November 29th, 2007 r8e8rcom
Alright, I thought I had already wrote about this idea, but I couldn’t find it in the post archive, so here it is. If it sounds familiar tell me, cuz I could have sworn I sent this out before, and if so maybe I’m missing some old posts. Anyway, here’s the junxt. Originally the idea was that celebrities would be mandated to make themselves available for dates with ‘regular’ people. Some kind of government agency would handle the celebrity registration and their booking. Then any joe/jane-schmo could apply for a once in a life time celebrity consolation date. The date could only be redeemed in times of dire romantic despair and joe/jane’s case would have be evaluated, of course. However, once approved, the date could be used for any purpose deemed appropriate by joe/jane-schmo. If they wanted to finagle a commitment from a lover, make an ex jealous, or they just need a little confidence boast. Or maybe they desperately need to fulfill some titillating fantasy that has plagued them for years, whatever, s’all good. Imagine, you just got dumped by some stuck up bitch who left you for some dirty ass Williamsburg kid. Now imagine showing up at Verb Cafe with Angelina Jolie as your ex is standing there in line gaping at you. You grab Angelina’s ass and pull her onto the counter, spilling over-priced coffee all over your ex’s new boy toy and start fervently making out with Angelina right there. As shes nibbling on your ear, Angelina looks over at your ex, still standing there staring and says “What the fuck are you looking at, bitch!” Could also make a great reality TV show, think about it.
The Bird and the Bee are an indie pop/electronica duo from Los Angeles, CA comprised of Inara George on vocals and Greg Kurstin doing the producing, engineering and mixing as well as providing almost all instrumentation. Greg and Inara met a few years ago. Discovered a common love of jazz standards…nerded out for a couple of hours playing every song they knew…and then wrote and recorded a record together. They released one 4 track EP entitled “Again and Again”, which includes a remix of “F*cking Boyfriend” by
Peaches. In January 2007 they released their first full length album “The Bird and The Bee”. In October 2007, it was reported in Rolling Stone that Inara had sex with 10 men at once while laying vocal tracks for this release (<– that came from thier last.fm page, notice they said “laying” vocal tracks instead of recording. god I am dumb somtimes). If you dig these tracks, and you can get past the whole sex with 10 dudes thing, you should check out some of Inara’s solo stuff (http://www.myspace.com/inarageorge).
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November 27th, 2007 r8e8rcom
It feels like months since I last saw the sun. Working in midtown everyday with all the buildings towering overhead, casting giant shadows stretching over the streets, covering everything in a drab haze that consumes me. Its no wonder everyone steps all over each other on the sidewalks around here. Everyday at 5:30 a flood of people migrate towards Penn Station, trampling the stragglers and unlucky few who unwittingly stray onto their path. It seemed like such a strange modus operandi when I first started working here, now I find myself expertly navigating my way into the herd and weaving my way back out to reach my stop. The expressway of the walking dead. Fuck, I hate this neighborhood.
Hop Along, Queen Ansleis is essentially Frances Quinlan. Frances makes silly folk songs that might make you smile or sigh. She has two brothers, and they are both drummers. One’s in a band called Hey Hey. As far as I can tell the only way to get her CDs is to order them directly from her. If you like stories and singing and yelling and bells and banjos and drums and some kazoo, you might like this. I’ve read that when attending a Queen Ansleis show, you are expected to bring some kind of noise maker, whether it’s a tambourine, a pot, or a kazoo, so you can sing and play along. These tracks are a mix of live stuff I found from online videos, (including a site, http://www.ifyoumakeit.com, with some kickball footage from the last brooklyn show I was at!!) and what I could find on myspace and purevolume. While that may sound a bit shady, you should know that I am ordering CDs from Frances with my next paycheck, and if you like these tracks you should as well. Did I meantion that I am head over heals, totally in love with her?
