test of time (i.e. will i be bored with it tomorrow?).

random thoughts on this and that

2005-08-08T08:17:00.000-07:00

yesterday, i made my friend brian a birthday mix. brian, who used to make fun of me and my "snobby, indie taste" (i am NOT a music snob. well, mostly not.), has since come around and realized that, hey, i *do* have good taste in music. this is largely in part to the fact that he has a girlfriend who likes almost the exact same stuff as i do, as girlfriends may be more convincing than best friends in some aspects. you know?

the mix is another erin standard, or else i would post the tracklisting. i really need to get out of the "standard mix" and start experimenting with all those ideas that i had not too far back here. or some others. or something. i still want to make a long song mix, and probably will do that (longer than seven minutes, or six, if i can't find enough tracks that i like), and, in the same spirit, i should probably make a short songs mix filled with 90 second or less ditties.

ooh. that would be kind of fun.

further ideas for mixes:

80s mix.
songs that make us think of the 80s, but in fact, are not 80s.
songs that hearken us to our youth.
music for letter writing.
music for studying (yes, school is starting sooooon)
trail mix (ha)
bear songs

and stuff.

CocoRosie

2005-08-04T10:32:00.000-07:00

i bought la maison de mon reve (which i think translates to "the house of my dreams", but since it has been some years since i last took french and i did not verify this, please don't take my word on that) by cocorosie a few weeks ago. i don't know that much about this band, since i no longer make it a point to research as much background information on bands/artists the way that i once did. apparently, they fall into the new "folk movement" that includes people like devendra banhart, joanna newsom, and antony and the johnsons. as i really adore both devendra and joanna (but have never listened to antony, since his picture on billions scares me quite a bit), i figured that it would perhaps be worth my time to check this band out.

and, i'm glad that i did.

while i do not think that this will ever be one of my favorite albums, it is different and enjoyable. upon first listen, i was taken aback. i believe that it is two sisters (and perhaps this is a lesson i can utilize on my next proper review: research the artist!) with strange voices singing slow folky songs over random electronic beats and noises. it was weird and i was unsure what to make of it.

however, upon further listens, i found that there was something almost charming in the oddity of composition, and i've since realized that i liked it. i like the odd songs. they're entrancing and memorable, which is not often the case with music these days (oh the decline of a genre, if bright eyes is your shining star....). they stand out without trying so obviously hard to stand out that the uniqueness overwhelms the actual music. [aside: if there is one thing that i cannot stand, it is forced uniqueness; let your individuality speak for itself, as one does not need to try to make oneself an individual. this, however, would perhaps be better suited to a different sort of blog which i have not yet created and will probably not create.] in addition, the music is relaxing, without being complete fare for falling asleep.

plus, anyone who sings about wanting to be a housewife is pretty cool in my books.

the opening song, "terrible angels", was, to me, reminiscent of the opener on sparklehorse's Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot, with its use of animalesque noises and slow guitars on the intro. that said, it has been about three years since i last listened to that sparklehorse album, so i might be completely offbase, there. we move slowly into songs about housewifery and jesus and butterscotch and end up with a song that is, in a way, about yugoslavia.

in all, la maison de mon reve is quite good and i would recommend it. especially if you are a fan of either devendra banhart or joanna newsom. while i would not put CocoRosie into the same league with those two, i would say that i can understand how if you're a fan of one, you might like......

that said, i guess maybe it is time to get past the scary billions picture and give antony and the johnsons a chance.

[cocorosie, la maison de mon reve, touch and go 2004]

edit: i have since listened to as much antony and the johnsons as i think i can possibly bear. i think i hate him.

