11 posts tagged “music”
So, this passed Saturday I found myself on a train to the lower east side (I think) to see Deerhunter. Honestly, I'm not even the biggest Deerhunter fan in the world, but I like a bunch of their songs, and the tickets were $15 (not including Ticketmaster's pimp tax), so it wasn't that tough of a decision. Plus, the person I'd be going with was someone I don't get to see that much, so that was the point moreso than actually being in love with Deerhunter.
Long story short, I was pretty much wasted by 8 oclock. Knowing I wouldn't be able to afford le inebriacion at the Bowery's prices, I made a couple of Gatorade/vodka/empty-stomach conconctions that worked maybe a little too well, for by the time I was inside the Bowery's lounge, I was pretty much in no shape to call myself a gentleman, although I guess I sort of acted the part, unless I was alienating people without knowing it. A couple weeks prior, I had seen the Kills in Wiliamsburg, and I got so drunk there that I ended sining bad karaoke, sleeping at a stranger's apartment, and puking in a coffee shop DISCREETLY; I told myself that it would NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. The thing is, I don't drink as much as I did in college, so when I finally do imbibe on the sauce, I go full-drunkard. This happens rarely, but when it does, the next day is filled with anxiety and regret, which is an awful couplet--or maybe just an awful couple, whatever. The point is, Times New Viking are noticeably less dissonance-y live, which I guess I sort of saw coming. They were also charming and unpretentious and I dug that. I made devil-horns maybe?
By the time Deerhunter hit the stage, I was in another place entirely. Meaning, I was well on my way to not knowing what the eff was going on, but I remember they played Cryptograms, and it was awesome. Deerhunter is also a cool-looking band live, especially considering they don't really pose as much as some others (I know that, many times, posing is all a part of the act; I'm just saying). Long story short, I don't remember leaving the place, which is kind of not cool in my book, but it happened. I mean to ask my companion how I wrangled me out of there, got me into a subway car, and back to New Jersey with all of my teeth and limbs still where I left them. Hopefully the story isn't too damaging to my psyche, so that when I ask, I can actually handle the truth. Point being, I recommend the Bowery as a concert venue (I saw the YYYs there in 2004 and they owned) as the sound is kind of great and the people are nice.
AFTER-THOUGHTS:
1) I saw Bradford Cox outside before the show (first with some dude, then by himself) and he is less freakishly tall than I was expecting. Sadly, I geeked, saying to my friend "hey, that's the lead singer," which I added to my list of how I am lame.
2) The Bowery is surrounded by Chinese restaurants. If you're hungry, and want to grab a cheap snack before a show, I hope you like Chinese, because that's all you're going to get. Though, to be fair, there was this pastry shop that had a good coissant; it was my first coissant, ever, that wasn't housing a sausage egg and cheese between its layers.
3) If you want a kibob on the street, and reek of deperate hunger, be prepared to pay, like, $8 for it.
4) There was a second opening band, (the Vivian Girls maybe?) but I partied through them, as I am wont to do. Bless their hearts, though.
5) I have to work fifty hours this week. I will be investigating drugs that will make this simpler for me.
Okay, that's it!
The post below this one, or after the 'next page' click after this one, was supposed to include this link to a similar, awesome live set from SebastiAn. This isn't him doing a show, pe se, but more like djing a party. I have not gotten through the whole thing, as it is an hour and a half, but i'll do it soon, I am sure. (of note, but not really: I've been trying to learn french for the passed year or so, via a traveling french lesson on my ipod, and I'm not so good, because it's kind of hard to study in public, which is when i would be doing it, and so i just don't bother studying. but it's there when i'm ready [Next time we sidenote, we promise to use proper punctuation]) Whatever, DANCE!
I've never heard any of those DJ-Kicks compilations that seem to be considered sort of cool, and I guess I'm not talking about mixtapes in general, although those are also considered to be cool, unless you are a member of the RIAA, in which case you think they blow and anyone selling or compiling them should be thrown into prison, at least until the mixtape buzz is figured into the marketing. I have been into the Ed Banger roster of personalities (if I actually lived in France, would that make me lame?) for at least over a year, and I keep pillaging the interwebs in search of the faintest distorted fuzzhouse beats for me to jam to on my ipod [for two weeks, before playing the shit out]. My favorite new finds (again, new to me = out of fashion) have been a couple of Justice live appearance that were soundboard recorded and pirated, I'm assuming, with their permission, since these were commissioned jobs they've already been paid for blahblah. The Fader, who I sometimes allow to tip me off to new music, has your access.
If you had asked me if I ever thought I'd link to a site called Baller Status, I would have thrown a glass of Cisco in your face and asked where do I sign? That day has come, as I have become intrigued by the prospect of R&B singer Faith Evans' memoir, which is available now. In it, she talks about her relationship with Biggie, and basically talks all the shit you'd want to see in a memoir (some famous person's feel the need to be, like, coy and whatnot when detailing their business for public devouring--we just want the good parts thnx!). Anyway, here's a bit about Tupac, courtesy of Baller Status, courtesy of Faith and shit:
In the leaked page, Faith claims that during one evening in Cali, she visited Tupac's hotel room to receive payment for a collaboration she had previously done with the rapper. However, once there, Pac allegedly made sexual advances, and tried to persuade her into being his "bitch" before he'd pay her for her services.
Here's short excerpt of Faith account of the meeting:
"The situation with the money is like this," he. "If I give it to you, then you have to be my bitch."
"Your what," I said. I felt a chill go up my back.
"You heard me. You gotta be my bitch."
I got up and moved farther away from where he was standing.
"I'm not anybody's bitch," I said, trying to keep my voice even and steady.
