Read*Mezzanine

CD REVIEW: Kid Cudi, "Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager"

2010-11-09T06:34:00.000-08:00

(G.O.O.D./Dream On/Universal Records) Kid Cudi is one of hip-hop’s most curious cases. Snapped up by Kanye West soon after releasing his first mixtape, Cudi’s debut album MAN ON THE MOON: THE END OF THE DAY sounded like an inspired spin-off of West’s own paradigm-pushing 808S & HEARTBREAK. All maudlin melodies, moody atmosphere and Cudi’s introspective lyrics made for a murky brew that played like Pink Floyd for indie hip-hop stoners. But it was Cudi’s real-life antics that thrust him into pop consciousness at large; from getting thrown off of Lady Gaga’s tour for punching a fan to his arrest in Manhattan over drug and disturbances charges, his bad behavior has become constant tabloid fodder. Cudi addresses all of that and more on his dense, confessional sequel MAN ON THE MOON II: THE LEGEND OF MR. RAGER. Completely opening the floodgates of his sound, this album is even more self-indulgent than his debut — but it’s also a much better record for it. Spreading 17 tracks over four “acts,” the album veers from an obvious Weezer homage (“Erase Me,” featuring Kanye West) to inspired collaborations like the aptly titled “MANIAC” featuring the distinctive guitar playing of alt-rock hero St. Vincent and a guest rap from underground rapper Cage. It’s a dark and nuanced collection that solidifies Cudi’s position as rap’s new reigning tortured soul and reluctant emo king.

(originally published on Shockhound.com)

CD REVIEW: NER*D, "NOTHING"

2010-11-03T06:55:00.000-07:00

(Star Trak/Interscope) The line on NOTHING is that Pharrell Williams and N.E.R.D scrapped a finished album and simply started over. In any case, the stark militaristic cover and blatant political overtones of the album make it clear that there’s a message to be found in the music. The juxtaposition of simple party jams like “Party People” (featuring a verse from rapper T.I.) next to “The Man,” a cynical observation on how to opiate the masses, speaks volumes, as do the spacey acid-blues rants (“It’s in the Air,” “Help Me”) and bouncy, Ben Folds-styled piano-pop meditations on success (“Victory”). The dreamily melodic but too brief “Inside the Clouds” is a “hidden” track on the end of “I’ve Seen the Light” (there is full-length version worth tracking down). Somehow, the collaboration with electronic pioneers Daft Punk (the plodding “Hypnotize You”) ends up sounding like a missed opportunity. But it’s album highlight “Life As a Fish” that brings it all together into a blissfully sublime moment that invokes classic ‘60s pop acts like the Association and Classics IV. NOTHING is ample proof that N.E.R.D are fully capable of delivering music with the same quirky inventiveness that made their 2001 debut IN SEARCH OF such an instant classic.

(Originally published on Shockhound.com)

Die Antwoord, "$O$"

2010-10-21T09:07:00.000-07:00

Is it real? Or is it a very elaborate hipster joke? Those are the questions that lingered around South African outfit Die Antwoord when they first crashed the scene. From their manic mélange of old-school rave rhythms to the colloquialism-filled rhymes of rappers Ninja and Yo-Landi Vi$$er, their sound and aesthetic is insistently unusual. Still, the band’s culture collision runs surprisingly deep. Alluding to such obscure sounds as hip-house beats, South African “zef” culture and the ruthless machismo of gangster rap, Die Antwoord is so anti-cool it veers perilously close to parody. Blending lyrics English with lyrics sung in the Afrikaans language, songs like “Evil Boy” could fill most underground dance floors, even though it’s about forced male circumcision on pubescent boys in certain South African tribes. This major label version of $O$ is an update on a free album the band distributed digitally in 2009. New songs like “In Your Face” find the band’s production style maturing without losing their signature lawless energy. While only time will tell if their appeal can transcend their current of-the-moment buzz, it’s safe to say that Die Antwoord is definitely no joke.

(Originally published on Shockhound.com)

No Age, "Everything in Between"

2010-09-28T11:16:00.000-07:00

In 2010, the term “punk rock” has evolved into myriad meanings, each one depending on who’s doing the defining. For LA noise-punk duo No Age, it represents a fiercely independent DIY ethos that permeates everything they do. On their third full-length (and second for indie giant Sub Pop), the duo continue to steadily expand their sonic palette while creating more of their emo-tinged slabs of deceptively melodic mayhem. From the sunny Beach Boys aesthetics of “Life Prowler” to the college-radio-at-4am whirr of “Glitter,” it would be easy to say this is the band’s most accessible release to date. But it would also be true: Glossier production values don’t detract from the songs’ sneering defiance, which is never too far from the music’s surface. No Age even flirt with getting downright pretty on tunes like the dreamy, My Bloody Valentine homage “Positive Amputation” and “Chem Trails,” which is reminiscent of classic Sonic Youth. Evolving without losing sight of their roots in now-famous all-ages LA club the Smell, No Age are rightful heroes for a new generation of emerging indie rockers eager to really go their own way.

(Originally published on shockhound.com)

Soundgarden, "Telephantasm"

2010-09-28T11:14:00.000-07:00

Soundgarden was always among the more intriguing outfits of the early ‘90s rock generation. Their dichotomy of being cool, brainy guys that could rock you as hard as any mob of meatheads put them in an exclusive class. Frontman Chris Cornell was blessed with a testosterone-charged yowl comparable to Robert Plant, and just as pretty. Kim Thayill’s textured guitar playing leaned toward the sublime and substantive over flash. But it Soundgarden's ability to craft tight, explosive songs that made them famous. This comprehensive retrospective concentrates on the big hits like “Black Hole Sun,” but mixes in a few fan favorites to keep it interesting — like “Hunted Down,” a caustic down-tuned roar from their early Sub Pop era, which already hints at their expansive potential. The draw here for fans both old and new is “Black Rain,” a monstrous, previously unreleased song from their fertile BADMOTORFINGER era. But track for track, TELEPHANTASM is a fitting testament to the legacy of these rock legends.

(Originally published on Shockhound.com)

Philip Selway, "Familial"

2010-08-31T07:28:00.000-07:00

It’s easy for the casual Radiohead listener to get lost in the cult of Thom Yorke. Of course, a band so potent is going to consist of more than just one musical prodigy, and Radiohead is no exception — but a solo record from the drummer of any band is still going elicit more than its fair share of groans and rolling eyes. All of which makes Phil Selway’s achingly graceful solo debut that much more surprising. Granted, opening tracks “By Some Miracle” and “Beyond Reason” both boast a subtle swing and ghostly vocals that will feel familiar to fans of Selway’s day job. But it’s not long before the production flourishes and implied beats give way to good old-fashioned singer-songwriter lamentations, highlighted by Selway's elegant singing style. Tastefully understated contributions from Lisa Germano and members of Selway’s most recent tour-mates Wilco blend right into the melancholy, occasionally heartbreaking collection. Songs like “Falling” even invoke images of classic Simon & Garfunkel. It’s somehow fitting that it turns out to be the drummer who provides the softer side of Radiohead. — Scott T. Sterling

Today in Detroit history: 1951 - Mammoth parade highlights Detroit's 250th birthday party

2010-07-28T10:19:00.000-07:00

The 250th Detroit birthday in 1951 was marked with a long list of celebrations during the year, including the beginnings of the downtown Civic Center. Planning began for a new convention center, which was later named after Mayor Albert Cobo.