2005-08-04T06:50:00.000-07:00

holy crap. how many songs has bob pollard written? another suitcase?

oh my.

ratings system

2005-08-03T19:12:00.000-07:00

from this moment forth, ratings for things that i choose to rate will be as follows (from worst to best):

crap
just okay
quite good
fantastic

in other words, a four star system.

examples:

the pernice brothers newest album = crap
sleater-kinney "the woods" = quite good
spoon "gimme fiction" = fantastic

now, there will be special cases where something is so tremendously tremendous that it will supercede my ratings system, and for that, there is the special category of "best ever".

case in point:

harry and the potters live = best ever!

best ever should be used sparingly, however, i have never been known to follow my own rules, so we shall see what transpires.

up next? writing actual reviews that make sense.

harry and the potters

2005-08-01T08:34:00.000-07:00

wizard rock did, indeed, invade minneapolis on july 19 and i was so overwhelmed that it has taken me up until now to compose my thoughts and write a brief review.

let me begin by saying that i was looking forward to this show lots and lots and had been for months and months. i had emailed the brothers degeorge about a possible gig in minneapolis and though i did not organize this show, i feel that i played a slight part in helping to express interest and enthusiasm about their show here. okay, that is kind of me kidding myself, but whatever. the show took place in kenwood park, a large park near one of the lakes in minneapolis (otherwise known as the city of lakes). it was a lovely evening - not too hot and not humid at all (kind of a blessing in minneapolis).

i got there early. 6ish or so. i saw the boys sitting on a grassy knoll near the stage, but didn't want to bug them since i didn't want to seem fanatical. plus, my entourage had yet to arrive, so i sat patiently, waiting for the show to begin. once 1/2 of my entourage had arrived, we mosied towards the stage and looked at the merchandise. now, these boys got fairly creative with their merch and had the standard tshirts, posters, and buttons, along with pillowcases (!!) and toothbrushes (!!!!!!)(which said "brush away evil with harry and the potters". pretty awesome.).

then, it was time to sit and wait for the show to begin. the other 1/2 of my crew arrived, and we waited. the boys started with an enthusiastic version of "voldemort can't stop the rock" and continued to rock the stage for about an hour. mostly, they played stuff from their first (self-titled) album, with some stuff from their second and amazing album (voldemort can't stop the rock). they were witty on stage, with remarks about their muggle instruments and how they were used to playing in the room of requirement and the fact that their drummer was under an invisibility cloak and other such awesome things.

i can honestly say that i don't know that i've ever had more fun at a show and they definitely definitely lived up to my oh so high expectations. they were amazing, and satisfied both the music and the harry potter fan in me.

afterwards, i had a chance to briefly talk with them. my conversation with paul was pretty short, but nice. it went something like:

me: can you please sign this?
paul: sure. who should i make it out to?
me: erin.
paul: are you the erin that i emailed?
me: yup! (super excited, but trying to contain it)
me: also, could i get a high five?
*high five*
me: wow. that was a really awesome high five.
paul: thanks.
me: even better than stephen malkmus! (okay, so i name dropped a little. i need to act cool, you know?)
paul: you high fived stephen malkmus?!
me: yup. i high five *all* the rock stars.

okay, and that was about it. i also spoke with joe and got another really awesome high five from him. not only can these boys ROCK, but they give just about the best high fives ever. for real!

i think i love them.

yup. i think i do.

upcoming shows

2005-07-14T07:28:00.000-07:00

harry and the potters - july 19
~~pernice brothers - july 23~~ (their new album is kind of crap. their last three new albums have been kind of crap.)
smog - august 23 (?)
devendra banhart - october 25

not as many as i would like. i'm still crossing my fingers that destroyer will come through with the new pornographers..... or else, maybe, road trip to chicago?

