In Remembrance Of Bea Arthur...

(Better late than never.) Here's Rufus Wainwright's California, where he pleads, "my new Grandma Bea Arthur, come on over." I like to believe he wrote this, because Bea was some form of electric comfort via his television set during lonely times away from NYC.



He loves to tell the story of meeting Bea and spilling out this long, wordy tale about his including her in this song. The reason being that he and his Grandma really bonded while watching Golden Girls, and Bea, of course was their favorite on the show. Ever the sass-mouth, Bea just looks at him dryly, and retorts, "I'm not your fucking grandmother!" and walks past him!

All The Boys And All The Girls Are Dying To

I've always loved Britney Spears. I even dressed as her my sophomore year of college along with my dormmates for Halloween. (See below. Hit Me Baby One More Time Brit, Stronger Brit, and ME! Slave 4 U Brit.) I was always rooting for her in those crazy shavin' head times, through the weight gain, the K-Fed years, the Brit Brit, and the crotch flashin' party times. I look on her lovingly as I do Drew Barrymore, Liza Minelli, Lindsay Lohan, and Corey Feldman-- Hey, Dream a Little Dream was a great film!!

Now after hearing the new single off of her latest album CIRCUS, If You Seek Amy, I know my love will never die. Britney Forever!

Deaf Combo

This is how I felt about the Grammys:

(That's Grace Slick abusing her baby with her moms for LIFE mag, btw.)

Why do they feel the need to "refresh" songs by forcing two artists that don't make sense to perform together???? Sugarland and Adele? I hate Adele. J.Timb and T.I.? Awkward. Stevie Wonder and the Jonas Brothers? Well, he couldn't tell who he was singing with so I can't blame him. Who let John Mayer sing Bo Diddley??? Barf. I kind of liked the marching band with Radiohead, but I'm so sick of Radiohead these days I could just die. Apparently Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift sang a song together. I'm really glad I missed that. Jay Z and Chris Martin?? Oy! Need I say more?

I'm bummed Lil' Wayne didn't win Album of the Year, but he got rap album (and performed with a very preggo MIA plus T.I., Jay-Z and Kanye), so everybody wins. Robert Plant's still kickin' around. I guess he deserves it. I listen to Houses of the Holy all the time.

Here's that Katie Couric interview where Katie talks to Wayne about smoking pot, and makes weird gestures implying that her butt is sizzling hot. Just watch if you didn't:

I Can't Hardly Stand It

R.I.P. LUX INTERIOR oct 21, 1948 - feb 4, 2009

While driving through California, Lux Interior, born Erick Lee Purkhiser, picked up a flame-haired hitchhiker named  Kristy Wallace AKA Poison Ivy. By 1976 the two married, moved to NYC,  and birthed the psychobilly sleaze band, The Cramps-- A sound that consisted largely of psych, garage, blues, country, and surf rock. Other members of the band have changed over the years, but the two continued to perform together until today when Interior sadly passed away of an existing heart condition. The Cramps were important members of the blossoming music scene of the 70's and 80's happening in the East Village and LES, namely at CBGB and Max's Kansas City. Interior was well-known for his Iggy Pop-esque gyrations on stage, flamboyant get-ups, and hiccuppy, growling vocals.  Music fans have already begun clogging fan sites with messages in remembrance of him. My heart goes out to his "bad girl vixen", Poison Ivy. He will be missed and remembered.

ON A PERSONAL NOTE: I remember the first time I heard The Cramps. I was in my ex-boyfriend's car (who was only a friend at the time) when we were living in the mountains in Boone, NC. He only had a tape deck in his car, so he would make tons of mixtapes that he would title "Coolsongs #". He probably had 150 of those tapes, plus the ones other people gave him. I had just gotten in the car, when I heard the opening clangs to "I Can't Hardly Stand It", and then the aching, hiccup of a voice (Reminded me of my beloved Elvis), "We-heh-heh-ll the sun's gone down, and you're uptown...I-i-i-if you don't know. I love you so. You got me all tore up." At the time, I was madly head over hills for aforementioned friend, and I couldn't believe how this song seemed to be coming right out my own soul! Such a cheeseball. So that weekend, I went on a trip to Chapel Hill and sought out Bad Music for Bad People. I can't even tell you how many mixtapes that song has gone on (Sorry dudes I've sorta liked and maybe loved before.)

