One girl's account of tunes she hears while living in the city that government forgot. Lots of Nola gems, plenty of new fun things I've found, and accounts from the live bands I get out to see. Hey, it's a hobby! And, oh yeah, real men DO play pink drums. See: Kings of Leon.
Here we are again. If you can, try to stay away from the hype, (10 minutes of CNN yesterday and I nearly puked.) I guess the only thing that ever comes up at this time is "what did you do? where did you go? did you lose anything?" It's kinda neat now to sit around with friends and exchange K-stories. They always seem to have some sort of satire attached. My story isn't that exciting, but looking back, it is kind of funny!
A)I had to evacutate to Houston with an ex-boyfriend I broke up with no more than 5 days before we were told to get the hell outta dodge. B)Ooooh! He was poor as dirt. That made it extra fun! C)Ended up in my hometown of Springfield, MO at my parents' house for 1 full day. That's all I could take. Moved into my sister's house quicker than you can say "Fema Check!" D)The Ex? Oh no, he went up to his parents' in Portland, where he belonged ;-p E)The neatest part? Being "cool aunt" to my nephews for 2 full months. F)Worst part? Actually feeling guilty when I came back, and all my stuff, my apartment, and all my belongings where right where I left them. There was nothing I could say to my friends. Nothing. G)I did get to throw away my refrigerator, just like everyone else in the entire city. Did you know about that? Not a lot of people did. Seemed to be our little inside joke. About maggots. Gross. That's why everyone dressed as refrigerators for Halloween, see? And with that, here's all the local flava I can bring you. Please check out the websites too. Become their friends and whatnot. Oh, and donations? Well, if you feel the need, do so, but be warned. This is Louisiana. It'll probably just end up in a freezer somewhere.
After a few weeks of vacation, Lolla, and being reunited with the family, I woke up this morning to find that I couldn't log on to my myspace account. And you know what? I don't really care. Except for the fact that at this very moment that could possibly mean I'm posting bulletins all over the spacey-world about some hot internet porn I just found, or where to get the latest Macy's gift card. That's just criminal.
I really wish everyone would just slide on over to Virb. I know Facebook is the new "hotness". But I'm not about to jump into THAT wilderness. And just one look at Virb, well, it's sooo, P R E T T Y!!! And you can do whatever you want with it...all you little html nerds can go nuts. I'm sure you can tell I'm not one of those, well, it makes me look pretty damn good.
Ok. Off of the soapbox.
After being back, here's what seems to be pressing on my mind to post: In Chicago we got to see the Bottle Rockets. I posted some below, but I didn't realize my friends were gonna go so gaga over them. So, I believe you will too. They are an amazing rock n' roll outfit from St. Louis, Mo (well, Festus, if you wanna get technical)....and their latest album, Zoisa, has Stephen King, just gushing all over them. But...therein lies MY problem. I only own "The Brooklyn Side". And I really think it's at least the first one you should pick up. It was their second effort in the early 90s, produced by Eric "Roscoe" Ambel. The deal with this album is it is just completely straight forward, fun, drink your beer, sangalong, rocknrollman! As you get into later and later albums, well, it starts to get a tad political, uppity, highbrow, and the fun gets somewhat lost. But lets not dwell. I've got some gems for ya: 01 Welfare Music.m4a 04 Radar Gun.m4a
Like what you hear? They've got a very cool bloggy/website-thingymajig. Downloads...very "touch me". www.bottlerocketsmusic.com
Another website I totally heart is iLike. I've got about a gabillion reasons. I'm in radio....music to me is a tad weird. You tend to really not even care for anything new once it becomes your job. Then your friends start telling you about all these new, hip, indie bands, and then you feel stupid! Well, this site is nice, because I just wake up, check what my iLike friends are posting or listening to, check them out to see if " I Like" them, get it? And then download to my heart's desire. Takes about an hour or less......no more stupidity. And we never know if our friends we go out for beers with every night are our "true" musical equals. This site takes care of that. My idea of musical utopia. I digress....