KINKY

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

i love the kinks, and they are, in this girl's humble opinion, the best british band of the 60's.

that said, ray davies did have a tendency to re-write the same song in their early work. it is a good thing he got better at writing new melodies sans guitar riff.

if you were smart, you would go out and buy this album right away. this version of it, too. the three disc special collectors edition. because, if you were smart, you would know that you would not be disappointed because you would trust that i know what i am talking about and this is THE kinks album to own (there are about 8, though, that one should own; this one, you MUST).

so go out and buy this! if you live in minneapolis, the electric fetus has it for $27.99. ;)

2005-07-12T20:52:00.000-07:00

i need to make a mix of cover songs. i have some ideas floating in my head. with the recent acquisition of cat power's covers album or whatever it is called, i have even more ideas. though, even in cover mixes, one can only use the artist once. that is the rule, after all.

harry and the potters, who might be the best band ever (and are for certain the best band about books ever) , are coming to minneapolis in one week. i am eagerly awaiting their arrival. minneapolis has been warned to be prepared for wizard rock. rock!

i cannot wait.

(that performance and the new HP book make this coming week the best week ever)(not the vh1 show)(though harry potter fans will for surely have the best week ever - right?)

goodbye mix tape

2005-06-26T09:34:00.000-07:00

side A:
the beast and dragon, adored - spoon
strange - built to spill
car and driver - the rock*a*teens
panic - the smiths
4 door maverick - howe gelb
the charles c. leary - devendra banhart
speeding motorcycle - yo la tengo
i figured you out - mary lou lord
drivin' on 9 - the breeders
shangri-la - kinks
counting down the hours - ted leo and the pharmacists
i love the unknown - clem snide
memory lane - elliott smith

side B:
seems so - the apples in stereo
baby c'mon - stephen malkmus and the jicks
call me mommy - make-up
is she weird - pixies
modern girl - sleater-kinney
don't be crushed - hawksley workman
intermission - nine black alps
the garden - mirah
sea shanty - quasi
rise up - bobb conn
where you'll find me now - neutral milk hotel
holding back the year - lou barlow
clam, crab, cockle, cowrie - joanna newsom
skyway - the replacements

mix-y

2005-06-23T09:17:00.000-07:00

introduction II - the silver jews
ventricle - ponies in the surf
don't die in me - mirah
english music - destroyer
strange - built to spill
home sweet home - bobby conn and the glass gypsies
holding back the year - lou barlow
harness your hopes - pavement
rollercoaster - sleater-kinney
safari - the breeders
i summon you - spoon
i am a scientist - guided by voices
call me mommy - make-up
counting down the hours - ted leo and the pharmacists
i'm sorry i love you - the magnetic fields
master and dog - quasi
this beard is for siobhan - devendra banhart
alcohol - the kinks
baby c'mon - stephen malkmus and the jicks
silver morning after - beachwood sparks
achin' to be - the replacements
sunrise - the who
clam, crab, cockle, cowrie - joanna newsom

s-k

2005-06-23T06:49:00.000-07:00

you are forgiven. the woods is fantastic. you are all fantastic. everything is fantastic.

shows shows shows

2005-06-15T09:54:00.000-07:00

june 12, 2005.
first, malkmus at the fetus. setlist, from the stephenmalkmus.com board:

1. Pink India
2. Phantasies
3. Vanessa From Queens
4. It Kills
5. Freeze the Saints
6. Loud Cloud Crowd

(i accidentally wrote over one of the photos, so that's all i have. :'( )

we then headed to downtown to get some food and see spoon. we missed clientele (well, saw the last song, but does that even count?), but got pretty decent spots to see spoon. they were SOOOOOO good. just simply amazing. played most of the new album, and a good mix of stuff off their old albums. some songs played (in no particular order), include:

the beast and dragon, adored
monsieur valentine
i turn my camera on
my mathematical mind
the delicate place
sister jack
i summon you
the way we get by
jonathan fisk
paper tiger
someone something
everything hits at once
me and the bean
the fitted shirt
utilitarian

and some more. it was super SUPER good. just really one of the best shows ever, i think. seriously. if you have the chance to see spoon, GO! GO! GO! GO! britt daniel is really cute, too, just so you all know. i almost had a chance to talk to him, but i chickened out because it was during the late malkmus show and i didn't want to disrupt his viewing pleasure. i totally wish i had, though. oh well. next time....next time. we did brush shoulders. does that count for anything?

