I Hate Winter.
This winter day is conspiring to constantly remind me how far away the summer and a warm sandy beach really are.
First: The woman ahead of me on line for coffee told the cashier she ‘Tooootally forgot it was even winter” because she had just spent 2 weeks in the Caribbean. She then recalled the ‘embarrassing moment’ of asking her friends if they wanted to dine on the outside patio for lunch. Because you know, she forgot it was winter. Give me a break.
Second: This track by The Beginning of the End called Come Down just came on my shuffle. The lyrics are:
Come down baby
Come to my island paradise
Come where the water is so nice
Come on down swim in the water
Come on down swim in the deep blue sea
Come down baby
Come to my island paradise
Etc.
Listen to it if you’re a winter-loathing masochist, like myself.
Third: There is a mega storm is coming. I love the author’s inclusion of the word ‘Amazingly.’ It’s so crushing.
One cynical wintry pro on a long list of cons: sledding schadenfreude!
New Discovery – or, ‘Ohhh Yeah, That Band’
I admittedly knew nothing about Kasabian until a month ago even though they’ve been around for some time. Besides that inescapable single “Club Foot” from years ago, which has found its way into countless movie trailers and ‘being badass’ montages, I hadn’t really paid much attention to the group and had written them off as being of non-interest.
Then I happened across the video for a track off their new album West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum and was instantly impressed. Starring Noel Fielding of The Mighty Boosh fame, Vlad the Impaler is a glorious, Super 8-style madcap murdering romp. Vlad is scary and menacing yet kind of endearing in the midst of all his carnage. A lovable vampire!
Turns out Dan the Automator produced the release, which explains the awesome samples, dark DJ-Shadowy vibe throughout and probably why I like it so much.
Particularly love the country-tinged West Ryder Silver Bullet. That’s Rosario Dawson singing backup, totally channeling Holly Golightly. Random and awesome, no?
Kasabian – West Ryder Silver Bullet
WHEREFORE ART THOU…
Gavin Rossdale?!
I sent this to Rich as a joke…since then I’ve woken up every day with “Swaallllowed…faalllowed” ringing in my head. So I guess the joke’s on me.
Love the necklace Gav.
“I’m with everrrryone and yet not.”
Ohhhhhh, the late 90s.
Critical Phraze
So ex-Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas has a new album Phrazes for the Young coming out and people are PSYCHED. My first glimpse of the new Julian in action was through a YouTube clip of his current tour, which featured the singer doing an awkward mom-dance bebop shuffle while singing one of his new tracks. I would gladly display if his record label hadn’t yanked it down. Instead, this:
Sooooo artsy.
The first leaked track is called 11th Dimension and upon first listen – pardon the crassness - all I thought was ‘Wow. Ghey.’
I think my friend Phoebe summed it up best when she exclaimed, “What’s going ON, first YYYs, now J.C!?’” I too thought it bizarre and pretty disappointing that a musician so instrumental in creating an ‘original’ sound and scene back in early 2000s would rely on that ubiquitous 80s-electro-synth Get Into the Groove-thing so many others have turned to. Maybe this would have been cool over a year ago but now it seems a bit lame.
>>>>TIME LAPSE <<<<
So blah blah blah I rattle off this whole criticism above, get distracted, and don’t pick up on this post till almost 4 days later. I’ve now listened to the song on repeat, at work, during my commute and while getting ready to go out on Friday night. This one’s a creeper. And I’m a little addicted. So go figure.
That all said, take a listen and see what you think. For me it’s all about the cadence of his lines…he places emphasis on words you would never think to emphasize and extends shorter phrases to match length of longer ones. Ok yeah that’s what ’singing’ is I guess and it’s hard to articulate the effect, but I love it. Sorry for doubting you JC and congrats for making me feel like a cynical, hypocritical ass. I’m sure I’ll rip on the next single and then make it my wedding song or something.
Julian Casablancas – 11th Dimension [mp3]
For an extra treat let’s look back and judge what those other Strokes members have been getting into since the band’s hiatus.
Fabrizio Moretti taught us all how awesome life is when you have gobs of money, live in Southern California and spend your days recording breezy, boss nova-y beach tunes with your friends.
Little Joy - For One’s Better Sake [mp3]
Albert Hammond Jr. showed us how lackluster the ‘Strokes’ sound can be with only 1 Stroke.
mp3: AJH Jr. - Everyone Gets a Star [mp3]
Nicolai Fraiture sung to us about drinkin’ and bein’ dark! Initial thought: This is what a tone-deaf Bob Dylan karaoke cover of “Hurricane” would sound like.
Nickel Eye - Back From Exile [mp3]
It’s interesting that you can listen to these other albums and still hear that cohesive Strokes sound bubbling beneath the surface. I think I’m ready for a reunion.
Rock Father
Could Chuck Berry be any more badass? If I was an impressionable teen these pictures would make me want to chain smoke and dress like a pimp.
And I could listen to this song on repeat for the rest of my life.
Chuck Berry – “Come On“
Los Angeles.
My celeb sightings:
My traveling companion:
My brother time:
My sister time:
My ride into the desert:
My love of the wind turbines:
My backyard for a few days:
My obligatory lounging-at-the-country-club shot:
Fooooorfucking Ever
Wo it’s been a while. Here’s what I’ve been looking at lately.
Bob London’s drawings:
Damien Weighill’s funny little 3-panel stories:
Michael C. Hsiung’s mustachioed men:
Richard Avedon’s mesmerizing black and whites:
Music Delivery
I love it when Rich sends me music, because it’s always good and it’s always full album delivery…no messing with random shared single tracks. That’s what I post here, ha. The best songs of recent batches:
New Jarvis!
Pilchard from Further Complications
New Bill Callahan!
Eid Ma Clack Shaw from Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle
Old Jorge Ben!
Zumi from A Tábua De Esmeralda
Mary Poppins Tribute Post
This makes me really happy.
To compliment this, here a picture I took at Mary Poppins the Musical on Broadway back in December. Yes, the cast is thanking me for coming.
