)It's Saturday morning and I'm awake really early goofing around and making a new mix compilation CD for my car. I've decided to put on "Rock and Roll Girl" and since I haven't written a cover lover article in a while, I thought this is perfect.
I came across this song via The Muffs, a fuzzy pop-punk band from the early 90s from Southern California. Although they have stated in interviews that they have not broken up, it's hard to ignore that they've been pretty much inactive since 2004.
Their singer, Kim Shattuck, has a snarly, but unique, voice, and I think she's really into obscure garage bands, as seen on their album Hamburger... However, I think the song that they're probably best known for is "Kids in America", a Kim Wilde cover (oh don't worry, we're going to have a "Kids in America" cover lover post eventually).
Trying to figure out some of the covers on Hamburger, I found The Beat, a band that debut with The Beat in 1979. The band was lead by Paul Collins, and eventually people started referring The Beat to Paul Collins' Beat - and it would make searching a lot easier, I suppose.
I actually don't have any other music from The Beat, other than this song for comparison, but they seem to be rock and rolly, probably based out of Los Angeles, as heard on their song "I wish there was an easier way, to meet all the girls in LA".
Between the two version, I would love to nod to The Muffs, just because it feels a little more updated and a little more punky. Plus, there's something sinister when you hear Shattuck sings "I wanna be with the rock n roll girl".
Both songs are now on my mix CD.
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I've been redesigning Paul Westerberg.net all night.
The first thing Philadelphia's Javelina wants you to know is that their name is pronounced as if it were a Spanish word. Like “Ha-ve-lee-na.” In fact, it's printed right on the front spine of their debut CD for Translation Loss Records. A javelina is like a sort of wild pig (technically a peccary). This is actually a completely useless fact, but I found it while Googling the band to find out more information on them, and thought you'd like to know. It's also a rather appropriate name for a band that sounds like these guys.
The album is sludge metal, inspired by bands like Down, Motorhead, Eyehategod, and Crowbar. The band features ex-members of Lickgoldensky, Smut, and Otophobia. This is a very straightforward metal disc. This album is heavy in more of a literal sense, in that it sounds like a band made up of a bunch of large, angry dudes. The vocals basically sound like a dude who's about to smash your face in with nothing but his fist. The album typically sticks to more straightforward rhythms with more emphasis a thick, sludgy tone than on displaying the players' chops (which are definitely there).
The musicianship is competent. There's quite a bit of punk influence here (particularly on tracks like “Asbestos”), and even a little bit of modern “post-metal,” for lack of a less annoying term (like the sort of stuff Robotic Empire has been putting out a lot of, lately) on “Architect,” which is probably the best track on the album, but I'd say it'll appeal more to metalheads than anyone else. If you like bands with Phil Anselmo in them (e.g. Pantera, Down, Superjoint Ritual), then these guys might be right up your alley.
These guys are currently on tour, so if you like what you hear, go check 'em out! Their debut album is out now on Translation Loss records. More info: Official MySpace page
May 17 2008 8:00P The Drunken Unicorn w/ Withered Atlanta, Georgia
May 18 2008 8:00P Hell w/ Tooth, Horsefang Chapel Hill, North Carolina
May 19 2008 8:00P NARA Sushi w/ Tooth, Lord By Fire Richmond, Virginia
Jul 11 2008 8:00P Talking Head w/ Sourvein Baltimore, Maryland
Jul 12 2008 8:00P Manhattan Room w/ Sourvein Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jul 13 2008 8:00P The Knitting Factory w/ Sourvein New York, New York
-Soup
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05/17/08 Melos Pestoia
Discography
05/18/08 Traffic Roma 05/20/08 Casa de Cultura San Sebastian 05/22/08 BeCool Barcelona 05/23/08 La Marquise Lyon 05/25/08 Cactus Brugge 05/26/08 Mains d’Ouevres Paris 05/27/08 Le Grand Wazoo Amiens 05/28/08 Treibhaus Lucern 05/29/08 Elfer Frankfurt 05/30/08 d:qliq Luxembourg 05/31/08 Gleis 22 Munster 06/01/08 Steinbruch Duisburg
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Taking their name from Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa is a band with members from New York, Chicago, Boston, DC, and Richmond. Their latest album is called Rest and it was released last Tuesday, May 13th. This album was composed primarily through e-mail, because of the various band member's living location!
The band is headed by frontsman, Champ Bennett, but you can tell this isn't a dictatorship, but a collaboration, with each band members adding in their own color to the music. Sometime these addition seems to make their songs unconventionally long. Take, for instance, their most accessible song "Jeroen Van Aken" is over eight minutes long - definitely not radio material.
What makes "Jeroen Van Aken" good is you get to hear the melodic vocals between Champ Bennett and Nikki King and the chorus seems to be "it seems the devil's got a grip on me" while the music build in the background. But instead of ending at the four minute mark, the song continues on with a great bass line played by (and I'm guessing because there are several bassists listed in the liner notes) Billy Bennett.