The new City-County Building, the new Detroit Historical Museum, the International Institute, and the Kresge Science Library at Wayne State University were dedicated or formally opened during the festival year.

The U.S. Post Office issued a commemorative three-cent stamp, “Landing of Cadillac.” Within a week, over 2 million stamps were sold.

Detroit Mayor Albert Cobo addresses the crowds at Detroit's 250th birthday celebration. To the right of Cobo is President Harry S. Truman and Michigan Gov. G. Mennen Williams .

On July 28, the final day of the 250th birthday bash, President Harry S Truman spoke at City Hall. Afterward, a parade began at 2:30 p.m., and the last unit passed at 7:30 that evening.

Floats depicting Detroit historic events were sponsored by local firms: Briggs, Cadillac, General Motors, S.S. Kresge, Buick, Pontiac, Burroughs, Detroit Edison, Saks Fifth Avenue, Booker T. Washington Trade Association, Ford Motor, Lincoln-Mercury, Kaiser-Frazer, Michigan Consolidated Gas, Oldsmobile, Hudson Motor Car, Dearborn Motors, Chevrolet, Chrysler, AFL and CIO, Nash-Kelvinator, and J.L. Hudson.

*Source: The Detroit News

M.I.A., "/\/\/\Y/\"

2010-07-13T12:40:00.000-07:00

(N.E.E.T./Interscope) It’s impossible to talk about M.I.A.’s music without discussing her drama; she’s made sure of that. But Maya Arulpragasam has always swaggered around the music world like the most braggadocios of rappers. Where she once applied an artistic stroke to her propaganda-laden dance-pop, M.I.A.’s latest finds her crudely flying two middle fingers in the face of the same fashionable media that made her a culture star. Less songs and more dense blasts of digital noise designed for maximum impact, /\/\/\Y/\ is beyond reactionary. Like Lou Reed’s “Metal Machine Music,” /\/\/\Y/\ challenges you to like it. Couching what few melodies she grudgingly tosses out in swaths of effects and bass, M.I.A. makes it clear that she’s not here for your love or your money (“Cuz I got it,” she brags on “XXXO”). Given the corrosive crunch of tracks like “Meds and Feds” down to the eye-taxing cover art and stylized album title, it seems like she’d rather annoy you anyway. Even the lovers’ rock of “It Takes A Muscle” and 22nd century girl-group pop of “Tell Me Why” are pointy enough to go down hard. /\/\/\Y/\ is also among the most genuinely entertaining major label releases of 2010. Go figure. (Originally published on Shockhound.com)

Picture of the Day: Led Zeppelin

2010-07-13T12:34:00.000-07:00

I grew up a crazy Led Zeppelin fan. From the 1st time I heard them (surely on one of Detroit's myriad FM rock stations), there was no turning back. But before I go into another long-winded tirade, let me just present you with the Photo of the Day. Led Zeppelin, chilling in front of the fireplace on their private jet, the legendary "Mothership." I mean, come ON. They just don't write 'em like that anymore. Taken from the Abrams book, "Good Times, Bad Times."

Kelis, "Flesh Tone" (A&M)

2010-07-08T11:21:00.000-07:00

What a long, strange trip it’s been for Kelis. She broke onto the music scene like a black Alanis Morissette with 1999 single “Caught Out There,” armed with an endless supply of Neptunes beats. After finally breaking through with 2003 smash hit “Milkshake,” Kelis’s profile became more about her tabloid-baiting personal life than musical impact. Possibly realizing just how little fan base she had left in the States, her complete reinvention into modern dance diva is a savvy if cynical move. Working with DJ mega-stars like Benny Benassi and Dave Guetta alongside electro heroes Boys Noize, Kelis has crafted a quick-fix soundtrack for her shiny new persona. Clocking in at under 38 minutes, “Flesh Tone” explodes with bombastic club beats and hands-in-the-air euphoria designed for maximum summer impact. Tracks like“4th of July/Fireworks” exude an Ibiza-at-4AM energy ideal for any dance floor—but little else. Which in this case, is pretty much the point. Much like the sonic equivalent of a perfectly trashy summer beach novel, “Flesh Tone,” is just for fun.

(Originally published on Shockhound.com)

Where's Andy Warhol when you need him?

2010-07-07T10:53:00.000-07:00

Kylie Minogue, Aphrodite (Parlaphone)

2010-07-06T14:36:00.000-07:00

Aspiring divas, take note: THIS is how an icon gets made. Kylie Minogue has been running game on the music industry since the tender age of 19 with her 1987 debut single, “Locomotion.” Often saddled with the tag of “the Madonna of Europe,” Ms. Minogue could actually teach Ms. Ciccone quite a bit about maintaining credibility and sales numbers over a long musical career. Never afraid to tackle new sounds, Kylie’s secret weapon is that she’s never compromised good songs for a fleeting trend. Like contemporaries the Pet Shop Boys, quality songs have always kept her lifted above the fray of your garden-variety dance act. With Stuart Price as her executive producer, Kylie Minogue has crafted one of the finest full-lengths of her illustrious career, if not her magnum opus. Fully stocked with an arsenal of top-flight dance-pop anthems, APHRODITE doesn’t flag for a moment. From the emo-disco one-two punch of “All The Lovers” and “Get Outta My Way” through the Daft Punk-like power of “Can’t Beat the Feeling,” APHRODITE is the party-positive summer dance album that will stay hot well into the winter months and beyond.

(Originally published on Shockhound.com)

Top 11 albums of 2010 - So Far...

2010-07-06T14:23:00.000-07:00

No bells, whistles or drawn-out explanations. It's July, OK? Just the ten, um, eleven albums that have kept me sane over the first half of 2010. In alphabetical order:

Erykah Badu – New Amerykah Part Two (Return Of The Ankh) (Universal/Motown)

Crystal Castles – II (Motown/Universal)

Deftones - Diamond Eyes (Reprise/Warner Bros)

Drake – Thank Me Later (Cash Money)

Eminem – Recovery (Aftermath)

Four Tet – There is Love in You (Domino)

Gorillaz – Plastic Beach (Virgin)

Jj - nº 3 (Secretly Canadian)

Lindstrom and Christabelle – Real Life is No Cool (Smalltown Supersound)

MGMT - Congratulation (Columbia)

The Roots – How I Got Over (Def Jam)

The XX for 944 Magazine: Summer 2010

2010-06-07T10:19:00.001-07:00

Listen to Shabazz Palaces

2010-05-29T08:15:00.000-07:00

late-nite transmissions from the end of the dial: Innocence in Danger, "Innocence in Danger"

2010-05-25T22:42:00.001-07:00

Ah, yes. Back in the ancient times of late-night radio shows buried deep at the end of the FM dial. Those ghostly transmissions of angst and angular rhythms captured on cassette tape to be endlessly scrutinized for the next week—until the next Sunday night/Monday morning drift, when those few sonic rebels helped shape and save at least a few young lives...

Massive Attack live @ Wiltern Theatre, L.A.. CA 5/19/2010

2010-05-25T14:48:00.000-07:00

Massive Attack played L.A. for three sold-out nights last week.

I went on the "middle" night, Wednesday. The show was awesome. Massive Attack is still one of my favorite bands of all-time, and they did not disappoint in the least.