Thru iLike I found Chow Nasty, and they happen to be coming to good 'ol NOLA tonight. An interesting outfit out of SanFran with some Chicago influence, I am having a feeling I will not be disappointed. Full disclosure after the show. I have a feeling that with this dirty party sound they have going, this is a perfect fit for a hot, sweaty night in the crescent city. 08 Hot Sticky Nikki.mp3
And just some last minute randomness: I was RIGHT!!! About 2 things. Amy Winehouse wound up her set with her Zutons' cover of Valerie, and she DID meltdown, it just didn't happen until about 5 days after Lolla. She went to rehab! Yeah Yeah Yeah! Horse tranquilizers? Sweetie, you're 90 lbs. Wow. Just. Wow. But I realized talking with some friends that not everyone knows about the Zutons. Really? Yeah. I guess I can understand that. A pop-jazzy-rock outfit from the UK with a chick on sax? What's not to love? Back when the radio station I worked for was alternative. Back before Katrina. (Give me a minute here....) Me and the ex-boyfriend used to crank this puppy up in the car all the time, because I had added it to our station! Ahhh, the old days :). Anyway, below, the original song that Amy covered, and the song I added to our playlist at 106.7 The End, just about 3 months before the storm. Now I play Kenny Chesney and Carrie Underwood all day. Yeah. And people wonder why I blog. 03 Valerie.mp3 02 Pressure Point.m4a
As most near and dear to me know, I hold a soft spot for chick rock, whatever that may be. Chicks with a piana, chicks with a guitar, chicks with an accordian. It might be out of jealousy because I never kept up with my piano lessons and I can't sing, it could be that "mother earth" part of me that just relates, or it could just be the stupid fact that I grew up with 5 older siblings who happened to all be female. Whatever the reason, I just think it's way cooler when I woman makes it in rock, because the boys seem to get a pass. That being said: I lurrrrve me some men.....droooool.
So here's a quick tribute to some girls that you may or may not know.
The Blackgirls.
The thing about them, is I only had one album of theirs, on cassette. It was incredible. A big thank you to my sister for introducing them to me. I eventually wore out the cassette, and then I was stuck trying to find anything of theirs...anywhere. It was tough. Interestingly enough, if you go to amazon.com, both of their albums, Procedure and Happy, you can get for the whopping price of a penny up to a whole 37 cents! Believe me, it's worth the price of shipping. Happy was the album I came to know and love, and bless amazon, sometimes their random anonymous reviews say it all:
"in case most of you squints didn't know better, blackgirls were alternative when alternative wuddn't cool and it wuddn't yet wearing flannel. there was dana kletter (piano/guitar) and lee johnson (guitar) both writing and singing their own songs, with hollis brown's violin practically its own lyricist.
lee johnson takes some getting used to, but scores points for singing her lyrics exactly as they demand to be sung. a little scary to some but sublime to those willing to meet her on her terms.
dana kletter's songs contributions to procedure are, as observed, devastating. she writes as one who has come to terms with her own insecurities, and is removed enough from her ego to find her flaws a source of humor. her voice and melodies could melt glass.
not surprised this is out of stock. its your loss."
First saw them at SXSW a few months ago. I actually witnessed a ton of chick rock on this particular day, Joan Jett was hosting a show of new bands signed to her Blackheart label. This was the only band that stuck out. Kelly Ogden would be the reason. Look up "tongue-in-cheek" in the dictionary and you'll find a picture of this band. From lyrics to arrangement, it's just a band wanting to do nothing more than go out and have fun. All I wanted to do was join in. I think you'll want to as well.
As an aside, I'm completely in love with covers. This one is purrrrrrfect. Melanie Safka started it, the Dollyrots ran with it, as far as I'm concerned...
The Ettes. Maybe it's my fascination with Nancy Sinatra 60s kitsch. Maybe it's the tamborines. Maybe it's the fact that you can turn this up and shake your hips and put up the devil horns at the same time! Doesn't really matter. This L.A. trio sounds anything but out of LA. I do believe I read somewhere that if Quentin Tarentino were to hear them, they would be on his next soundtrack, no questions asked, and I do believe that is the best way to describe them. Could they be my favorite find of '07? Either way, their LP, Shake the Dust, completely worth the purchase! 12 All Right.m4a 10 It Aint You.m4a
www.theettes.com http://www.myspace.com/theettes
Lauren Hoffman. This was a random/not-so random find on myspace. Long ago, I found Mr. David Lowery on there, and lo and behold, this was one of his projects. My ears perked, and was immediately happy with my find. Just an east coast girl, doing her thing, and on her website, she even offers free downloads of her own stuff! Demos, new treasures, whatever. How cool! She is completely devoted to every single one of her fans, and it's just refreshing to hear someone just wanting to get the music out there, and not come off "too" jaded. Hey, most of us are!