Moz Life Crisis

By the way, what in the Sam Hill is this??!?!?!
Even before I read The Guardian's own digs at Morrisey's art for the inner sleeve of his new single, I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris (What a barfy title!). The first thing I thought of was:


But then I thought of:


EWWW! GASP! SHUDDER! A good movie, but nevertheless, a real comedy! I've never been a fan of The Smiths nor Moz's solo work. Every time my friends wanted to go to Sunday nights at Sway, I'd revel in the few songs that were NOT Morrissey related. I still think he's a fine guy though. My roommate is obsessed with him, and sings his songs in the shower. HOWEVER-- I do not need to see this much of him, and ESPECIALLY not his band. Mid-life crisis much? C'mon boys! Fuck some models. Buy a McLaren. Do SOMETHING that does not require THE. WAXING OF. YOUR. BODY. HAIR!!!

The Fairest of Them All

Remember X-Girl, Kim Gordon's sporty sister clothing line to X-Large? 

I wasn't even a teenager when the first line came out, but around the time I clasped the hook on my third or fourth training bra, I remember ordering catalogues from the back of my Seventeen magazines alongside Delia*s all the way to my tiny town in North Carolina. (I really had a thing for adolescent skater boys.) After receiving one or two, they stopped coming, and I believe the store closed in NYC in 2006 or so. The brand, along with X-Large, is still insanely popular in Japan.

It's no lie that Kim has always had incredible style, and is one of the coolest chicks around. So it's pretty sweet that in the past 15 years her fashion sense has matured into a new 60's France-inspired collection called Mirror/Dash. (Little Known Fact: Mirror/Dash is also a Kim Gordon/Thurston Moore musical side project. See video HERE.)The only bummer is that it's being distributed via Urban Outfitters, but I'd brave a pack of NYU kids and even dumpy-butted tourists any day for Kim's garb. She's working with designer Jeffrey Monteiro, ex-head designer at Derek Lam on the line, and it'll be available in UO on Feb 16th. 

Only two photos of items of the Mirror/Dash line have been released:

The Hardy Jacket inspired by the ever-chic Francoise.

And this slouchy little dress

While you wait for the rest, here's a little retrospective of Kim's looks from the past.
(And read the interview BUST did with Kim regarding the line too!)

The Late, Great Silver Jews

I apologize for the tardiness, but I'd like to have a moment of silence for the Silver Jews who played their final show 2 days ago at Cumberland Caverns (an underground cave!) in the quaint town of McMinnville, Tennessee. Some past Jews members were in attendance and played alongside the band including founding drummer (and former Pavement drummer) Bob Nastanovich, but unfortunately not the third founding member, Stephen Malkmus (most notable for fronting Pavement.)
REVIEW OF SHOW

Please gaze upon the below photo taken by Dave Black of final permanent band members Cassie and David Berman whilst you ponder such great albums as American Water and Tanglewood Numbers.



And here is a mesmerizing video of a girl belly dancing to "The Wild Kindness" off of American Water.


SIDE NOTE: Years ago I happened upon some work by (the now sadly deceased) Jeremy Blake called "Sodium Fox" in a gallery in Chelsea. David Berman is one subject of this work, and narrates a video included in the exhibition. Post-Silver Jews, I hope he continues to participate in this medium, though Berman noted on the Drag City message board that he plans to concentrate on "screenwriting or muckraking"-- whatever that means.

Everybody Is A Star

Check my review of a band with the unfortunate name, Gringo Star in the new Bust.

BONUS: You'll also find the always stylish Louise Sturges (of Besosyfotos fame) and her winter coat featured in the Looks section.

Energy

Having been stuck at home 1.) sick 2.) with no job 3.) afraid of frost bite, I've been getting a healthy dose of T.V., so I just saw that Pepsi Commercial with The Apples in Stereo's song 'Energy' in it. I actually didn't even realize it was them until I googled it, but after I did, it got me thinking. This could be bad.

First of all, here's the real video for the song directed by none other than Elijah Wood:



The video is pretty blah, but the song has been motivating me out of my personal blahs.

Second of all, I once won tickets to see The Apples in Stereo off my college radio station in North Carolina for their 2003 tour. It happened about this time 6 years ago. At the time I was going to UNC-Greensboro, and loathing all of my surroundings. Teen angst! Yessss! So I found my rather puerile review of the show.