Here is my video of them performing "Karmacoma" that night (from the pit, thank you very much!). Good times.

Tonight in L.A.>CASXIO @ Troubadour

2010-05-20T10:46:00.000-07:00

That's right, party people. It's getting crazy hot in L.A. tonight with our favorite purveyors of red-hot electro-sexy dance beats, CASXIO. Be there and get laid. Seriously.

LCD SOUNDSYSTEM, "This is Happening (DFA/Virgin)

2010-05-18T11:45:00.000-07:00

Like many great modern artists, James Murphy is a master emulator. He has built LCD Soundsystem from a well-studied pastiche between “indie” nonchalance and “underground” dance aesthetics — and, for the most part, it works. “This is Happening” is a meticulously crafted album of New York cool meets Pitchfork-informed self-consciousness, all the right moves made with a nudge and wink. Opening with the almost nine-minute-long epic “Dance Yrself Clean,” the third LCD Soundsystem full-length is only a couple of curious retreads away from being a 5-star achievement like 2007's SOUND OF SILVER. The single “Drunk Girls” lurches about like “Daft Punk is Playing at My House” remixed with zing-heavy lyrics that read more like Aziz Ansari than James Murphy. But when referencing Berlin-period Bowie and classic Psychedelic Furs in one song (“All I Want”), crafting heartfelt dance-floor love songs (“I Can Change”) and signature DFA grooves (“You Wanted A Hit”), THIS IS HAPPENING is ample evidence of how much sonic goodness can be wrung from only a handful of the right references.

(Originally published by Shockhound.com. Photo by Rachel Carr)

Getting ready to go home...

2010-05-13T14:19:00.001-07:00

Hawtin goes all "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" on your ass. Awesome. CAN'T. WAIT.

Simple Minds, "New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84)"

2010-05-13T13:55:00.000-07:00

So many hours spent on my bedroom floor listening to this record. It would almost always be cold and gray outside. Most likely I was all lost in my head over a girl. The thick, foggy production on this one never fails to take me there.

True Twitter Tales: It Happened to Her

2010-05-10T10:31:00.000-07:00

So there’s this girl in America who meets a boy in England on Twitter. They start talking, flirting, the usual TwitterFun. Whatever.

But then they take it further. They exchange text messages, phone calls and video chats. If those chats ever went all ChatRoulette gonzo I don’t know, but still. This goes on for months

She becomes so smitten that she plans a trip to the UK to meet him. She makes up a story about it being a college trip thing just so you know. The boy is all about it. Tells the girl that if it works out, he’d come to America and visit her in the fall. Ah, young love. So tender and sweet.

(Quick aside: Said girl is hella cute, and over the course of these months a number of male suitors have been steadily rebuffed in anticipation of her trip).

The day finally arrives, and our heroine makes her way across the pond to England. When she calls the boy, he’s still at home. Which, by the way, is an hour from the airport.

But he makes his way to her and whisks her away to her hotel, where they make mad, passionate love.

He heads off in the morning vowing to see her again the following evening. She never sees him again.
He begs off the next night due to an alleged football match he had to attend due to familial obligation. Soon he’s only returning every other text with curt, one word answers. By the end of her second day in the UK, the boy completely stops communication with the girl. She still has a week left in a strange country where she knows absolutely no one. She continues to send him text messages, but there is no response. She is very, very sad right now.

And that’s where our first True Twitter Tale ends for today…

Tune in next week for the completion of this eye-opening look inside your social networking sites.

Leave it to Bjork to make sense of it all

2010-05-06T12:03:00.000-07:00

FREE MUSIC BECAUSE I LOVE YOU*

2010-05-03T10:24:00.001-07:00

"Is this thing on?"

Roxy Music, "Love is the Drug" (Greg Wilson edit)
Bent, "Invisible Pedestrian"
Bjork, "One Day"
Zoot Woman, "It's Automatic"
Florence and the Machine, "You've Got the Love" (Jamie XX remix)
Richard X feat. Deborah Evans-Strickland, "Walk On By"
Flying Lotus feat. Laura Darlington, "Table Tennis"
Iggy Pop, "Nightclubbing"
Sleigh Bells, "Ring Ring"
The Whitest Boy Alive, "Courage"
Tel Aviv, "We Got the Computers"
Tosca, "Chocolate Elvis"

TESTIMONIAL:
"I've managed to track you down because I wanted to thank
you for that great compilation you gave me at our show in LA.
I've hung on to it and burnt it for friends and the band, thank you
so much!"
—Colin Greenwood, Radiohead
*

THANK YOU
Jessica Weber, "Super" Jane Feltes, DJ Eleven, Scott 'n' Andi, the Spieser family, NatKitty, Brenna Sanchez, Colin Greenwood, DJ Z-Trip, imboycrazy.com, Paul Tollett, Laura Cohen, Juliana Plotkin, Kara Oliver, Bill Dunn, Jay-Z & Beyonce, Romy Madley Croft, Richie Hawtin, Dan Epstein, Martine Bury, Adam Levine, Jeff Miller, Erin Broadley, You.

Cover stars: Michelle Siwy & Kristom Parson

http://www.siwydenim.com/

I Wish I Invented Sex by Blondie

2010-05-02T10:59:00.001-07:00

(Taken from High Times, Oct. 1978)

Ryuichi Sakamoto feat. Iggy Pop, "Risky" (12" Mix)

2010-04-28T13:32:00.000-07:00

This takes me back to a time. When I was young and so naive, trying desperately to come across sophisticated and cool...

Crystal Castles, "Celestica" (live)

2010-04-27T23:08:00.000-07:00

A few nights before Coachella 2010, I went down the Echoplex to see my Canadian death-disco babies Crystal Castles. I walked in right as they were starting this song, which I'd never heard before that moment. That's when I knew everything was gonna be all right.

Funeral for a friend*

2010-04-26T12:53:00.001-07:00

Malcolm McLaren's funeral in London looks like it was pretty much how he would have wanted it. RIP, sir*

Sleigh Bells @ Coachella 2010

2010-04-21T12:47:00.001-07:00

Or should I say Alexis Krauss of Sleigh Bells hehehe...

Visions of Coachella 2010

2010-04-21T12:35:00.000-07:00

The XX, "Islands"

2010-04-21T11:35:00.000-07:00

The xx - New Music - More Music Videos

My favorite video in the world on 4/20

2010-04-20T00:32:00.000-07:00

I just got back from the Coachella music orgy in the desert. My head is still ringing. I'm alternating between kind of sleepy to mega-alert and buzzy. I feel kind of like a crazy person.

But Coachella does that to me. It's my Christmas. December 25 is whatever to me. The annual Coachella festival is MY holiday. Three days of amazing music, period.

Sure, you could be a douchebag and swan around at silly industry parties with free drinks and trendy people. But WHY? I mean seriously. I'm there for the sweet mega-sounds, y'all!

This year was outstanding. Possibly my favorite Coachella ever. I have a tons of photos and stories to share, but wow, I'm descending back into that really tired mode.

So anyway! One of the very few acts at Coachella that I watched front to back was the XX. My love for them grows everyday.

I loved them at Coachella, and I'm going to love them even more when they play the Wiltern on June 6. Life is good*

BONUS: This pic of Romy of the XX DJing just kills me. So adorable. And my favorite picture in the world on 4/20.

