Feeling slightly better this morning (my fever broke in the middle of the night, which is always a weird feeling - waking up in a pool of your own sweat but cooler and somewhat relieved) I donned my Sunday Best and drove out to Topanga State Park for my dear friends Fawn and Brian's wedding. [...]
Another day, another Swan Fungus reader finds their way into my presence. I promise one of these times if you approach me I won't act like I'm having a panic attack. It's just…in my mind you're all so mentally disturbed. And you all carry weapons around. Sharp weapons. Seriously, what type of person reads this [...]
We blijven nog even in de sfeer van het KRAAK label. Op het festival vorige week schafte ik namelijk de LP A Siren Blares In An Indifferent Ocean aan, de debuutplaat van Bridget Hayden . De Britse maakte in het verleden op onder meer gitaar en als violiste furore bij het dronegezelschap Vibracathedral Orchestra . Vijf jaar geleden alweer ging ze haar eigen weg en besloot ze haar creativiteit behalve in de muziek ook te ontplooien in de schilderkunst, poëzie, fotografie et cetera. Intussen heeft ze zich dus aangesloten bij de KRAAK familie, die [...]
Friends, Invalids, Basement-dwelling agoraphobics, lend me your ears! It's time for another Sunday Mix Tape, and have I ever got "the goods" for you. You've probably been asking yourselves why I am not posting daily MP3s anymore, or why the treasures from my collector's slum have been few and far between these past few weeks. The reason is, I've been advised to watch what I post in regards to the music I often share here. Cryptic, yes, but I am not really one to test boundaries. So until further notice there might be less music than many of you click [...]
Well, I was going to see Vetiver at Spaceland until I realized that my last paycheck was hampered by my having taken days off, and I have no money until an advertising check arrives sometime this coming week. What will I do until then? Well, not much. Today I went to work and had enough money to eat one yogurt and one bagel. Dinner was a box of Crispix I've kept around the house for emergency hunger situations for about the past year. Those year-old Crispix sure don't taste very good anymore. So, what are my [...]
this morning i said fuck you to work, i've got a better suggestion, oh mind and body o' mine old pal. so i got a sleep then a coffee. i got the paper then a stroll. i got a belly full of beer and sushi. i got a head full of ideas that are driving me insane. i got a mouth too full of teeth and tongue for regular communication lines. i said hello babelic tower o' vinyl let's us play a little while, suggestive like, let's us sit around and spin around till we're both pink and blushing and kinda goofy. [...]
I just got back from playing with the cutest little black lab puppy I've seen since the day my mom brought home our black lab. This event has jump started my, uh, biological clock - if a dude can even have a biological clock. But instead of an annoying child in my life, I suddenly feel the urge to bring a dog into my world. I would name him either Gangu, like the little pup in Audition , or Xasthur, because well...that would rule. I guess if I wound up with a girl dog I'd name it something like [...]
Record Store Day was a smashing success. We brought in, as far as I know, the 2nd largest amount of dollars in any sale in the history of the store. The only day that outperformed yesterday was Christmas '08. Who the hell says we're in an economic depression? When a tiny independent store can rake in twice my annual salary in a span of nine hours...it really makes one wonder. I'd post some pictures to prove how much pandemonium there was yesterday, but I've yet to find any circulating online. Oh well, it's your loss. That said, today [...]
Did you all remember to deprive yourselves of one hour of sleep this morning? I sure did! I had to be at work early and the entire day just kind of crept by like the slowest, most excruciating event since...uh...that presentation I had to give for English class my senior year of high school. Sure, on those rare occasions when I actually eat lunch (Sundays only), it usually revitalizes my spirits, but for some reason today it made me even more tired. Oh well. Two more days until my "weekend", and LOST . Too bad Top Chef [...]
I used to go bowling with my father a lot when I was younger. He is one of those forty-plus-year-olds who work a 9-5 job all week (most Saturdays, too) and then go bowling on Sunday mornings with friends. It's one of his few opportunities to do something human. When I was a youngster, a morning spent with my dad and his friends was a vacation. They talked dirty and smoked a lot of cigarettes. This was in the days when bowling alleys only allowed scoring by hand. As I sat and watched the old men bowl, playing with my [...]
Vibracathedral Orchestra Wisdom Thunderbolt (04.2007, VHF) Verdict = Satisfying Jangly Confusion Vibracathedral Orchestra create a more playful and hospitable noise than most, but it is still noise. If you like noise, that’s great; if you don’t, Vibracathedral Orchestra really won’t do anything to change your mind. Their music is really for those who openly indulge avant music but are selective with their listens. Wisdom Thuderbolt, the latest from the veritable supergroup (Mick Flower, Neil Campbell, Peter Nolan) continues in the path of their psych drone anomaly. So, in describing their “drone”, let me share the standard calling cards [...]
