Friday, May 13, 2005 :::
I'm in the self-checkout like at the supermarket, and the woman in front of me is holding everyone up because one of her items scanned in incorrectly. Like most people in that situation, she says, "I'm sorry." Since I was the person directly behind her, I say, "Oh, that's okay." She says, rudely, "I was talking to the machine." Whoa, somebody fell off the crazy train.
At lunch just now, Mike killed my dream of playing the tambourine on a rock 'n' roll record. Damn.
Update: Despite the fact that The Hard Tomorrows won't let me play on their record (yeah, I know, just because I'm not a musician), I'm very excited to announce that they're finally playing live again. July 1. Black Cat main stage. With the photogenic Her Daily Obsession and The Whips. Be there.
Morning commute music: Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, Face the Truth. It's good stuff, but I don't get to keep it – it’s one of the giveaways for the next bluestate – I just get to listen to it to decide what track(s) I want to play. We’re also going to have some posters of those "controversial" advertisementsPaste wouldn't run. Oh, and copies of Belle & Sebastian’s upcoming double album of EPs and singles. So get there early to improve your chances of winning.
Last night's show at DC 9 was good stuff. I'm a sucker for a catchy synth line, so I enjoyed The Information – who were heavy on the side-swept bangs and black clothes – although the keyboards overpowered the vocals for a large part of the set and I couldn't make out the lyrics. I'm addicted to "A Simple Plan." (MP3)
33Hz were not at all what I expected. Their nouveau-disco sound reminds me of the Scissor Sisters, so I was expecting the band to be, well, gayer. While I can't vouch for the sexuality of any of the four guys in the band, I can say that they didn't seem at all image-conscious, dressed in fairly plain jeans and T-shirts sort of outfits. The lead singer was even wearing a puffy vest, which I associate with A&F frat-boy types, although I know hipsters wear them too. So it was quite a disconnect between image and sound when they started performing, because they sound just as slick and glam as they do on the tracks I’d heard. Lots of falsettos, lots of funky bass, all sorts of fun synth effects. I hadn't heard more than a few songs, so it was really a treat to get to hear a lot of their material – the stuff that isn't straight-up disco is very sexy, "lay your woman down by the fire and make sweet, sweet love" stuff. And the band knows it, introducing their slower songs as "for the ladies." Oh, and there was a keytar involved. From Wikipedia:
The keytar was made popular in the 1980s by hair bands and with the changing trend of music they have now fallen out of vogue and are considered "tacky" or "lame" (although some "hipsters" now value the instruments for their kitsch value).
This weekend, an assortment of plans, including sleeping in, sending out resumes, a girls' night, Monopoli at DC 9 on Saturday night (haven't seen them in many months, so looking forward to hearing the new material) a visit from the parents and the Modigliani exhibit at The Phillips Collection.
Thursday, May 12, 2005 :::
Tonight: 33Hz and The Information at DC 9, presented by Bliss. You can download two songs from each band here. When I told Ms. Rhinestone about my plans for the evening, she told me that her boyfriend at one point auditioned to play bass for The Information, but his current band, Shark & Bear, was a better fit for him. It's a small, small indie rock world. Download some Shark & Bear here. They recently played with Thunderbirds Are Now! up in Boston, and are going to tour once they finish recording their album.
Last night I went to iPod Jukebox, queued up a Southern-women-themed playlist, socialized a bit and left around 10:30 because I was really tired. iPod Jukebox got started a bit late, and there didn’t seem to be that many people at the start, but then by 10:00 the place was packed and there were probably at least 20 people signed up. So, long live iPod Jukebox. My playlist:
The Gossip, "Swing Low" Loretta Lynn, "Have Mercy" Wanda Jackson, "Mean Mean Man" Karmella’s Game, "Walkin' After Midnight" Dolly Parton, "Jolene"
I think it’d be fun to DJ a country set sometime. Someone who's involved with Taint once told me that he was thinking of starting some sort of country/alt-country version of Taint. Can I be the token straight DJ?
On the way back, I drove by The Uptown and saw the Star Wars nerds camping out for the first time. They looked like they were having fun. Good for them.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005 :::
I got the Gorillaz "Feel Good, Inc." DVD in the mail yesterday, and decided to watch it before heading off for work this morning. The iPod commercial will never be the same again. While the song comes off as be-happy-buy-an-iPod-now in the advertisement, watching the video changes the experience. Aside from the happy-go-lucky chorus they use in the commercial, the rest of the lyrics are darker, which is emphasized by the video. I get easily creeped out by dark animation, though. Having said that, I really like both the song and the video and am looking forward to hearing the rest of the album.
Tonight: iPod Jukebox at Cafe Saint-Ex. Will Jenna Bush be there? I'm doing something a little different with my song selection tonight. We'll see how it goes. Also, Leah Morgan is playing at Velvet Lounge at 11. I like what I've heard and want to check her out, but haven't had a chance yet. I'm meeting up with the other bluestate-rs for iPod Jukebox, so depending on what time things start winding down, and if anyone wants to walk over there with me, I'll try to stop by.
Monday, May 09, 2005 :::
Reminder: check out the weekly contest over at the bluestate blog. You can win either Electrelane's or Scout Niblett's latest.
My mom asked me about Bright Eyes after she saw Conor Oberst perform an anti-Bush song on one of the late-night talk shows. She liked the music. I'm going to lend her my Bright Eyes CDs next time I visit The B.C. I love my hipster mom.
Sunday, May 08, 2005 :::
I'm still recovering from both spring-time allergies and disappointment about Maximo Park's tour schedule. In the meantime, I found two songs on betterPropaganda I want to share with ya'll.
01/05: Taint and Bliss present INFAMY, 9:30 Club
01/10: Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton, 9:30 Club
01/19: Benjy Ferree, Meredith Bragg and the Terminals, Greenland, Black Cat 01/24: Hej Hej, Cafe Saint-Ex