When Deftones met M83

2010-04-14T01:57:00.000-07:00

Something new that I like: ISHI

2010-04-13T14:18:00.000-07:00

I have a very old and dear friend who now lives in Dallas. But once upon a time, we were both residents of Chicago. A strange twist of fate brought us together, and it was a good thing. We worked on an extremely cool magazine called "Velocity" together. It was his magazine, actually. A damn good one, at that.

I'm pretty sure "Velocity" was responsible for Sofia Vergara's first-ever American cover story (this is like 1998, '99). There was a really fun cover story on then-emerging local actor Jeremy Piven, at the time best known as John Cusack's boy (if you look closely, you'll find Piven in damn near every Cusack movie made back in the day). There was an amazing Common cover. "Velocity" was the business.

Anyway! Now my buddy Tim has a marketing company. This is a band that he's working with right now. They're local to Dallas, and are gaining a solid following around the city.

I like this song. Very dreamy, kinda electro-pop with a pulse. I could see Alex Patsavas dropping it into one of her TV mixes, but in a good way, you know? I liked it even more when I hit their Myspace page and saw pictures like the one above. If that's how this band is rolling, I wanna come along for the ride.

I'm curious to know what you think. Please, be honest. We like to keep it real around here.

Just call me Kim Fowley 2.0

2010-04-13T10:02:00.000-07:00

NEEDED: 3-4 cute, tech-savvy girls, ages 14-17, to start all-smart phone band. By the time I get through with them, they're gonna be bigger than Gaga*

Crush of the Month: Elin Kastlander

2010-04-11T12:48:00.000-07:00

My obsession with JJ is reaching (ironically enough) XX-like levels. They're the band that officially made me want to move to Gothenburg, Sweden, and find a girl just like Elin Kastlander. She makes me swoon, just like in old black & white movies. Let's go.

Last song of the night: Tel Aviv, "I Have Met A Writer" (Teen Beat, 1997)

2010-04-09T00:04:00.000-07:00

I could have really used this back in 1997 when it first came out. Wow. Yet another example that there is just so much amazing music out in the world. So, so much.

MALCOLM MCLAREN ~ 22 January 1946 — 8 April 2010

2010-04-08T15:41:00.000-07:00

"Too much of that snow white."

DJ Sleeper is in the cut

2010-04-08T10:34:00.000-07:00

I got yr next DJ Pauly D right here, baby. I love how amped he gets when "Thriller" kicks in. Priceless.

I wanna manage this kid for real.

MY Definition of House Music

2010-04-07T11:35:00.000-07:00

Oh, Juliana

2010-04-06T14:15:00.001-07:00

I can't even get into it right now. But Juliana Hatfield is killing me so softly today. Damn, girl.

A Dream Within A Dream: ZOE KRAVITZ

2010-04-02T12:41:00.000-07:00

Many moons ago when I was but a wee lad, I was notorious for having, um, an eclectic taste in girls. My childhood crushes ranged from Kristy McNichols (my first official lesbian crush hehehe. Seeing "Little Darlings" on TV for the first time was like WHOA) to Raquel Welch to local Detroit newscaster Carmen Harlan.

But it was Stop The Presses! time when I first encountered Miss Lisa Bonet as Denise Huxtable on The Cosby Show. To me, she was the perfect girl. She had mad style (the mags called her "kooky" a lot) and was undeniably gorgeous. She also seemed pretty freaky in real life.

Of course, we found out just how freaky she was soon enough, from her controversial tenure on The Cosby Show to the movie "Angel Heart" to a nude spread in INTERVIEW magazine (which of course I still own). Then came Lenny Kravitz (known at the time as "Romeo Blue") to crush my dreams and make her his wife. The rest is all kinds of sordid history. Google it if necessary, my fingers are getting tired.

Anyway! Those two exceptionally gorgeous specimens produced a daughter, Zoe. Zoe has grown up to become nothing less than the perfect juxtaposition of her parents. In short, she's so beautiful I almost can't stand it.

The first time I saw her in person was back when she was just a kid. I was walking up La Brea when she and LISA BONET came around the corner and almost ran into me. I somehow maintained my cool. All I could think was "Lisa is even finer in real life" and "that kid is going to be a serious heart-breaker someday."

After that, I've seen her at a swanky Chateau Marmont party, and then running through the fields at Coachella. I heard she was dating one of the guys in MGMT. She has a band called Elevator Fight, and they don't suck. Sometimes, her voice sounds eerily like her dad.

The more things change...

Another summer pool party jam

2010-04-01T10:06:00.001-07:00

Los Angeles: I'm still determined to start up a summer afternoon pool party this year. It doesn't have to be anything big and crazy (I'm looking at you, downtown Standard). Just a nice pool area, cocktails and something to soak up last night's booze. No big whoop. I'll spin lots of chill-out classics like this gem from A Man Called Adam. It'll be so very.

The first step is admitting you have a problem

2010-03-30T08:01:00.000-07:00

Um, OK. I had been under the impression that Allison was the greatest "Intervention" subject of all-time. And trust me, she's a doozy. But thanks to my Detroit angel Jennifer Howe, I have learned the truth. It's all about CRISTY.

Is it wrong that I'm attracted to this mess? Cuz I wanna party with her for reals.

My new obsession: TORO Y MOI

2010-03-30T07:43:00.000-07:00

The last time I had such an immediate reaction to new music was when I first heard the xx album. Toro Y Moi is like the perfect band for me (even though it's just one dude). A crazy combination of M83, Flying Lotus, AR Kane and every '70s soft-rock classic that I'll never get enough of (Pablo Cruise, I'm looking at you...).

His name is Chazwick Bundick, a 23-yr-old out of Columbia, South Carolina. Filipino mother, African-American father. He's been lumped into something I've chosen to ignore called "chillwave" (electroclash: never forget*). His debut album "Causers of This" will definitely be alongside the likes of Erykah Badu and the Gorillaz as the best of 2010.

Toro Y Moi is playing in L.A. on the Wednesday before Coachella. I'm going to see him with one of my best friends in the world. I can't wait.

Because I'm a bad person

2010-03-28T17:47:00.001-07:00

I love the internet because it brings me stuff like this. If that make me a bad person, I don't want to be right.

I can’t wait to use this quote in a press release or a book jacket or SOMETHING

2010-03-28T17:30:00.000-07:00

“My brother, please, no snark. Let's disagree respectfully.” — Touré

Big in Japan

2010-03-26T10:45:00.000-07:00

My friend Ali Miller looking gorgeous. For her job, no less. Thanks to my man Tony Pierce for sharing the wealth.

Joan Jett, 1977 (Age 19)

2010-03-25T01:10:00.001-07:00

(Photo Credit: Brad Elterman)

Belle Isle Social Club presents The 2010 Spring Collection*

2010-03-23T00:09:00.000-07:00

Let us entertain you.

>>click here to download<<
Track Listing:
\Erykah Badu, "Strawberry Incense"/
\Bent, "Beautiful Otherness"/
\KISS, "Love Theme from KISS"/
\Gonjasufi, "Sheep"/
\Lindstrøm and Christabelle, "High and Low"/
\The xx, "Shelter" (live)/
\Gorillaz, "On Melancholy Hill"/
\Silver, Platinum and Gold, "SPG Theme"/
\Beautiful People, "Rilly Groovy"/
\Moodymann, "Untitled"/
\The Bee Gees, "Nights on Broadway"/
\Santana, "Aqua Marine"/
\The Runaways, "Hollywood Cruisin'"/
\George Clinton, "Stomp"/
~
*cover stars: michelle siwy, jesseca jones, arden fanning*

Dedications: Michael Hooligan Halloran and Cherie Currie
...
"does Mike Bradley really wear stilts?"