Prima precisazione: è la classifica di quello che ho comprato personalmente e ascoltato con cura: non è pochissimo, ma nemmeno tantissimo (il budget, e soprattutto il tempo sono quello che sono...) Seconda precisazione: ho tenuto tre big fuori concorso... come si faceva una volta a Sanremo! Non m'è parso giusto, per rispetto a carriere rimarchevoli-in un caso, stratosferica-e arte prodotta ieri, oggi e spero anche domani, mettere questi personaggi in una competizione. Personaggi simili, per me, si amano a prescindere... Sono comunque questi dei big tre dischi belli, bellissimi e importanti. Insomma, ecco [...]
For my final "Friday Top Ten" of the year, I always like to write about the news music that has found its way into my possession over the course of the previous 365 days. In 2005, I think I devoted a paragraph to each of my favorite 25 records. Last year, I wrote three-word reviews for my favorite 50 records. This year, I'm upping the stakes, with one all-encapsulating sentence for the best 100 new records. Strap your safety belts on, because this is going to be a very, very long music-related entry. The Top 100 [...]
I have a relatively uneventful week ahead of me. On Saturday I finished an exercise I was working on for a potential employer, and now I'm anxiously waiting to find out if my writing about things unrelated to girls and "indie" culture still impresses people with jobs and lives. It's been a while since I've written anything in a tone lacking in chastisement. If you're of my ilk (unemployed ne'er-do-well), you should take a moment to laugh at this worthless article from the folks at CNN and CareerBuilder. It offers five easy tips for tweaking your [...]
Our five and one half hour drive home from San Francisco today was largely uneventful. Last evening included some downtime in Dolores Park, and then we had the bright idea to drive to lower Haight and walk to Amoeba at the very top of Haight. Phuket Thai Restaurant Somewhere on Haight Steve decided to skip the walk, got pizza with Andrew, and waited at his (Andrew's) apartment. Amoeba was closed. Ilya appeared devastated. We stopped for Thai food--that [...]
...And here's post #2 for today. It's just a mix tape. No cool stories or updates to go along with it. Although, if anyone out there knows CSS and wants to tell me how I can align everything on this page so that it's always centered, and centered in every browser, that would be immensely helpful to me. And if you haven't already, please buy something from me on eBay ? I'd like to stay on the west coast for as long as possible, and your money can help ensure this. Thank you. Now for some music. [...]
Photo credit: Soul Dirty Where in the first two instalments of this series the sky was illuminated with scorching psychedelic freak-outs, now we're gradually slowing things down and glide into more dark territory. Although we still start off with the frantic psychedelia of La Otracina, soon the music slows down with the more spaced out and hypnotic rock of Pharaoh Overlord and continues to gradually decelerate from there on. This part three acts as a bridge towards the next three instalments of the "Dark Stars in the Dazzling Sky" series in which [...]
Ex-Trenchmouth drummer, current weekly funnyman Fred Armisen contributed to last night's Tomorrow Show. Today I walked around town today, stopping at Sea Level to buy some half-priced albums before they close their doors. Tonight there was good home-cooking (or so I imagine, I ate a pizza while everyone else labored over the stove and oven) followed by an all-too-brief barbecue/party at a house in the Echo Park hills. Truly it was a good weekend. This is where I'd express dissatisfaction at tomorrow being Monday if I actually had a job...but I don't. So I can talk about anything! Unfortunately, I [...]
"I was the one who looked at all of you while you weren't looking at me, and who laughed out loud sneakingly!" 1. Vibracathedral Orchestra - Baptism > Bar > Blues Tuning to the Rooster ( Important / 2005 ) 2. Curse of the Birthmark - Alibis 3. Chris Corsano - How Should You Pick Up The Ball And Throw It? The Young Cricketer ( 2006 ) 4. Flower-Corsano Duo - The Fifth Truth [...]
We're going to start doing things a little differently now. Jordan's been pretty busy moving and making and DJing and doing so much it would be impossible for him to write properly, which is what we're keen on here, natch. So while he takes an indefinite hiatus (I don't think he'll be breaking up), Michael and I will soldier on for now with a new format: Single post, single artist. The ultimate in minimalism. Sweet. Let's get on with it, then. [...]
Swan Fungus
MrBungle
cowsarejustfood
Forest Gospel
Indie For BUNNIES
motel de moka
Audiversity
Top 10 MP3s of the Week (5/24)
Disclosure – When A Fire Starts to Burn
Daft Punk: When anonymity goes wrong
Quadron – Better Off (Feat. Kendrick Lamar)
Listen: Dan Black feat Kelis - Hearts [New Single]