then, we cleared out and saw malkmus outside and i talked to him and got a photo (of course) and had another brief conversation (i high fived him and had him sign my "face the truth" after the fetus show).

and then we went back in, heard the sound check, and malkmus played. he was good, but probably not as good as spoon live. that's just a fact. i think that if i hadn't just seen spoon, i would have loved his set, but it was kind of laissez-faire (typical malkmus) and also there were some drunkies that were kind of distracting from the show. and then the whole "do i talk to britt? DO I?" dilemma, that kind of marred the encore. the setlist, again, according to the sm.com board was:

Pencil Rot
Dynamic
(Do not Feed the) Oyster
Loud Cloud Crowd
Wow Ass
Post-Paint Boy
It Kills
Malediction
I've Hardly Been
No More Shoes (which was really excellent)
Baby C'mon (thus making my prediction that they would close the set with that wrong)
Church on White
Freeze the Saints
Water and a Seat
--------------
Jo Jo's Jacket
Incense
Carl the Clod

ghostly pics!

in all, it was a fantastic night.

---
june 14, 2005
ted leo and the pharmacists at first ave.

another excellent show! though i maybe only knew 60-70% of the songs, it was still quite good and ted leo was really energetic and fantastic and guitarry and melodic and funny. and stuff. plus, he covered the boss, and you can hardly go wrong with that.

more ghostly/blurry pics.

tonight? sleater-kinney.
i'm going to be so tired. i already am. :'(

neko case - first avenue, minneapolis, mn 6.7.05

2005-06-08T05:54:00.000-07:00

neko case played minneapolis last night for the first time since october 2002. and, as always, it was amazing.

since i do not have an amazing memory for tracklists and since it is not too cool to write them down as musicians are playing, i'll just say that she played many old and new songs and played for a considerable amount of time. some of the songs played were, in no particular order: favorite (opened the set with that), deep red bells, intro with bees, if you knew, soulful shade of blue, the tigers have spoken, blacklisted, i wish i was the moon, twist the knife, set out running (opened the encore with this one), wayfaring stranger, furnace room lullaby (closed the set), look for me [i'll be around], three or four new songs, a few old gospel songs, hex, buckets of rain, and alone and forsaken (closed the encore).

in all, it was really excellent. it was the first time neko played first avenue and the first time that i had seen her at a venue with a capacity of over 500 people, but that didn't hamper the performance at all.

noticeable observations:
neko now also rocks a six string guitar! who knew?
john rauhouse, as always, rocked the pedal steel and the banjo. it made me think that more people should rock banjos and perhaps if s-k had had an eleven minute banjo song, i might have forgiven them.
was her guitar player amish?
has neko lost weight?
what kind of shampoo/conditioner does she use? her hair is so pretty.
neko's voice is one of those voices that sounds just as good or better live. i just love that.
the opening band really sucked. a lot. but, at least neko was good!

(no "no cease fires" and i've still only heard "thrice all american" once live, last night not being that time.)

more on the jicks: a bit of a rant

2005-06-04T20:22:00.000-07:00

i'm at a loss here. real confusion over stephen malkmus and whatnot. it seems that, for the most part, people either like pavement or they like sm+jicks; they seem unable to like both bodies of work.

sm gets a lot of hate. i can only assume it is because people are still mourning the death of pavement and cannot understand that if pavement had continued, with the artistic differences between malkmus and spiral stairs, that the band probably would have gone to shit and turned into one of those bands that used to be good and whose albums you only buy out of loyalty, but end up sitting on shelves never listened to because they are crap. on the flip side, pavement gets hate from people who listen to the jicks but could never get into the 'ment.

aye!

i stand in both camps. i like 'em both. lots. and lots and lots, even. pavement is my all-time favorite band. ever. ever. i've loved them since 1994 when i stole my brother's copy of crooked rain, crooked rain (which, incidentally, i still have. sorry drew!)(i did make it up to him by buying him the reissue of CRCR upon its release last october). i mourned the death of pavement something badly upon hearing news of their break-up; or, rather, hearing rumors and eventually noting that pavement ceased to exist as a band. i was living in a dorm at the time, and even wrote an epitaph on my marker board for the band. oh so very sad...