I was 19, and looked something like this:

Apples in Stereo were really good, although the audience was being pretty lame. I mean, you would expect some people to dance or something with the kind of music that they are...but whatever. I mean, people started leaving before they even cut the lights back on in the club, nevertheless, the band came back and did an encore for the remainder of the polite people who paid to see their show. They look different than I thought they would...but they seemed really friendly and and bubbly...which I guess matches their music. Also...it was very smokey in Cat's Cradle(worse than usual)...and I thought my eyes were going to fall out. I am so glad they outlawed smoking in clubs in NY...one more reason to live there! (NOTE: BAHAHAHAHA!!!!) After the show, of course we had to go to:

(a 24-Hour greasy spoon in Carrboro. popular with the college-folk.)

(This is my friend, Adam at Time Out. He lives in Oakland now, and is married to a friend of the girl seated next him.)

So that was it...then we got back really late...and i had to park in BFE (Translation: Bum-Fuck Egypt)...and walk all the way ACROSS campus to my dorm, carrying my huge cd book, among other things. It was freezing outside. This was definitely my least favorite part of the evening.

p.s. i only have $35 in my bank account. uh mom? help...?

Not much has changed, I guess. I have since purchased an Ipod. (Although, I still have all my disks and tapes-- most likely covered in a layer of dust-- in a trunk in my apartment.)

I almost forgot!

I reviewed the new-ish Gang Gang Dance album in the Bust mag that's on stands now.



GANG GANG DANCE- Saint Dymphna

Historically speaking Saint Dymphna was the beautiful daughter of the Irish chief Damon who was tragically beheaded by her dad when she refused to commit him her hand after her mother’s passing. Her burial place is known to cure mental illness. Saint Dymphna is also the newest release by the experimentalist Brooklyn-based foursome Gang Gang Dance, who sounds like they could benefit from a visit to the Saint’s grave with the schizophrenic arrangements on this new work. We start in a psychedelic kaleidoscope of percussion and Asian inspired synths (Bebey), jump to techno blips (So aptly named House Jam), and then find that most surprisingly Gang Gang goes hip-hop with Brit MC Tinchy Stryder. One thing is constant: Lizzi Bougatsos continues to channel Kate Bush’s moans, whispers, and wails, but sometimes mixes in some M.I.A-like grunts. Most refreshingly, GGD seem to have climbed out of the cardboard box that they’d been recording in on their past records, and into a real recording studio as Saint Dymphna is crystal clear and headphone ready.

MARY-LOUISE PRICE



FUN FACTS:
-I saw GGD perform at the Social Registry's CMJ showcase at Santos Partyhouse, and it was truly an electrifying performance. PIX (not by me.)
-Much of this record was recorded at Vacation Island Studios in Bushwick, which I can highly recommend as a great place to record.

CM-NoWAY!

While everyone in NYC is going crazy over CMJ right now, I figured I'd update about some musical happenings beyond.


1.)

Below are the dates for the first ever Electric Owls (Members of The Comas) Tour. All dates are supporting Bishop Allen (As seen in the so cute you could puke, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, and even though Electric Owls will be touring sans drummer like the fictional opener in the film 'The Jerk Offs', they sound nothing like that band. Here, just check out the myspace for songs, sheesh! http://www.myspace.com/electricowls)

BA tour:

Date Venue
11.01 Black Cat DC
11.0 Local 506 Chapel Hill NC
11.05 Opolis Norman OK
11.06 Bash’s Rip Rock 2
11.07 Hailey’s
11.10 The Loft @ UCSD
11.11 Echo LA
11.12 Independent San Fran
11.14 Kilbey Court Salt Lake
11.15 High Dive Denver
11.16 M-Shop Idaho?
11.17 Subterranean Chicago
11.18 Bear’s Place
11.19 Horn Gallery
11.20 Middle East (Downstairs) Boston
11.21 Olde Clube
11.22 Music Hall of Williamsburg Brooklyn
11.23 Music Hall of Wiliamsburg Bk


BEFORE the tour though (This is for all of you folks in Crack-a-lacka who don't read my blog.) is a free show in Asheville in support of BARACK OBAMA:

http://mergerecords. com/news. php?month=Oct+2008

Asheville, NC
10/28 @ The Grey Eagle
Bands start at 8pm

The Reigning Sound 1030
Tift Merritt 10
Chris Stamey (dBs) 930
Portastatic 9
Greg Humphreys (Hobex) 830
Electric Owls 8

2.)