The other songs that I was drawn to all features sweet lush vocals, including "Pseudonyms", which has some nice pianos and some haunting noises that sounds like a musical saw. Be sure to check out "Abutting, Dismantling", another whispery vocal song - with some great rhythmic percussions.
I am unfamiliar with their earlier works, but judging from Rest, I would recommend Gregor Samsa to any fans of slowcore bands like Minnesota's own Low.
Rest is out now, can be purchased directly from their record label, Kora Records. There is a limited edition of this record for only $7 more (with less than 200 left) that I suggest you get instead of the standard version. I've taken a look at the pictures of the limited version and I'm very tempted to place an order very soon. They are also on tour to support the new record.
Well that's how quickly this holiday feels like it is going. I'm here in Ancient Olympia, well actually its a modern hotel near Ancient Olympia but it's close enough, and I've finally given in to the lure of the internet (it's free here!).
I'll keep this short because Mosh is bound to come tapping on my shoulder soon. Initial observations: Greek people are very friendly and completely bonkers on the roads. Double white lines are merely a guidance to masculinity when driving rather than an indicator that it is unsafe to overtake.
There has been a bit of a petrol crisis - a strike meant that virtually all petrol stations ran dry which caused a bit of alarm for a couple of days when you are depending on the car to get around. It has been a real eye-opener as to what could realistically happen in years to come.
Greek Orthodox monostaries like to depict gory scenes of how saints earnt their sainthoods on the walls and put in words what they couldn't draw.
The toilets in nunneries are a lot cleaner than those in monasteries.
I swear I saw Scarlett Johansson with her mum looking around the Sanctuary of Apollo in Delphi.
And I'll leave it at that for now.
Will be pictures to come when I get back in just over a week (non of Scarlett unfortunately) - bought a 2 gagillabite memory card so I'm snap, snap, snapping away....
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Jason Yudoff just released his second studio album, Tragic Hero last Tuesday, May 13th. Apparently this album's been hitting the music industry rounds for a while now, because, despite just officially released to the general public, it's already been nominated in the 2008 Grammy Ballot in four categories: "Best New Artist", "Album of the Year", "Record of the Year" (for the song "Personal Addict") and "Producer of the Year" (Ron Thaler).
Since the song "Personal Addict" is nominated for "Record of the Year", I thought it that would best represent him: a little funk and jam. Even his funky voice on this song sounds a little like Jamiroquai, doesn't it?
I also really liked the frantic piano-driven song, "Locked in a Box", which really shows off Yudoff's piano-playing skill.
There's also a studio version of "Too Late Janie", which originally appeared on his live album, LIVE at The Cutting Room, which sounds a little more controlled. It even sounds better in the studio, but I did missed the improvised piano in the middle of the live version.
Tragic Hero is out now, you can find his music on amazon and itunes as well as cd baby. He's playing one show in New York at the Make Music at the Waterside Plaza on June 21st.
Links:
jasonyudoff.com
myspace.com/jasonyudoffandthenewhotness
It is very late at night and I'm just returning home from a night out. Tonight I went to a reading at a friend's house. The author is a Jesuit priest from Nigeria, who had his first short story (and second) published in The New Yorker, and a collection of stories coming out in a few weeks.
Here are the most surprising things I learned:
1. If you get a story accepted by The New Yorker they call to tell you
2. They also will fact-check the hell out of your story, which is kind of cool and fascinating
Because I have some unexpected time on, this, the eve of the eve of a trek to Western Pennsylvania for the region's premier cycling event (and in the interest of padding those meager stats to the left), here's some recycled material about my first and only other trip three years ago. It's not all old, though. I've added footnotes, Klosterman style. Okay, not exactly Klosterman style; they're in the body of the text because scrolling down would be a pain. And they'll probably be far less clever.
Y1NZER or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Pedal Picksburgh
I had been taunting Mehaffey all week. We were traveling to western
Pennsylvania for Pedal Pittsburgh. I had signed on for the sixty mile
tour, which included a climb of the dreaded Mt. Oliver. Dan and Sarah
were doing the fifty mile loop. Ten fewer miles and no climb: clearly,
Dan was a wuss. (To be fair, the wuss in question is currently training
for his second triathlon, but I digress...) And a wuss, as you well
know, is deserving of scorn. [1] Three years later, I don't believe Dan has completed a third
triathlon. I've got six more century rides under my belt, Who's the
wuss now? I mean, sure - he got married and bought a house, but.... uh,
I don't know how to finish that. Moving on.