malkmus was the primary reason i loved that band. his lyrics are clever, his melodies are catchy, and he's awfully cute. i could do without spiral stairs (and have never, for this reason, been too huge of a fan of "preston school of industry") and when i heard that malkmus was putting out a new album with a band called the jicks (sm's definition, according to stephenmalkmus.com bios and thus probably not entirely true since i'm never sure what to believe with him, "J from Jagger plus Mick minus M"), i was delighted. i downloaded it as soon as possible and listened to it and liked it. didn't love it. his jicks work will never hold for me the charms of those first three pavement albums, but, overall, it was good. and definitely better than terror twilight, which, as a last album, is a bit of a letdown, though there are some amazing songs on there.

pig lib, too, gets a lot of hate, which i also do not understand. malkmus is progressing as an artist and shouldn't his sound progress, too? face the truth is yet another step in new directions and i love it. i don't understand why people are so quick to dismiss the jicks albums as being "sub-par" just as i don't understand people who like the jicks and dismiss pavement as being too weird or something.

artists change.
sounds change.
people change.

is it so odd to think that after, what, fifteen years or whatever, recording albums, that possibly, stephen malkmus does not want to sound the same? i don't think so. in fact, i'd hate it if a jicks album sounded exactly like wowee zowee, because that, to me, would signal that malkmus was no longer growing as a musician and was afraid of branching out to unexplored territory. this is not to say that every single album he puts out i am automatically going to love, but i will have way more respect for him for trying new things (think bob dylan - not all his albums are gems now, are they?) than i would were he to regress to his pavement days. (okay, i'm actually lying a little bit here, since i probably would love one more "wowee zowee" type album, but if he KEPT doing that and all his albums started to sound like that, then i'd be pissed.)

this is a bit ranty. nonsensical. typical me type rant on the music industry at large, so apologies if it is not as coherent as a real music writer's opinions would be. but still, overall, malkmus is just movin' on, doing his thing, and staying true to himself, and i completely and totally respect that.

plus, i really love face the truth. it's great.

and, my friends, that is all she wrote.
for now....

ideas for mixes

2005-06-03T13:10:00.000-07:00

+songs with animals in the title
+songs about cars
+songs about kids
+songs that mention the word "beautiful"
+music to cry to
+music to read to
+music for when you want to throttle a co-worker for cross-stitching while at work
+songs for dance parties in your living room (wearing pajamas and eating ice cream)
+songs that make you go "hmm, that was odd"
+bands that start with b
+songs with people's names in the title
+music that would be ideal while watching a sunset
+music for airplanes
+music for lovers
+music for friends
+music for enemies
+music for horses
+music for cats
+music for ugly apartments that you wished you didn't live in, but alas, being a single mom and not getting tons of support, you do and you just have to DEAL WITH THAT FACT
+songs for a room
+songs for a girl
+songs for a boy
+music that will inspire you to write/draw/create the best story/book/picture/song/piece of art EVER
+finger-tappin' good songs
+songs to have on full volume in huge headphones while at work ignoring people and trying to stay secluded
+songs for che guevera
+songs for motorcycles
+happy songs
+summer songs
+spring songs
+winter songs
+songs about intelligence or lack thereof
+robot songs
+stalker songs
+stalkee songs
+songs that make you run around screaming with joy, happy that you're alive

the jicks

2005-06-02T11:39:00.000-07:00

jicks prediction: stephen malkmus will close his set in minneapolis (and ~~possibly~~ probably elsewhere) with the poppy and great baby c'mon!

i have faced his truth, and i can handle it.

what do i love about stephen malkmus? there are oh so many things.
1. his lyrics.
2. his love of creedence clearwater revival.
3. his awesomeness.
4. he's funny!
5. he continues to put out good albums, even post-pavement, which is a feat that i feared not possible.