Bruns is Orange
New song (pink couch session)
Workers
show Frances some love on her myspace page here: http://www.myspace.com/hopalongqueenansleis
or
To order a copy of her first release,”freshman year”, send $10 to :
Blue Moose Records
1412 W. Mount Royal Ave. (apt. 2)
Baltimore, MD 21217
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November 26th, 2007 r8e8rcom
What the fuck is up? Everyone have a good holiday? I have to say mine was rather boring. Spent most of it sitting on my parents couch watching crappy reality television. Boredom and an obsession with anything with Davey von Bohlen and J. Robbins’ names on it lured me out to a Maritime show on Saturday. Still, I went reluctantly, the bitter taste of the last Promise Ring record still lingering in my mouth. All in all it was a good show, enough to satisfy my nostalgia for that saturated guitar-pop that Davey seems to pull off so effortlessly. Still can’t help hopelessly keeping my fingers crossed for a Cap’n Jazz reunion tour.
Maritime formed in 2003 out of the ashes of The Promise Ring and The Dismemberment Plan. After these two bands broke up, singer/guitarist Davey von Bohlen, drummer Dan Didier (The Promise Ring) and bassist Eric Axelson (The Dismemberment Plan) hooked up and started a band called In English. The group quickly signed a deal with the record label, ANTI-, and hired J. Robbins to produce their record. Robbins had previously produced records for both The Promise Ring and The Dismemberment Plan. After delivering the record to ANTI-, the label heads decided to pass on the record. The band changed their name to Maritime and signed with DeSoto Records. Since then the band signed to Flameshovel records and Eric Axelson was replaced by Justin Klug on bass. These tracks are from their latest release on Flameshovel, Heresy and the Hotel Choir, which was released earlier this year.
Guns Of Navarone
Love Has Given Up
Pearl
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November 20th, 2007 r8e8rcom
I went to see Georgie James a few nights ago and was surprised to find that Travis Morrison was opening and Aqueduct was headlining. I have to say though, the G. James kid’s def. stole the show, and I’m not just saying that cuz one of ‘em is on the list. The efficiency of their 30 min indie pop set left the crowd wanting more while Aqueducts 2 hour excursion into a mix of catalogue favorites, new material, and 80s hard rock covers, while leaving the familiar taste of a night hangin’ with your old college buddies, waned the crowd right out the door. I can’t comment much on Travis’ set as I missed the bulk of it, but during their line check Travis and company started singing the hook to The Dirty Projector’s, ‘What I See’. I made a comment about it and was shocked to find out that most fo my friends hadn’t heard the track. So I thought, hey, why not send out some Dirty Projectors to the list. Yes, this is another release that came out a few months ago. I’ve been slacking on the pre-release stuff I know, I will attempt to remedy this in the coming weeks. Later that night they started played some early Joan Of Arc over the PA, just be glad I didn’t decide to send out some new Joan Of Arc.
Rise Above is the latest album by indie band, The Dirty Projectors released on September 11, 2007. While the disc could be considered a concept album, the main idea and driving force is an attempt by Dave Longstreth to rewrite the entire Black Flag album, Damaged, from memory. Rather than short, angry shouts of protest, the songs often double or triple (quadruple in the case of Spray Paint (The Walls)) the original lengths of the songs and present the lyrics in an array of highly melodic and oftentimes gorgeous tapestries of music. The album boasts strong string and wind arrangements, most of which came from the album’s original 4-track demos.
What I See
No More
Depression
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November 14th, 2007 r8e8rcom
Did you know that there are thousands of ponds in the desert, however most times you’d never know it. You could walk right over them and never guess that the sand just inches below your feet is teaming with hibernating life. Thousand of frogs lay beneath the surface waiting for the next rain to bring them one more day of waking life. It’s nice to imagine that all those frogs are spending their dormant lives in a surreal dream world limited only by their imagination. You may ask, what the hell that has to do with anything. Everything.
Nina Nastasia is a New York City-based singer-songwriter. Her music is noted for an eclectic mix of folk delicacy and intricate chamber music arrangements worked out with her band and partner Kennan Gudjonsson. Nastasia has released four albums so far, the first of which, Dogs, was initially released in 2000 in a minuscule edition of 1000 copies on Socialist Records. Her next three records were released on Touch and Go records and recorded by Steve Albini. These tracks are from, You Follow Me, a collaboration with Jim White which was recorded by Steve Albini and released on Fat Cat records earlier this year.
There Is No Train
Late Night
The Day I Would Bury You
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