Press Release of the Day: Vince Guaraldi, "Peanuts Portraits"

2010-03-22T15:34:00.000-07:00

If you grew up watching TV in America, you've more than likely watched a "Peanuts" cartoon special. Which means you've heard the sweet jazzy piano tones of the Vince Guaraldi Trio. As far as I'm concerned, The VGT's Christmas album is pretty much the greatest holiday music of all-time.

Concorde Music Group just hit me with a press release announcing a new collection of VG music that looks nothing less than awesome:

By the 1960s, cartoonist Charles Schulz's Peanuts - featuring Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy and Linus Van Pelt, Schroeder and other alternately heartwarming and heartbreaking characters - had become a popular fixture in newspaper comics for more than a decade. But when pianist Vince Guaraldi began composing and recording music for various Peanuts television specials in the mid-1960s, the characters suddenly gained an entirely new dimension of humanity and emotional resonance that endures to this day.

The TV specials kept coming, and with them came more music from Guaraldi, each piece capturing the infectious personality of a specific character within the strip. By the '70s, Guaraldi's compositions for Peanuts - originally released on Fantasy - had become the universally recognized musical backdrop to the sometimes comic, sometimes tragic characters who made up Schulz's universe.

Several of these pieces are assembled in Peanuts Portraits, a collection of compositions written and performed by Guaraldi specifically for the various Peanuts television specials aired between 1964 and 1974. The collection is set for release by Concord Music Group on April 20, 2010, just a few months shy of the 60th anniversary of Peanuts' debut as a newspaper strip in October 1950.

In addition to nine tracks performed by Guaraldi - most of them taken directly from the music cues recorded for the TV specials - the collection also includes two tracks by pianist George Winston, who recorded a variety of Guaraldi's Peanuts compositions in the 1990s, some two decades after Guaraldi's death in 1976.

Peanuts Portraits also includes extensive liner notes by Derrick Bang, co-host of FiveCentsPlease.org, a repository of news, information, history and trivia about Peanuts and Charles Schulz.

Photo of the Day: Emily Gail makes the new Runaways movie

2010-03-22T10:38:00.001-07:00

I can't shut up about the fact that Kristen Stewart rocks a classic Emily Gail "Detroit" logo t-shirt in the new Runaways movie.

Emily Gail is a serious Detroit legend. She was the original pro-Detroiter back in the 1970s, even opening a store in downtown that sold all sorts of cool stuff. She would also organize "fun runs" around the city (my dad ran in many of them). I was recently thinking how much I wanted to either track down some of those classic designs (which is all but impossible--so far, anyway).

So when "Joan Jett" breaks this baby out in the Runaways movie, I almost choked on my popcorn. Where in the HELL the movie's stylist found that baby is beyond me. All I know is that it's AWESOME.

Detroit writer Neil Rubin explains Emily Gail perfectly in this excerpt from a July 2,2009 story from the Detroit News:

"For more than two decades now, Emily Gail has been saying nice things about Kailua Kona, Hawaii. But the woman who believed in downtown when nobody else did is still saying nice things about Detroit, too.

That was her slogan in the '70s and '80s: "Say Nice Things About Detroit." She put it on T-shirts and bumper stickers and the occasional banner trailing behind an airplane, and now it's embedded in the history of an era.

Gail is 62, not that she looks it, and her naivete and trademark braids are long gone.

A quick word about downtown Detroit back when Gail began to make herself known:

Ugh.

Hudson's was still around, but dreariness had descended. Then the Renaissance Center opened in 1977, sucking tenants out of the old office buildings and into the glass fortress on the river.

'People walked with their heads down,' she says. The streets were so empty that Gail and beau Herb (Pooh) Squires would bring out her old baseball gloves and play catch on the asphalt.

Her family owned Gail's Office Supply in the Penobscot Building. She opened a tiny gift shop in the skyscraper, then a larger one at Congress and Shelby called Emily's Across the Street. She sold jewelry and T-shirts, often using one day's receipts to buy the next day's merchandise, and branched out into hot dogs, ice cream and cookies.

Profit margins were minimal, but the fun factor was high. She sponsored bike days and a fun run that grew from 100 pairs of feet to more than 20,000. Emily became the first name in civic boosterism.

Then she lost her lease, married Pooh and moved to Hawaii. No more stickers, no more fun run, no more Detroit, except in her heart."

Cherie Currie "Neon Angel" book signing @ Book Soup

2010-03-21T18:28:00.000-07:00

I can honestly say I was nervous walking up to this one. I've had a crazy pre-teen crush on this woman since, well, I was a crazy pre-teen. Not just from the Runaways, either. her shoulda-been star-making turn in the 1980 movie "Foxes" is my jam forever. It's all about Annie, baby. Even though today was all about "The Runaways," the movie you might have heard something about recently.

I got to the spot early enough to see her show up in a chauffeured town car with her mom.

The line behind me quickly got really thick. Soon, we were all crammed into Book Soup to listen to Cherie talk and answer questions, including the Mayor of the Sunset Strip, Rodney Bingenheimer.

I stuck my hand up and she picked me. So I asked her what really happened between the Runaways and Rush. I had no idea that the drama went down in DETROIT, and at Cobo Hall. Here's what she had to say. Sorry for the shaky picture. I told you I was nervous! ; )

Another good question was the whereabouts of the infamous corset. Cherie said that after a tour, she took it to a shop on Sunset Blvd to get repaired. The shop was owned by Billy Squier's then-girlfriend. When she came back a couple of weeks later to pick it up, the shop was gone. As was the piece of rock history.

Cherie was really sweet when I went up to get my book signed. The woman a few people in front of me totally starting crying, which seemed to kind of unnerve Cherie a little, but she handled it like a pro.

This dude wearing the "Britney Spears is God" pin was awesome. He had lots of great stories about seeing everyone from the Runaways to the Currie Sisters to the last Sex Pistols show at Winterland in SF. He also LOVEs teen pop music. He even gave me a "Britney is God" pin. Score.

On the way out, I spied Cherie's twin sister, Marie Currie, hanging out in front of the store with friends and fans. Good times.

Cherie Currie is doing a handful of dates this summer, including a gig with JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS at the OC Pacific during the Fair on August 11.

Here's one I'd be down to check out @ SXSW 2010: Shabazz Palaces

2010-03-18T16:33:00.001-07:00

Me and Ish go waaaaay back. The "Ish" in question is one Ishmael Butler, AKA "Butterfly" of legendary hip-hop crew Digable Planets.

I was an immediate fan; it was impossible not to love their Grammy-winning debut. But when they came back with the instant classic "Blowout Comb," the militant and decidedly pro-black stance was too much for many to hang with. Me, I loved it. A lot.

I saw them play twice on that tour; once in Ann Arbor, once in Chicago. I kind of tried to hit on Ladybug in Chicago. Those were crazy times. That's back when the Hop-Hop Shop on 7 Mile Rd in the D was still jumping on Saturday afternoons, and I knew far too much about the inner workings of the American rap game.