and so on.

this new album? i'm pleased with it. stephen malkmus again manages to put out something that sounds different than his previous body of work and yet stay so true to the malkmus sound, which could be categorized as "good music". upon first listen, i wasn't certain how i felt about this new one. it was good, but... pencil rot, for example, is such a weird opener that it took me aback. and then another long song? as previously mentioned in this blog, not everyone can pull off the long song, but malky!? he's done it again. no more shoes keeps the listener engaged throughout the eight minutes and stays interesting the whole time. no senseless guitarring here...

overall, i'd give the album a 4.5/5, if i were a numbers type of person. that said, i'd probably just say that it is "quite good" and would recommend.

so go. face the truth! you won't regret it.

the art of the mix, vol. 2: variations on mixes

2005-05-31T09:57:00.000-07:00

there may come a time in your life when you want to make a mix more special than the standard, introductory mix. this short tutorial, my friends, will help you in planning the next step in your role as a mixmaster.

introduction II
this type of mix is used as a follow-up to your first introductory mix after receiving feedback on the mix. if someone likes a particular song or artist, this is your chance to introduce them to other songs by their favorite artists from the mix, as well as putting other songs that may be in the same vein as the recipient's favorites. it is wise to follow the same rules as the introductory mix, though you may repeat artists from mix to mix, which is very important to know. how else will you truly convince someone of the genius of your favorite musicians?

themed mixes
ahhh....the theme mix is a popular choice of mix. there are many types of themes that one can incorporate while making the perfect mix, and the only rule of thumb is to make sure that all songs fit your particular theme, in whatever way you like.

ideas for themes:
holiday songs (not typical holiday songs, but songs that mention holidays in them)
long songs (songs over 7 minutes, for example - not a mix for the weak)
geography songs (songs that mention geographical landmarks)
birthday songs (songs with mentions of birthdays, for that special birthday friend in your life)
love songs (chansons d'amour!)
mood mix (mix of songs that fit a mood)

this is a chance to really analyze your own music collection in order to best represent your chosen theme as a form of mix, and to expand your own horizons and be creative in the art of mixing.

mixes as a means of communication
sometimes, it is hard to find the words to express your feelings, be they happiness, anger, love... musicians have a way of doing that just perfectly, which is why we (i) love them. mixes may be used to tell someone something. do you secretly hate your best friend? why not put i never want to see you again by quasi on a mix cd for them? do you have the biggest crush on someone? try la la love you by the pixies.

speaking from experience, this is definitely a way to convey meaning to someone. i traded mix tapes with my ex for a long time and they gradually became more and more not so secretly a means of saying, "hey, i really like you lots and lots and could possibly love you at some point". trust me - if you pick the right songs, it totally works.

above all, as with all modes of the mix, have fun. be creative. go a little crazy. you can't go wrong with a mix, unless you just have absolutely no sense of what good music is (bright eyes). put yourself out there and mix it up.

future volumes to follow.

the art of the mix, vol. 1: the introductory mix

2005-05-27T09:37:00.000-07:00

there are many types of mixes that one can make, but the most common of all is the introductory mix. the typical use of this type is to introduce your tastes in music to someone else. this can also be used to introduce a particular band or musician to someone (commonly referred to as "best of" mixes, but still a form of introductory mix).

while mixing, it is vital to choose your medium. will it be a tape or cd? with the advancements in digital technology and the ease with which one can download mp3s and upload songs to a computer, cds are the easier choice and also the best in terms of playability by your recipient. however, there are some of us who still prefer to make a good old-fashioned mix tape. tapes are more intimate than cds. you need to sit there for the ninety minutes that it takes for the tape to run, and the choices may be more spontaneous than they would be on a cd, where you can pre-select and rearrange tracks on your computer program. tapes tend to show mood at the time of mixing better than cds will, though, if you are crafty, you can make a perfect mood cd as well. do not feel limited by either medium, as they both have pros and cons. instead, give in to the art of the mix!