"You Biggie's bitch."
Then later on, Faith says Tupac became angry after she asked for her money, cursing at her, before she stormed out of the room in tears:
"Look," I said. "You hired me to do a song. I did it. I want money and that's it."
"Oh word, it's like that? You just want your money?"
"You told me it wouldn't be a problem," I said. "The only reason why I came up here is because you said --"
"So you not trying to suck my d***?"
"What!" I screamed. "What are you talking about."
Tupac raised his voice. "You know you want to suck my d***, bitch! Don't f***ing lie." I burst into tears and grabbed my purse. "I have to get out of here."
... If you'd like to get your own copy to see what else Faith reveals, it is available now in bookstores, and/or Amazon.com
for just $16.50.
Happy holiday.
I, like most internet-roving peoples these days, like a lot of different kinds of music, a fact which does not make me special. So I say that I listen to pretty much everything, even though to literally do that would be impossible, depending on how nit-picky your inquisitor happens to be. I never ammend it with except for country, because I listen to country, although it's not, like, Toby Keith (the term 'not mainstream' makes me squirm, so I'm avoiding save paranthetically); but when I say I like rock music, I'm not talking Nickleback, and it's no less true. Anyway, I like my country sad, and Will Oldham's catalogue often supplies that (as does Beck's, and many others) on several occasions. Below is a highlight (Oldham singing with/as the Palace Brothers), according to me, even though you didn't ask:
At work, I used to listen to Myspace music--it's how I came across the Ed Banger folks and various crazy indie rock bands--but at work that's, like, against the rules now, so I listen to Pandora, which is good as hell anyway. My point is, my Ghostface station is very fulfilling. Some of my rap stations play a lot of crap, but this one doesn't--it's mostly Wu-tang, but that means it's largely good (but not all, obv). My Beck station is also tops (I've influenced Pandora to only play me mellow Beck songs, nothing too up- or even mid-tempo). Whatever, they told me I work too fast at work (not patting myself on the back, this is not a good thing) so this post is in lieu of doing my job, as requested by my job. Pandora, people.
I remember when somebody laughed at me for having a copy of St Anger, the album Metallica came out with in 2003 (so long ago!). I didn't really know better, because I never really "got" Metallica, so one album I didn't understand was as good as the next. The point is, I finally "got it", going from their early 90s stuff, to their late 90s stuff, which I actually liked, then back to the 80s (I like ...and Justice For All the most). But apparently Metallica get it as well, because their next album will be of SPEED METAL (said menacingly [thunder roars]) and will be liked because Rick Rubin produced it and people like him. Being late to the party (me, that is), they were interviewed a while back about it by Rolling Stone.
Set for a September [12th, a Friday] release on Warner Bros., Metallica's still-untitled new album is their first since 2003's St. Anger and their first with bassist Robert Trujillo, who joined in February of that year. It is also a stunning, overdue return to the shock and rush of the band's speed-metal monuments, 1984's Ride the Lightning and 1986's Master of Puppets.
Oh, I believe you!
Here's an awesome video of French party person Kavinsky's song "Testarossa Nightdrive" set to footage from Miami Vice. It is awesome, which I have already noted.
And, to go the other way, do you remember Kittie? That band that your goth friend liked but you only really liked until the novelty of them being female wore off, and, by the time they started making actual, strong compositions, you stopped paying attention? Well, I actually still listen to them sometimes! Here they are playing live in their latest incarnation. Enjoy loudly!
Okay so, Darren Aronofsky is great, because I believe there are very few dramas as effective as Requiem for a Dream. There are very few horror movies or head injuries as effective as Requiem. It reminds of the Shining in its use to manipulate a reaction or an understanding from you through the use of music and editing and shot composition. In me, Mr Aronofsky has a FFL. I dug the Fountain too, just not as hard.
Anyway, the point is, according to THR, this guy is doing the next Robocop movie, which won't be a remake, but a sequel (we hope they mean in the Bryan Singer way, in which the director does a sequel to the installation he liked, instead of a sequel to the last one that came out--meaning we want this to essentially be Robocop 2). What sayeth ye Reporter of Hollywood?
Phoenix Pictures' Mike Medavoy, Arnold Messer, Brad Fischer and David Thwaites will produce. Cale Boyter, executive vp production at MGM, will oversee for the studio. Although the Lion has not greenlighted the reinvention, it has fast-tracked "RoboCop" for a 2010 release, when the studio plans to roll out its new slate.
"Darren is undeniably one of the most talented, original and visceral filmmakers, and David is one of the greatest writers in Hollywood," said Mary Parent, chairman of MGM's worldwide motion picture group.
The original "RoboCop," written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner, was directed with camp adroitness by Paul Verhoeven in 1987 and released by Orion Pictures. It focused on a mortally wounded cop in a futuristic, crime-ridden Detroit who returns to fight corruption in the guise of a tough-talking cyborg. Sequels followed in 1990 and 1993, along with TV series and video games. RoboCop retains a sizable fan base online.
Since hearing his music, I always thought that if they ever did a remake of Robocop (which technically they're not, but it's probably gonna amount to as much) that they should get French electronic artist Kavinsky to do the music. Only because it would be completely awesome. Just picture it:
Anyway, full article.
I put this song on my iPod recently because it's good in an 80s way. Anyway, I thought about the time period, then thought that there's probably a music video, so I looked it up. There is one. And...it's kind of not that great. It's kind of maybe bad, but I don't know, because it's from 1982 and "good" may have been represented differently then. Also, if this was released in 2008, it would be a Pussycat Dolls song, and it would wear less clothes and more makeup.
I dunno...