That was pretty much that for the DPs. There have been a couple of nice reunion tours, including one that hit L.A. I met Butterfly for maybe the third or fourth time that night. Super-cool dude. He even sent me a signed Cherrywine promo poster when he was rocking that moniker for a minute.

Now he's back as SHABAZZ PALACES. They have a pretty cool online presence, mainly in that there isn't much of one at all. There are bits and pieces, and a rather cryptic official website. All I know is that the music I've heard under this title is flipping amazing. Butterfly's unmistakable flow over dense, dank bass rumbles and eerie, vaguely Arabic-sounding samples. Get the full story on this promising new project in this nice Seattle Stranger profile.

More, please.

My crush on Diane Birch continues to grow

2010-03-16T11:10:00.000-07:00

Diane Birch is the business. I saw her perform at Spaceland last year and she was so, so good. There is a lot of soul packed into that super-cute package.

"Valentino" is a good song, but I don't think it's exactly single material. As much as I love Feist, this is a little too close to that territory for me. Which I guess wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, considering the success Feist has had in America.

Honestly, I would love to produce Diane's second album (ha!). There is a rawness to her live show that was completely polished away on her debut.

Still, it's a new Diane Birch video, and that's a very good thing.

It's Runaways week!

2010-03-16T10:45:00.001-07:00

It's kind of crazy to think that in three days a major motion picture about the freaking RUNAWAYS is opening in mega-plex movie theaters from sea to shining sea. They'll always be the red-hot rock babes I obsessed over in the pages of my brother's old CREEM magazines (especially Jackie Fox - rawr!) back when I was just a little punk.

There was a time I hated on the idea, and when they cast Kristen Stewart (who I only knew from "Twilight") as Joan Jett, my skepticism hit the red zone.

But lo and behold, from the trailers and various interviews I've seen since, it looks like they made one hell of a super-fun popcorn movie for '70s rock freaks just like me. Kristen looks awesome as Joan, and Dakota Fanning is kind of perfect as Cherie (especially since Dakota is the same age Cherie was back in the day.) And I can't wait to see it.

In honor of this momentous occasion, I'm posting various Runaways tracks between now and Friday. Like this insane number from their debut album, "Dead End Justice." It's a trippy seven-minute opus that details the Runaways breaking out of a sadistic juvenile detention center. I call it the original "November Rain."

I plan on hitting the ArcLight in Hollywood at midnight on Friday morning to see the 1st screening on the movie. Look for me. I'll be the one in the leather jacket breaking bottles in the parking lot.

IGGY POP & the STOOGES = Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

2010-03-15T12:02:00.000-07:00

You bet yr sweet ass they do. The originators of punk rock. The man that taught David Bowie how to really get down. The same man that opened for the Rolling Stones and Santana at the Pontiac Silverdome a million years ago and blew my young mind into a zillion pieces as he crushed the place amidst a deafening roar of boos and having everything that wasn't nailed down hurled at him throughout his set.The master of disaster is in the building! With any luck, they'll burn that sucker to the ground.

Rock on. Detroit forever*

Jackie Fox of the Runaways remembers Detroit 1976

2010-03-12T21:48:00.000-08:00

Early 1976: "Driving across country with the Runaways was always an experience. I always wore a skimpy little t-shirt, no matter how cold it was, and Joan always wore her leather jacket, no matter how hot it was. We never had enough money for food and, somehow, our travel agency always managed to find us a hotel in the most inappropriate part of town.

I will never forget staying at the Holiday Inn on Trumbull Avenue in Detroit, supposedly the only hotel in the country at the time in which the night clerk's window had bullet-proof glass. Creem magazine was located in Detroit, and whenever we would tell the writers we were staying at the Holiday Inn, they would always get a look of panic on their faces and say not the one on Trumball Avenue?

Detroit was one of our first stops on tour, and the night we got there we decided to go to a movie at a theater nearby. It was a Clint Eastwood movie (one of the Dirty Harry series), and that night was the first time in my life that I really realized I was white, since we were staying in a totally black neighborhood and we were the only white people in a fully packed theater. And there we were, five teenage girls, with no chaperone. Don't ask me where our manager was, I don't remember. But he wasn't there. Lucky for us, the people in Detroit were really nice (although they did seem a bit surprised to see five 16 year old white girls running around their neighborhood at night)."

— via Jackie Fox's "The Runaways Remembered" blog

Record stores rule: Lindstrom and Christabelle, “Real Life is No Cool”

2010-03-12T16:56:00.000-08:00

I went to San Francisco’s famous Aquarius Records for the first time yesterday. It’s a classic indie shop, chock full of a myriad of wildly diverse music that interesting to say the least.

One of the features at this cozy stop are the extensive album reviews attached to the front of many CDs and albums. I spied this particular CD in the “Electronica” section. I wasn’t halfway through the store’s review when I realized that I needed to hear it, stat.

I’ll just keep it simple and call it modern disco. It’s equal amounts of both. Lovin’ every minute of it.

NEW DAFT PUNK MUSIC IN TRON: LEGACY TRAILER

2010-03-09T09:59:00.000-08:00

Detroit is in the building: MOODYMANN*

2010-03-08T19:11:00.000-08:00

I don't really believe in the "hero" concept anymore. At least in terms of other people; the way I see it, life is all about being your own hero. Besides, enough of the people I made the mistake of hoisting onto a theoretical pedestal and called "hero" have let me down to know better now.

But damn, Detroit's inimitable Kenny Dixon Jr (AKA Moodymann) is pretty much the coolest man alive. Hollywood certainly couldn't come up with someone this bad-ass. But Detroit can and did.

Anyway, enough of my mouth. Mr. Jr in London, giving the realest lecture ever. Watch the video and experience the wonder that is my man Moody. Word.

(Read more here)

Better days

2010-03-06T10:11:00.000-08:00

My kind of rap: Parliament, "Prelude"

2010-02-23T14:46:00.000-08:00


Funk upon a time
In the days of the Funkapus
The concept of specially-designed Afronauts
Capable of funkatizing galaxies
Was first laid on man-child
But was later repossessed
And placed among the secrets of the pyramids
Until a more positive attitude
Towards this most sacred phenomenon,
Clone Funk,
Could be acquired

(we want the funk, give up the funk)
There in these terrestrial projects
It would wait, along with its coinhabitants of kings and pharoahs
Like sleeping beauties with a kiss
That would release them to multiply
In the image of the chosen one:
Dr Funkenstein.
And funk is its own reward.
May I frighten you?

I want to go to THERE

2010-02-22T09:17:00.000-08:00

I'd like to think that homeboy Jeremy Scott wouldn't mind letting me trade places with him in the picture. I'm just imagining how nice it would be to find myself wedged between Solange Knowles and Amanda Blank. Hm. I think spring is bouncing around these parts a little early this year.

I want one

2010-02-20T14:12:00.001-08:00

Summer madness*

2010-02-20T13:56:00.000-08:00

O.K., Los Angeles. I know it's only February, but it's time to start thinking about summer.

Here's the deal: A weekly party. By a pool. Drinks, of course. Maybe some food in case of hangover. Cool people and good music. No big whoop. Who's with me?

It's time for Make A Wish...

2010-02-19T03:16:00.000-08:00

Brides of Funkenstein, "Birdie"

2010-02-18T01:16:00.000-08:00

Things have been very interesting over these past few weeks. Hm. Not sure what to make of it all. Ah, what's a guy gonna do? Let's have another cocktail. And while you're by the stereo, turn it up.