ninety minute tapes are the optimum length for mix tapes, while sixty-nine to seventy-three minutes would be the optimum length for a mix cd. though you may have eighty minutes to use, i would not recommend using all eighty. that can be overwhelming for a listener. you may be asking yourself, "why would ninety minutes be okay for a tape, but eighty is not okay for a cd?" the answer to that is that with a tape, you have the automatic break of side a to side b, so the listener can break it up into two separate listening experiences, if they so choose. whereas, with cds, one tends to listen the whole way through.

as with everything in life, there are rules to follow while making the introductory mix.

1. do not repeat artists on the mix.
this is the cardinal rule of the introductory mix, with the exception of "best of" artist mixes. it is not okay to put more than one song by any one particular band on a mix. the purpose of this mix is to introduce as many good songs and artists as possible to your listener, and by repeating musicians, you are not holding true to the purpose of the mix.

however, you may make exceptions to this. let us use stephen malkmus as an example. it would be possible to put stephen malkmus on one mix three times, as long as you do not put three "stephen malkmus" songs on said mix. stephen malkmus, prior to putting out solo and "jicks" albums, was in the band pavement, and also worked on some silver jews albums. you could put a silver jews song that malkmus sings on, a pavement song, and a stephen malkmus and the jicks song on, and you would not be breaking the rule, since all three are separate entities and have different sounds.

examples in practice:
introduction II - silver jews
harness your hopes - pavement
jenny and the ess-dog - stephen malkmus and the jicks

as long as the artist is working under a different moniker, you are free to use them more than once. loopholes rock!

2. know your audience.
you do not need to know everything that your listener has in their music collection, but it is helpful to have an idea of what they like. if your listener is an obsessive elliott smith fan, it is pointless to put any smith tracks on a mix, because they will most likely have this in their collection already. if your listener hates a particular artist (bright eyes), then do NOT use this artist on a mix, no matter how much you love them.

though this is not necessary with an introductory mix, you may also choose to customize the mix to the listeners tastes. this is only possible if you have broader knowledge of their musical tastes and music collection. if you have this knowledge, then you may choose to put particular artists on that are similar, but not the same, as some of their favorites. this is a variation on the standard introductory mix, and gives a personal touch to the mixing process.

3. keep the listener engaged.
some songs are really amazing, but are simply not mix-worthy. songs should be six minutes or less in duration. the mix should start off kind of slow, but interesting, and gradually increase in intensity through the first few songs. at that point, one should maintain the intensity and tempo for a few songs before mixing it up with a slower song or a longer song. not all songs should sound the same. there should not be a full mix of hard rock songs, for example.

the typical formula for a mix is to:
start it slow
build it up
maintain it
mix it up
bring it down
end it

"it" being the tempo and feel of the overall mix.

*
following those three rules will not guarantee success, but should help serve as overarching guidelines for the mix process.

in introductory mixes, it is nice to have some "standards" on hand to use for the mix. it is okay to use these songs on different mixes, as long as these are mixes for different listeners. these songs should be good (obviously) and should reflect your personal favorite artists and songs.

personal favorite standards for introductory mixes:
harness your hopes - pavement
up jumped the devil - nick cave and the bad seeds
in the aeroplane over the sea - neutral milk hotel
i wish i was the moon - neko case
no cease fires! - destroyer

(this list could go on and on, but that is at least a short representation.)

mixes not only introduce songs and artists to a listener, but they represent a part of you to your listener. if you are a big music fan, then these bands and musicians should be near and dear to your heart, and you are sharing that with someone else. it is a reflection of you and your style, whether you intend for it to be or not. it is. that is a fact.

further information to follow in future art of the mix volumes.

an open letter to bright eyes fans

2005-05-26T11:17:00.000-07:00

dear fans of conor oberst,

are you deaf? seriously. are you?