Now other friends are on the road playing shows too, and they're trying to win this contest from Taco Bell, so they will get free tacos for a year or some such thing, so vote for them. Hymns from NYC.

feed the broke


*You might recognize some other folks you know on there, but trust me, these guys need free tacos worse than anyone else. I won't go into details, just trust me.

3.)

And back in NYC: The BF is playing drums Saturday night for a band. Go to the show.

Start Time:	Saturday, October 25, 2008 at 7:00pm
Location:	Leo Kesting Gallery
Street:	812 Washington St at Ganesvoort St
City/Town:	Manhattan, NY
	Google MapQuest Microsoft Yahoo

8 P.M. "Beach Bummed" by Sebastian Ischer starring Love as Laughter and This Frontier Needs Heroes (Comedy)
9 ~This Frontier Needs Heroes live electric band!
~ "The Good Life" by Matt Goldman (Homage to italian cinema)
10 ~Elizabeth Harper and the Matinee
11 ~Living Days

Really Special DJ's (Which means, probably Ivan and Sam Jayne or something)


Okey Dokey. Back to work.

Koreoketown

I started making a list of awesome karaoke songs I always sing, and most of them just happened to be from the 80's. People wore shorter shorts, and had funner hair cuts then (See?)-- No other explanation.

Awesome Karaoke in Koreatown Went Like This:

1. Bon Jovi- Livin' on a Prayer (Twice)

2. Guns 'n' Roses- Sweet Child O' Mine

3. J. Geils Band- Angel In The Centerfold

4. Heart- Magic Man

5. Journey- Don't Stop Believin'

6. Madonna- Like a Prayer

7. Aerosmith- Crazy

8. The Knack- My Sharona

9. The Clash- Should I Stay Or Should I Go

10. Abba- Waterloo (There were a lot of Swedes there.)

I've written before about how much I love karaoke. What I didn't write about is that the love of busting a note (A NOTE!) runs through my blood. My grandma is an amazing singer, and my dad is quite a songbird himself. Luckily, some of us (them) inherited a bit more talent than others (me). 

My dad is kind of obsessed with a website called Singsnap. It's a social networking site that's half karaoke, and half American Idol. People sing along to any of the hundreds of midi files of popular tunes uploaded on the site, and are given the opportunity to compete in competitions organized by other members via message boards. Many people include videos of themselves singing, some make slideshows, and some don't allow any visuals at all. 

Here's my dad performing Sweet Child O' Mine (He's even got the Axl sway down). Yes, the absurdly cute child in the slideshow is me (and the other pics of some person in their weird late teens-- well, I plead the fifth on that one.)

 

Though I find the site a bit strange, I understand the attraction. My dad claims it's good for his soul to perform for these strangers, much like playing dumb about belting out "Since You Been Gone" in the shower when you know damn well everyone in your apartment building can hear you. Their slogan is "Singsnap- Like You've Got Something Better To Do." I get that, but I still prefer to just take a couple tequila shots, and let the eighties hits fly IN PUBLIC! So, when I go back to North Carolina for the holidaze, I'm determined to get my pops to a local karaoke night.

His Eyes Were a Blue Million Miles

RIP Paul Newman
You will forever live on in my bedroom atop this fabulous pillowcase (Scored on Ebay for 6 bucks!), and in my salads. 

Here's a screen test from Paul's early years, alongside James Dean:

With that, we shall review a bunch of songs about blue eyes to remember the azure pools that were his.

REM- Pale Blue Eyes (Really Awesome Cover! Live in Passaic 1984)


Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band- Her Eyes Were a Blue Million Miles (Big Lebowski fans?)


Elvis Presley- Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain (Another version by Charley Pride: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmVEMMnAQvo Willie Nelson also does a great job too, but duh. It's Willie Nelson.)


The Black Crowes- Bad Luck Blue Eyes Goodbye (This song comes on my iPOD shuffle about every 3 songs. It's really weird.)


Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young- Suite: Judy Blue Eyes (Live at Woodstock)


Stray Cats- Baby Blue Eyes (Where did Brian Setzer disappear now? Oh, he reunited these dudes for a "Farewell" to Australia--and to his pride-- tour, of course!)