Solange Knowles X the Dirty Projectors

2010-02-16T08:53:00.000-08:00

I have been rocking Solange's version of "Stillness is the Move" for months now. So this clip of my future wife (no ex) onstage with Dave and the crew makes me very happy. I just wish the sound was better.

I have a crush on the girl in the Pepcid commercial

2010-02-15T19:26:00.001-08:00

I will totally pay cash money to see "She's Out of My League"

2010-02-15T19:11:00.000-08:00

J Rocc @ Stussy L.A. for DILLA DAY 2010

2010-02-15T15:45:00.000-08:00

Best tribute to the Knack EVER

2010-02-14T12:37:00.000-08:00

RIP Doug Fieger

2010-02-14T12:22:00.000-08:00

David Bowie & Cher, 1975

2010-02-12T19:46:00.000-08:00

My favorite thing in the entire world right now.

Real Talk: John Mayer edition

2010-02-10T11:58:00.000-08:00

"I could have f*cked a lot more girls in my life if I hadn’t been trying so hard to get them to like me. If I have a conversation with a really hot girl that lasts all night and she says, 'Wow, I had no idea I was going to like you this much,' that is the equivalent, for me, of getting laid."

When David Bowie played Saturday Night Live

2010-02-08T20:10:00.000-08:00

David Bowie & Klaus Nomi - TVC15 & Boys Keep Swinging [1978]
Uploaded by ZapMan69. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.

People are always complaining that SNL just isn't funny anymore. Whaaaatever. While the days of "The Bass-O-Matic" and Roseanne Rosanna Dana are long gone, I still find at least one thing that makes me laugh whenever I watch new episodes.

What bums me out is the glaring lack of quality in terms of musical guests over the past, oh, ten years or so. I don't know what happened. Back in the day, SNL was at the cutting-edge of music. UK imports like Elvis Costello and the Specials made big American debuts on the show.

But one of the best SNL musical guests of all-time is easily David Bowie. In December of 1979, Bowie showed up with the inimitable Klaus Nomi in tow, and they proceeded to shut that mother down with all kinds of sonic insanity. First, he rips through one of my favorite songs by him ever, "TVC 15." The part where they do "Boys Keep Swinging" with Bowie as a puppet is just about the coolest thing ever shown on national American TV.

One of my favorite songs of all-time: Cook Da Books, "Piggie in the Middle Eight"

2010-02-07T21:08:00.000-08:00

I wish I could put into words what this song means to me. If I could, it would be flowing tome overflowing with pages full of flowery words about special, magical things that make life worth living. All in a day's work, I suppose. And the dude that plays Sheriff Eric on "True Blood" would play Mike Halloran in the movie version.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE GREATEST TO EVER DO IT*

2010-02-07T13:07:00.000-08:00

It's time for a MOTOR BOOTY AFFAIR...

2010-02-07T11:24:00.000-08:00

TRACK LIST: "Get Ready Saturday Night" DJ MIX

2010-02-06T21:37:00.003-08:00

Roxy Music, "Manifesto"

Kamaal The Abstract, "Barely In Love"

The Xx, "Insects"

David Bowie, "Stay"

J Dilla, "Anti-American Graffiti"

Osborne, "Downtown"

Theo Parrish "Going Through Changes"

Public Image Limited, "The Order of Death"

I want to go to there

2010-02-04T12:07:00.000-08:00

Yeah, this is beyond insanity. I imagine I would have completely lost my mind at this show. Ah, who am I kidding? I'd be back at the condo, high on 'ludes and making out with the stone foxes I met during Fleetwood Mac's set on Friday night. But we'd make it back for Zeppelin's set on Saturday night. You can believe that.

Record stores forever

2010-02-02T15:16:00.000-08:00

When I first moved to Los Angeles, there was a plethora of cool record stores in/around town. But once King Amoeba moved in, everything changed. Soon, all of the cool indie/used record shops started to disappear. Then all of the big-name stores vanished, too. Bad times.

Still, there are a couple of hardcore stores that continue to hold it down. I've already expressed my love for FreakBeat Records in Sherman Oaks. But another down & dirty spot I love to get my dig on is Record Surplus in Santa Monica.

I've been making runs to RS since the beginning of my L.A. tenure. It was only a couple of miles away from my first "place," which was in SM. It's a big, gray building chock full of old-school vinyl and CDs. The entire upstairs is a giant discount room, where nothing is more than $1.

It's always been a vinyl spot for me, but on my last visit I ran through the CDs looking for new food for my iPod. That's when I found this gem.

It's a special promo 2-CD sampler Chrysalis made for Coachella last year. And it's packed with goodies. Like what's become my new favorite Deandra Banhart song, "Freely." Heck, I didn't even know I liked the guy. A couple of hot numbers from the Orb, b-side songs from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and TV on the Radio...

Best of all, this baby was priced at a whopping $2.73.

I love record stores.

*SPECIAL SHOUT-OUT: To RECORD TIME in Roseville, MI - Still one of the best stores in the game! Check them out!

Fan video of the day: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "Faces"

2010-02-01T11:03:00.000-08:00

This is a tune from the "It's Blitz" sessions that I somehow missed. I L O V E it. So good.

This fan video for it makes me very happy. How insanely adorable is this girl? In high school I would have followed her around like a puppy dog. Siiiigh.

Maybe I'll get lucky and have a super-cool son who will bring home a girl like this to meet his awesome parents. At some point I would pull him aside and say "Well done, son. Well done."

10 years

2010-01-27T11:42:00.000-08:00

It still blow my mind that on April 1, I will have lived in Los Angeles, California for 10 straight years. Whoa.

I think about the dude that rolled into town that day, excited to start my new job at the Flynt building. Craaaaazy.

So much has happened between then and now. But one thing has remained constant. D'Angelo's "Voodoo"album, which dropped during that last brutal winter in Chicago, is my favorite record of the past decade. To me, it's akin to a black American version of Bowie's "Station to Station" with an obvious nod to "Young Americans." The sound of completely disconnecting from everything but the music, and by any means necessary. The soundtrack to digging a little bit deeper and going further than fear and pain in pursuit of some kind of ultimate truth. Something that will last forever. You know, the kind of record you so rarely hear anymore. Anytime you can break Eric Clapton down, you're doing something good.

I know, I know...

The return of Giant Drag.

2010-01-27T11:26:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite L.A. bands ever is Giant Drag. Just two people, a lot of noise and attitude. Perfect. Their album "Hearts and Unicorns" never fails to give me the feeling. In concert, their shows were always a spectacle of uncomfortable sexy time and a lotta jams (and sagging pantyhose). Heavy, but fun. Very "To Catch A Predator" soundtrack. What?

They have a new EP coming out on February 16 called "Swan Song." This is one of the four songs.

Annie looks even more psychotic as a blond. And I want to spend a long weekend in this video. At least.

Welcome back, kids. It's always a pleasure...

Awkward silence.

BONUS VIDEO*

I got a good mind, so why don't you tell me why?

