Recently in Music Category
Happy Fourth of July. The Fourth of July is my favorite holiday not only because I am a patriot but also because I enjoy fireworks. They appeal to my very gay sense of instant nostalgia. Watching the fireworks inspires a simultaneous feeling of awe and regret: they're over practically before they start. With fireworks (especially local fireworks versus impersonal big city extravaganzas) you get a visceral sense that your life is passing you by. This is a feeling I love. Yeah, I know it's childish of me to find this kind of angsty wallowing so delicious. I can't help it, but I will try to be more grown-up by next year.
The other thing about the 4th of July is that there are a lot of great songs about it. Off the top of my head I can think of Galaxie 500's 4th OF JULY (above, featuring sparklers!), X's 4th OF JULY, Aimee Mann's 4th OF JULY, Bruce Springsteen's 4th OF JULY, ASBURY PARK (SANDY), and Elliot Smith's INDEPENDENCE DAY. I think there are a lot more that I'm forgetting right now too. (Oh! The Elliot Smith video on youtube just led me to this great-seeming song. And who remembers a lady by the name of ANI?)
When I was little I was always concerned about what would happen if somehow the fireworks didn't extinguish themselves as they were falling for the ground-- if somehow you managed to catch a piece of one, what would happen? Good or bad? I thought about this for awhile and finally asked my mom and she told me your arm would fall off and you would probably die. I guess she didn't understand the question or was worried that I wanted to go out and play with fireworks or something. Whatever-- her scare tactics did not work. I was generally a skittish and fearful child, but in this case, my mother's dire warning just increased the appeal to me. It was at this moment that I first understood that it is worth risking life and limb for dumb things that are pretty and short-lived.
I went to see The Breeders last night. If you are not familiar with The Breeders, they're kind of like the ladies from Grey Gardens except instead of mom and daughter Bouviers, they're twin sisters from Ohio. And instead of lying in bed all day singing Tea For Two, they RAWK. Of course the show was awesome. This Dutch documentary about the Deal twins is also awesome. Seriously, it's just like Grey Gardens; I'm not joking.
On Saturday Brian (lol picture, brian!) dragged me to Glasslands see some band called FM Belfast. I was expecting it to be pretty bad, but it turned out they were extremely charming and fun. They scored extra points with me because the two boys in the band looked exactly how I imagine Leonard Neeble and Alan Mendelsohn from Daniel Pinkwater's classic ALAN MENDELSOHN, THE BOY FROM MARS to look. (You can't really tell it in this video though.)
Pardon me but is it time to party like it's 1999 (or 1996) all over again? I got home from working on my new book to a voice mail (no, I don't have a cellphone, deal with it!) from Emily eager to discuss the fact that Liz Phair has reviewed Dean Wareham's biography, BLACK POSTCARDS, in today's NYTBR. I have not gotten around to reading the book yet even though Wareham's bands (Galaxie 500 and Luna) are some of my favorites ever. So am I supposed to feel excited that the gum I like is coming back in style? Or should I just feel OLD that the gum I like is now experiencing its retro period?
Maybe I can feel excited and old at the same time. Here is a video of Dean and his new wife, Britta Phillips-- formerly known as Jem of Jem and the Holograms-- singing THE SUN IS STILL SUNNY.
Maybe I can feel excited and old at the same time. Here is a video of Dean and his new wife, Britta Phillips-- formerly known as Jem of Jem and the Holograms-- singing THE SUN IS STILL SUNNY.
Okay, I don't want this to turn into a music blog, but this news is potentially exciting.
From Billboard.com:
Liz Phair has signed a new record deal with ATO, the first fruit of which will be a reissue of her classic 1993 debut, "Exile in Guyville."Here's hoping Ms. Phair's escape from her evil corporate overlords portends a return to form. Sometimes a dream is what makes you a slave...
Due June 24, the set includes four previously unreleased audio tracks and a DVD with a documentary about the album's genesis. A new Phair studio album, her first since 2005's Capitol swan song "Somebody's Miracle," is penciled in for the fall...
At ATO, Phair joins a family of artists including Radiohead, My Morning Jacket and Underworld, as well as a team of executives who worked closely with her at Capitol.
