This blog can't claim to be first-wave. Or even, really, second-wave. Bon Ton is like a scavenger ... I go through after a storm has hit the first-wave blogs, and I pick up the driftwood that's left behind on the beach. Then I write pithy stuff about it. Which is where the metaphor ends. But speaking of the sea, here's what Merge's bio says about White Whale: Amassing the power of the Big Star with the fury of the Sabbath (Black) and the mesmerizing wiles of the Badfinger the [...]
John Legend has a new album coming out. Which I mention, because if I was FORCED to spend ten hours in a tiny room listening to one artist that's been on VH1 in the past year, it would likely be him. He's got a good (if moderately bland) sound. Dashboard Confessional has a new album out (and they're touring). Here, have a piece of glass. Pushi it right into your eye. There! Now you've had the same experience as listening to a Dashboard CD, and I saved you $18. Upgrade! [...]
I still can't get the comments to work right. It is hurting my lit-major brain to sift through that code. But perhaps someday I'll stumble on the reason. Meanwhile, back in the lounge ... Do you think there are people out there that have seen the recent "Pink Panther" remake that haven't seen the original? I think the answer is "yes," and what a tragedy that is. Outside of a lamentable penchant for black eye makeup, the 1963 movie is almost timeless. Peter Sellers is at his comic best, and [...]
When I was an Army brat teenager, I finally found the radio, thanks to my younger sister. Back before then, I'd been content to listen to my dad's Beatles & Beach Boys collection, but then my sister turned on AFN (Armed Forces Network) and we were all, "Woah! Music!." My sister listened to ... whatever it was ... I can't remember (sorry J). But me? I turned the dial straight to country music. When I was thirteen, my favorite band was Alabama. What did I find in those country tunes that [...]
What's making the rounds on the blogosphere (click on the blog links to get more mp3s): Matt at YANP introduced the Black Bears, who I wouldn't have thought were my kind of thing, but I like them. They've got a lot of potential. The lyrics are expressive and smart, and anyone who can use that many semantic variants of "immediacy" has my vote. The Black Bears: Myspace | Label (Baskerville Hill) The Black Bears: I Believe In Immediacy [...]
I'm not good at comparisons. Sometimes Panda & Angel sounds a lot like Azure Ray, but then it turns around and doesn't, so how valid is that comparison? Well, anyway, ignore the attempt, and know that if you give P&A a try, you'll hear: A fantastic alto lead (Carrie Murphy, of Touchdown Eagle ... how do these people find time to have two bands?). Well-crafted lyrics: "Ohio December 24th" starts out being about Christmas eve, but ends up not being about it at all (which of course, is the heart of poetry). [...]
Concerts coming to LA in the next little while: Hollywood Bowl The Flaming Lips (with Thievery Corporation and Os Mutantes) July 23 Ryan Adams (well, really, it's Willie Nelson with Ryan Adams and Neko Case) Sept. 10 Cox Arena Pearl Jam tomorrow, but I assume if you don't have a ticket for that, it's too late. Heh. The Greek Theater Death Cab and Mates of State August 13/14. I'm on the anti-Death Cab bandwagon, [...]
For the edification of those people who are brave enough to comment - I have not figured out why, after you comment, you get sent to the sweetdarkness index page. I am still working on figuring that out, by sifting through the wordpress FAQ. It's slow going. Sorry for the inconvenience.
News, news, news. I just received my May EP from Bishop Allen ... they better get moving, or they're gonna be doing December in the middle of 2007. I love my EPs, though, with their handwritten address on the back. I'm a patron of the arts for only $6 a month! So go forth and buy - it's good music for cheap. Bishop Allen: Site | Myspace Bishop Allen - A Tiny Fold . Album: May. Self-released. [...]
I'm not particularly patriotic. Never have been. Probably comes from being an expatriate for most of my life, but the idea of saluting the flag and all that isn't my cup of tea. Therefore, instead of the obligatory posting of "July, July" (which you can get at The DIY Rockstar if you need it), here are some songs detailing what we really worship in America. No, it's not celebrity - I considered that, but I don't have enough songs. No, I'm going with capitalism. Hail, capitalism! Hail, hail! Yes, I'm [...]
The Wailin' Jennys: Site | MySpace | Label (Red House) Sometimes I have to roam the Interwebs far and wide to find good music, and sometimes, it just falls in my lap. Yesterday I was just checking out my livejournal and I read a post in all-caps from Jesemie's Evil Twin. She's trying to tell us something, folks! It's a music emergency! Well, she was right. It's the Wailin' Jennys, and Canada once again can do no wrong (musically. They still have [...]
I feel like I really ought to say something profound and interesting. But, having gorged on an entire bag of TJ's chocolate pretzels, my brain can only say, "BZZZZZZZZ." So! I was at the gym the other day, and listening to the Mountain Goats while watching an insanely thin girl doing her workout. The super duper thing about gyms in L.A. is that there is a very high percentage of Beautiful People, doing their crunches and whatnot while you sweat through your workout, grind your teeth, and hate them. Therefore, I present our [...]
Well, we would have content here, except that Ezarchive is down right now. Perhaps, someday, there will be actual music in this space. Could it be?
Bon Ton
Bison - Quill
Neutral Milk Hotel- Aeroplane Over the Sea
Shinichi Osawa – Big Beach Mix 2012
Mr Fogg - Eleven