2010-01-27T02:18:00.000-08:00

Beach House, "Teen Dream"

2010-01-26T09:28:00.000-08:00

I kind of like having a problem with Pitchfork. Don't ask me why. Seriously — don't. Nah, it's cool. I'm just playing. I only mention it because I've been alerted to the fact that P4k has just bestowed "Best New Music" on this here CD. Which kind of gets my panties in a bunch, as I L O V E this record. And I don't like it when P4k and I agree on stuff. Ha! And now with no further (coughcough) adieu, I give you my review of "Teen Dream," originally written for Shockhound.

(Sub Pop) Woozy, bluesy and bruised, Maryland duo Beach House conjures a dreamy romanticism akin to the melancholy mood of classic Spiritualized and movie “The Virgin Suicides.” Maudlin organ melodies drift over purposefully stiff drum machine beats, only adding to the stark atmosphere. This is Beach House’s third album, and they display a subtle new arsenal of sonic abilities. Opening song “Zebra” features Alex Scally on vocals, his mannered, British-sounding enunciation giving the song an almost Coldplay feel. But it’s the rich, soaring voice of Victoria Legrand that powers “Teen Dream.” Her, raw, husky delivery is a welcome relief from the usual ethereal whispers far too many acts fall back on in similar situations. Beach House also reveals the ability to craft a killer modern pop song in “Norway.” Thick with swirling synthesizer strings and Legrand’s lush vocals, it’s an obvious standout track from a cohesive album that’s full of sweet little surprises.

Booty Call Music From Outer Space (SLIGHT RETURN) - SONGS

2010-01-25T23:33:00.000-08:00

>NOW WITH EVEN MORE CHOCOLATY COACHELLA CRUNCH<

“Temple of Dawn,” Japan

“I Guess I’m Floating,” M83

“Instrumental #1,” D’Angelo

“Stillness is the Move,” Solange Knowles

“Hot Like Fire,” the XX

“Tea Leaf Dancers,” Flying Lotus

“Poptones (BBC Sessions),” Public Image Ltd.

“Paradise Circus” (feat. Hope Sandoval), Massive Attack

“Sheila,” Atlas Sound

“Half Asleep” (Alternate Version),” School of Seven Bells

“This is Tomorrow,” Saint Etienne

“That Boy is Hurting You,” Private

“Ascending Melody,” Dirty Projectors

“Subterraneans,” David Bowie

“Spacecowboy Vs Bobble Head,” Jay Dilla

“Stylo”(feat. Bobby Womack and Mos Def),” Gorillaz

“Norway,” Beach House

Photo of the Day: David Bowie and Brian Eno, early '70s

2010-01-25T21:23:00.000-08:00

Detroit Love

2010-01-25T03:27:00.000-08:00

>>When it's time to say goodnight, and you want to do it right...<<

(Detroit map heart necklace - and more - available here*)

Another band I cannot WAIT to see @ Coachella 2010: PiL

2010-01-23T15:04:00.000-08:00

This still stands as the single greatest "American Bandstand" performance of all-time. John Lydon, you are a genius. And Dick Clark, you are forever the coolest man in the business.

I'm so excited for the Runaways movie it feels like my head is going to explode

2010-01-21T16:59:00.001-08:00

The Runaways opens in March, just a couple of weeks after my birthday. It will the perfect present. In the meantime, more hi-res images have been released for us that just can't wait. I'm loving every minute of it.

Coachella 2010: It's alive*

2010-01-19T12:36:00.000-08:00

Record stores 4 life

2010-01-15T16:08:00.000-08:00

There are few places on Earth that make me happier than a real record store. Old-school joints run by the most genuine music nerds imaginable. Freakbeat Records in Sherman Oaks, CA is just that kind of place.

Back in the glory days of Metromix LA, I worked with the immeasurably cool Ali Miller. She’s the kind of woman that’s not only hotter than your girlfriend, but can kick your ass six ways from sideways on pretty much any videogame out there. Don’t go getting any ideas. Her boyfriend is a strapping international yachtsman/pirate who dispatches with suckers like you for pocket change. Anyway, I digress. That holiday, Ali was sweet enough to hit me with a gift certificate to FreakBeat Records.

I’d try to use it a couple of times. Neither time was I really inspired enough to dig in and shop.

I was perusing the L.A. Weekly yesterday when I saw an ad for FreakBeat’s annual blowout sale. Most used CDs half-off. Oh hell yes.

The timing was perfect; today is the end of the first Mercury Retrograde of the new decade, and it was a doozy. The only thing that really got me through it was music. Not just any music, but the good stuff, the classics; specifically, David Bowie and the Rolling Stones.

But most of my classic rock is on vinyl (natch). I’m too much of a stickler for sound quality to deal with the crappy rips floating around on the internet. I was in dire need of some cornerstones on CD.

So today I cruised over the hill and down Ventura Blvd to the inconspicuous shop nestled between a hair salon and a café. The ad was indeed true: All used CDs $6.99 and under = half off. Pretty much everything else = 20% off. OK, cool.

I love the guys that work there. Older dudes, and still all about it. The last time I was in, the main dude told me a great story about Jimmy Page coming in, shopping around for a while and then bringing a stack of music to the counter. But he didn’t recognize him until he looked at his credit card. Priceless material. Today, he was chatting with a customer about the state of the music industry. Another guy was sporting a well-worn J. Geils Band shirt from way back when. I consider myself a member of many tribes; these are definitely among my people.

From the moment I started digging, beautiful gems began leaping from the bins into my hands. When the dust settled, here’s what I took up to the counter:

Joy Division, “Closer” [Collector’s Edition 2- CD w/live concert @ University of London, Feb. 8, 1980]

The Rolling Stones, “Aftermath”

The Rolling Stones, “Tattoo You”

Neil Young & Crazy Horse, “Live Rust”

Ride, “Nowhere”

Ride, “Going Blank Again”

The Beatles, “Abbey Road”

The Specials, “More Specials”

David Bowie, “Young Americans” 

After applying all of the discounts and adding in the gift certificate, grand total: $13.20.

Today was a good day.

Happy birthday, CAPTAIN BEEFHEART

2010-01-15T13:10:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite songs of all-time. Yes, I'm being serious. It kind of explains a lot, really.

"Never no turnin' back..."

2010-01-15T12:52:00.000-08:00

I heart 1992 forever: Adorable, "Sunshine Smile"

2010-01-11T23:00:00.001-08:00

I really don't know what's going on with me lately. I've been chalking it up to the Mercury Retrograde, but I think there's something...more.

I've been thinking stranger thoughts than usual. the most random memories from my past keep presently popping up in the most mysterious ways. Like tonight.

Through a bizarre sequence of events, I was led to this song. I haven't thought of this song or band in years. Although I do remember that I have a promo sticker from when this album first came out. I'm pretty sure I know where it is, too.

Ah, I don't know. I've been having these really heavy conversations with myself. Lots going on upstairs right now. And it's all very exciting.

It's an excitement similar to the one I would feel back in the day when a song like this would crop up during the second sixty of "120 Minutes" and John, Hank and I would still be awake, drinking Jim Beam, watching, always watching. It's a fleeting feeling, one that hasn't been around much these past few years.

I could just write a list of girls' names here. Faces. Impossible situations that really happened (really). Suspended moments in time that don't exist in this dimension.

Actually, that list could be boiled down to just one. Written on a piece of white loose-leaf paper, folded neatly, and set ablaze.

Watching, always watching.

Let the airwaves flow...

2010-01-11T02:37:00.000-08:00

Eat a peach*

2010-01-11T02:32:00.000-08:00