Pedal Pittsburgh is an annual bicycle tour of varying lengths of the landmarks and neighborhoods that make Pittsburgh unique. It is hosted by and benefits the Community Design Center. I had planned to ride last year, but bailed at the last minute to ride with the Tahoe team; I was starting to get nervous about my training. This year, I know better where I am in my training, and more importantly, I know what to expect in Nevada, so I gladly substituted sixty miles in the 'Burgh for eighty miles in Davidsonville, Maryland. [2] This is further proof that I am a moron. This is the longest - and best - version of the infamous "beach and pie" ride. I can't believe I willingly passed up pie for Pedal Pittsburgh.
I was sick as a dog last week. [3] Hmmm.... I am getting sick now. My sinuses are really raw and I'd be congested if my nostrils weren't leaking all day. I missed multiple days of work and still had a hacking and wheezing cough on Saturday. I mention this only because I mentioned it to Sarah and Dan about two hours into our journey west and was promptly accused of attempting to lay the groundwork for skipping my last ten miles. [4] I laid the groundwork for bailing MUCH earlier this year. By which I mean, I signed on for the thirty-five mile ride and was completely up front about that fact. Of course, after all I ran my mouth, there was no way I could in good conscience - no matter how much I wanted (and I'll be honest - it wouldn't be long before I really wanted) - back out of climbing that damned hill. [5] Who am I kidding? Seriously. I back out of shit like this all. the. time. Through my boast, I had signed a contract, much like a medieval knight who vows to rescue the damsel or slay the dragon, back when such was the business of the day. This brave brave Sir Robin was not about to bravely run away. [6] See [5].
After lunch at Taco Loco, as Will and Laura [7] See also: Barracuda. were heading to the bike shop [8] The bike shop in question was owned by the father of a kid with whom I went to elementary school. This has nothing to do with anything, but I kept in touch with absolutely nobody I knew from when I lived in Pennsylvania so I find it significant somehow. to outfit nine month old Cash with the required helmet, the rest of us did a bit of reconnaissance on the South Side Slopes. Now, I was vaguely familiar with my impending climb because Vrabel [9] See also: The Vrabel. used to live atop the dreaded Mt. Oliver. But it had been several years, at best, since I had been in that part of town. First of all, I don't recall Josephine Street being so steep. Second of all, I don't recall Josephine Street being so long. It looked really bad. Dan, at one point, volunteered to join me for the ten miles provided we race. I hesitated, because the last time I was challenged to a race in Pittsburgh... well, "cheated" isn't strong enough a word [10] Long story short: Garrett cheated. Big time., but ultimately agreed. We clocked the climb at only a mile and a half, but that particular mile and a half was relentless. It went up. And up. And up. Then it went up some more. And just when it looked as if we were about at the top, it went up a little bit for good measure. And if that weren't enough, the descent was one of the most notoriously steep and serpentine streets in the city, which so happened to be in rather rough condition, potholewise, after the winter. It is this particular street - Sycamore Street - that my father used to drive down after taking out-of-town friends and relatives up Mt. Washington, just to show off a bit. It is this particular street that Vrabel points to when he mentions his concept of urban skiing. On the way back to Lawrenceville, Dan and Sarah and [Vanna] all remarked that I was considerably more quiet and seemed to be scratching my head more than usual.
Despite the minor anxiety, I slept alright once I managed to get Nobody [11] AKA: the Buddy Cat. out of my appointed room. (Nobody is a cat.) [12] Duh. I rose at a quarter to six with a minimum of snoozing and began preparing for my ride. I ate a light breakfast, prepared my water and snacks, and herded the cats a bit before getting to the day's attire. Now, there was some fuzziness to the weather forecast so I went to great pains to pack for every conceivable condition. I ultimately decided on the short sleeve jersey with a windbreaker and no leg warmers, when.... oh, (insert expletive [13] FUCK! here).
I dressed in street clothes and went outside to sit on the stoop to wait for Sarah and Dan. As they pulled up, Sarah rolled down the window:
"What's wrong?" [14] This exact dialogue is almost certainly inaccurate.
"I forgot my bike shorts."
"What about your other shorts?"
"I don't wear other shorts." [15] It's true. Short pants are for little boys.
(Coincidentally, it was to Dan and Sarah's wedding last month [16] Huh. I guess Dan actually got married before the ride. So I revoke my rescindment of my reversal on him being a wuss. Or something. I can't keep it straight. The point is: what has he done lately? that I set out without a coat and tie. I realized I forgot the core outfit of the weekend when we were well south of Fredericksburg and going back for it was completely out of the question. We stopped at Hecht's just outside Richmond, but the clerk forgot to remove the security device from my new jacket, so I spent the entire wedding with my hand robotically glued to my waist so that no other guest would suspect me of acquiring a really nice jacket [17] I mentioned to Cheeseman [17.5] Quote of the weekend, from Vanna: "I'm drinking Cheeseman's wine." that Vrabel would quote Fast Times when he heard the story and I was right. by less than ethical means. And now, once again, when packing for the weekend, I forgot the core outfit. This is all [Vanna's] fault - I know it; I simply have not yet concocted how, exactly.)