before you suspect that i am someone who has never actually listened to mr. oberst and am just making judgments because he is a critic's darling , let me tell you that i did, in fact, try very hard to like bright eyes. in late 2000, one of my two best friends bought fevers and mirrors and loved it; he proclaimed it to be the best thing he'd ever heard. he burned me a copy and i listened to it and just didn't get it. some whiney boy from omaha talking about his dead brother in a bathtub and other such nonsense? it didn't hit me the way that oh so many other albums have. but, i didn't want to give up, and went to see bright eyes play live in february of 2001. and you know what? it was totally crap. like, among the worst shows that i have ever been to actually. oberst oozes pretension, and that, my friends, is something that i cannot handle.

plus, after seeing him live, i realized that his voice had the ability to make me physically ill.

for example, how is this any good? ooh, he's making a political statement and does not like our president! he is so in tune with today's culture!

and, he's from nebraska! do i even need to say anymore?

his lyrics are not good. his sense of melody is not good. he cannot sing, he kind of whines. his voice is shakey, at best. his songs are crap. his albums are crap. and yet, somehow, he has legions of fans!

if you could please explain to me, in ten sentences or less, why he is good, that would be most helpful. i would really like to understand the appeal, though i must say that i will probably never be a fan of his music.

in the meantime, i am going to go sit outside by a tree and ponder life.

love!
erin

pictures from shows long past

2005-05-26T07:52:00.000-07:00

elliott smith - october 13, 2002; 400 bar, minneapolis, mn

stephen malkmus - may 24, 2003; first avenue, minneapolis, mn

quasi - october 30, 2003; 400 bar, minneapolis, mn

lou barlow - march 15, 2005; 400 bar, minneapolis, mn

the woods

2005-05-25T15:40:00.000-07:00

oh, sleater-kinney... the woods starts out so promising with your heavy guitars and your minor chords. the lyrics are a bit iffy on track one, but the rocking more than compensates for that. by "wilderness" you are sounding like your bad old selves. classic s-k! you come into your own by "modern girl", which is (gasp!) almost a ballad. excellent work, girls! the progression from one beat is evident by this point. you manage to sound like yourselves without compromising your sound.

then, you go and ruin it all with "let's call it love". now girls, was an eleven minute song necessary? is an eleven minute song ever necessary? ask yourselves that, and really reflect on it, because the answer is no. few artists can get away with long songs, and unfortunately, you are one of those bands. the fact that this lends itself right into the closer turns it into what is basically a fifteen minute song. fifteen minutes! oh, girls, the key to a long song is to keep it varied and keep it interesting. guitars thrashing for a good five minutes does not constitute either component necessary to creating excellence.

you really threw it all away there. 2/3 of your album is really good, and could be considered excellent with more listens. but that last third? really, knowing that the last two songs constitute a full third of your album says something in and of itself. that last part will never be good. ever. and it is a shame, because the woods could have been your brilliant debut on a new label with a new sound, but instead, turns into a good effort with a poor poor ending.

examples of good long songs:

"notorious lightning" - destroyer, notorious lightning and other works (merge records, 2005) [9min, 51sec]
"1% of one" - stephen malkmus and the jicks, pig lib (matador records, 2003) [9min, 11sec]

examples of bad long songs:

"let's call it love" - sleater-kinney, the woods (sub pop records, 2005) [11min, 01sec]
anything by phish. (probably live.)

top ten albums of all time (subject to change)

2005-05-25T09:08:00.000-07:00

1. pavement - wowee zowee
2. elliott smith - xo
3. pixies - doolittle
4. destroyer - streethawk: a seduction
5. nick cave and the bad seeds - tender prey
6. neko case and her boyfriends - furnace room lullaby
7. quasi - featuring "birds"
8. the magnetic fields - 69 love songs
9. leonard cohen - new skin for the old ceremony
10. neutral milk hotel - in the aeroplane over the sea

in the future, gimme fiction by spoon could become a contender.