The Blue Comets- Blue Eyes (Although it's all in Japanese, so who knows if that's what they're saying? Cool song anyway. Organ organ organ!)


Timmy Curran- Blue Eyes (This guy was a pro-surfer and just released an album. I actually kind of like this cheesy folky song, although he has a new souped up heavily produced version that's even cheesier with a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkrAZI92Oxo)

Bullet- White Lies, Blue Eyes (This is the kind of shit you start finding once you dive into a wormhole on Youtube.)


Steve Lawrence- Pretty Blue Eyes (This guy is like a white Sam Cooke-- sort of.)


Lastly, here is an amazing tribute video someone made to figure skater Evgeni Plushenko (Yeah, no clue who he is either.) to The Who's 'Behind Blue Eyes'.

THIS IS IT!

The new Bust is out with my article on the amazing and fun Marnie Stern (and also some chick named Sarah Silverman on the cover). Go buy it!

Marnie in action at SXSW:

"Every Single Line Means Something" from Marnie's debut (Sophomore release, THIS IS IT out in October)

Thug Presley In This Bitch!

"I regret what happened. I'm so sorry," Says Kristopher Presley after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter in District Court last Wednesday. Even prior to the charge, the Memphis-born distant relative of the most famous Presley and former Jailhouse Rocker, worked under the moniker 'Thug' Presley as a struggling hip hop artist in Las Vegas (Following family tradition.) According to a police report, a confrontation broke out in 2004 when one of Presley's friends uttered a racial slur, thus resulting in the murder. However, Presley has already served more than 1,100 days in jail during the case, and is expected to be released soon from the Clark County Detention Center. Greg Denue, Presley's attorney seemed optimistic following the trial, "He's tried to get on with his life--with his music."
SOURCE

Look out for Thug's first major label release, White Gold to drop next year!!

Original Gangsta


Pranksta








West Coast


Dirty South

Sleeved

Sleevefacing has long been a favorite drunken activity, and most recently a way to cover an ugly mug on internet social networking sites. Today while, um "working", I found a slew of 'em on Flickr. My favorites were made in impromptu situations, but I did find a guy who has made the classic sleeveface into an artform.



He even did a whole collection of just Barry Manilow.
http://flickr.com/photos/cgstopgo/

Some of the rest below:

MUSIC is BACK!

"You're daddy moved out," Came my mother's rattled drawl as I descended the stairs on Saturday morning. "All his stuff's gone." Being only five years old, my thoughts weren't on the following days, or the days prior. I didn't think about the fighting, nor the tears, nor the fact that my mother's heart must be consistency of the the strawberry jam she spread on my toast every Sunday morning and served with eggs. I ran directly to my dad's record player declaring that he'd "better not have taken my music!" Sleeved and sitting a-top was Wheels are Turnin' by R.E.O. Speedwagon containing "our song," I can't Fight This Feeling-- A strange song for a father and daughter, but to me was just a memory of mid-afternoon dances on top of my pop's feet.  That record stared back at me with assurance that he'd be back for me-- a promise we'd have another dance.

I spent many years after that listening to that old stereo in my Laura Ashley decorated bedroom, hopping around to the American Graffiti soundtrack. Finally, one day it disappeared, most likely around the time I realized it didn't play CD's. The Laura Ashley lilacs were replaced with paint my mother likened with the color of snot, and magazine cut-outs of Beck Hansen, and Kurt Cobain. Teenagers, sheeez!

Post-high school, I scooped up all of my musical affections, and realized I wanted my records and my record player too. Upon moving to NYC, I had my mom ship my/her/my dad's old turntable to me, specifying that she needed to provide proper cushioning and wrapping for each little piece. Well, my mom's no dummy, but she is busy-- so of course, the damn thing ended up at my door in knots and bits. Unusable! I was brokenhearted, and refused to throw it away for years.

Good news though! Today I picked up a whole stereo system off Craig's List with the following:

1. Rotel RX-403 Stereo Receiver

2. Technics Turntable SL-BD20D

3. Sherwood Double Tape Deck (Circa 1984)

4. Equalizer (But doesn't matter because we're not using it.)

FOR the grand total of (Drum roll, music dorks.) 20 BUCKS!

Yay.