In the end,
it worked out okay. Gatto Cycles [18] See [8]. had no merchandise for sale other than
helmets and tubes, but I was able to reach Will and Laura before they
left home, and they brought a pair of gym shorts for me to wear. I
wasn't about to do sixty miles, for reasons I'd just as soon not
discuss [19] Chafing., but I did ride the first eight miles with Cash before setting
off on my own on a modified version of the thirty-five mile course. So
yeah, ultimately, I did wuss out of climbing the dreaded Mt. Oliver,
but I did ride up to Troy Hill, Highland Park, and Squirrel Hill. (Let
me repeat that last part: Troy Hill, Highland Park, and Squirrel Hill.)
The most important part, though, is that I had a blast. And that Whole
Foods provided burritos (of a sort) [20] If you could consider 'without a tortilla' to mean 'of a sort' then I guess this statement would be accurate. at the end. If you're within a few
hours, I urge [21] Urge seems like kind of a strong word. Especially from one who is planning to spend the evening before the ride at the Thunderbird. you to pedal Pittsburgh next year. It's a heck of a lot
of fun and with five different routes, there is one for every skill
level. And it is for a good cause. [22] This is where I went into my spiel about the warm feelings everyone would get from writing a check on my behalf to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. But I'll spare yinz that speech right now. Don't worry - I'll get to it.
 Hellapop Festival (May 24th) ♥ Bands: The Definite Articles, Teamawesome!, iji, Tinkture, Hey Three Eyes, The Creepy Crawlies, James Rabbit, Charlie Don’t Surf!, The Paper Orchestra, The Panduhs, Old Hack, Tippy the Vegan, Music from Anteria |
Okay, so I've never been an avid calendar user (too much work!), but lately I've been organizing myself with W♥M Calendar so I know which concert dates to attend and what CDs are being release when. Since I also use Outlook for calendaring, Google does offer Calendar Sync which seamlessly sync both outlook and W♥M calendar (so I can manage offline or online).
I believe the calendar is shared among all the weheartmusic.com users by default (but you can set it to private or "friends only"), so, anyroad, I know someone will be attending Hellapop Festival (May 24). This looks really fun, and I would be there too if I lived in California.
I thought I'd mention two bands doing this festival that I thought looked interesting.
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Tinkture looks like a group of very young ladies, into DIY punk, possibly Riot. I thought "Pyrotechnics" is a very fast and feels very garagey. The vocals has a southern sound to it too. I generally like these DIY punk, as you've probably figured from my various punk articles.
I couldn't help but think of Supergrass's "Alright" when I heard "Farther Away" by Shadow Puppet Theatre. These guys looks very hip and are snappy dressers on top of that. Plus, they seem like they would hang out at all night cafes. They are from Modesto, and consists of singer/guitarist, Adam Bishop, and upright bassist, Jessica Jones.
These are only two of the many, many bands that's attending the Hellapop Festival, so be sure to check them out. That Team Awesome sounds pretty fun, as well as Charlie Don't Surf (which may have stolen their title from Apocalypse Now, but they seem too young to actually have seen that movie - so I vote for Veronica Mars).
Links: myspace.com/popsongromance
www.tinkture.com
myspace.com/shadowpuppettheatre
I got rid of my vehicle nearly five and a half years ago. The day before Thanksgiving 2002, the man from the second charity I called showed up in a flatbed to haul her away. (The first charity wouldn't take her off my hands because she was a piece of junk.) It was a bittersweet day. I was skeptical of moving beyond the highly suburban notion of auto ownership as a necessity of life. But then, only a few months prior I had gone to court to contest a parking ticket and subsequent tow that occurred because it'd been months since I'd had an occasion to move her.
Since that time, I have come to relish the freedom that not owning an automobile affords, and it's increasingly unlikely that I will be re-joining the ranks of vehicle ownership. Yes, my commute sucks ass and yes, sometimes public transit really pisses me off, but it still would take longer if I drove. And what's more, I'd be even less my normal cheerful self once I arrived. Needless to say, very few things frustrate me more than driving.
I have to drive several times a week now, and thanks to Zipcar I am able to be where I need to be. But I don't like it. It has come to my attention that I am an aggressive driver, which I guess I should have known already from my disdain for all those other assholes on the road who don't know how to drive. A recent study confirms my hypothesis that DC drivers are among the worst in the nation. They're in the bottom five, actually. This is most certainly not news.
Also not news is that Minneapolis drivers are among our nation's best. Of course they are. We all know damn well that nothing of any importance happens in Minnesota, so why should anybody be in a hurry to get where they are going? I'd approach my day at a more leisurely pace, too, if the most pressing item on my agenda was the tractor pull or making snow angels.