This story comes about after a wild conversation I had with one of those annoying dudes you always hear blaring from a microphone telling you to "get in the bar, do a shot, get drunk" and then they sing along with whatever song is playing on the P.A. I know allll of these guys on Bourbon street. Call it a occupational hazard, but working at a radio station, I've come to know these fellas over my 4 years here in the Crescent City. And to give them credit, they are not all bad, and it's really ridiculous work. For the radio station I do what they do for 1, count it ONE hour each week, and that's enough to make me wanna take a bullet to the head. I can't stand asking a crowd to yell on the count of 3, but for 8 hours a night? OUCH.
Anyway, a group of about 3 or so of these cheerleaders all got excited and told me to run over to the DJ booth because they had something they needed to show me. (Some backstory here, I work at a country station, this is one of those extra loud cowboy bars with girls dancing on the bars and a mechanical bull). They were sooooo proud that one of their own had purchased a piece of clothing that I frequently wear. A pair of black Converse All-Stars. They expected, what? A high-five?
Now, let me explain what this guy looked like. LOTS, and I mean LOTS of muscle. A very tight LUCKY BRAND (the letters were that bold) v-neck t-shirt sticking to his pecs, some sort of baggy jean, a very gelled and sculpted faux-hawk, and his brand new sparkling chucks. Oh, and the GRIN!!! He was so proud of those new chucks.
And here comes the best part. The reason WHY he bought these shoes. I think this is why dudes should sometimes speak less. "Yeah, I don't really like 'em, but that dude in Fall Out Boy wears 'em. They are totally my favorite band in the whole world."
Oh. My. God.
Wow. I mean, just, WOW.
Well, I guess you can't argue that point. As witnessed in Evidence A:
It took me a second or two to gain my composure to get up a good response that wouldn't completely offend him, and I just said, "Hey man, Fall Out Boy is great and all, but don't go running up to people and telling them that's the reason you're wearing those."
Hey, at least I can save him some embarrassment in the future, right?
What's funny is, it prompted me to wake up and actually research who were the first rock stars to wear them. Couldn't find that, but Wikipedia had a pretty neat entry below:
"Since the turn of the century, especially the last 2 years, Converse have become increasingly popular, with a growing market. Originally seen as being worn by those in to a rock music scene, the market is growing to various, younger scenes, whether it be based on a sub-culture (rock still being popular, especially with the growing emo scene) the Chuck Taylors are becoming more popular with hip hop scenes, pop music scene and fashion in general. Many Chuck Taylor owners are those who have owned the shoes in the past, and most own more than one pair, as recently many more colors are now produced than before. They're now hugely popular with indie culture. "
I'll take that. I'd also like to think that it was The Ramones. I mean, wouldn't we all? At least for that kid's sake? For the record, my Chucks go everywhere with me, they are nice and worn out, with a little hole in the toe, probably time for a new pair. I even pitched kickball in them:
And I'll offer this vid as Evidence B. Long live the Chucks. And Fall Out Boy? Well, I hear that Pete kid is dating Ashlee Simpson now, so uh, well, I don't even know where I was going with that. Good luck Fall Out Boy. (They are in my iPod, for the record :) )
I gotta tell ya, the main reason to see Amy Winehouse at Lollapalooza is just to see if she'll show up! And then, after that, just what sort of BritneySpearsPaulaAbdulesque type meltdown we might get to witness. She's already showed up close to an hour late for gigs, forgotten lyrics, and spit into the crowd. Oooooooh, I love me some drunken rage. Do it girl! Apparently, when she makes it through a whole set, this is usually her encore, a Mark Ronson remake of a fabulous Zutons song. I heart it, so I do hope I get to see it. 05 Valerie The Zutons Cover.mp3
The Cribs. In short, never usually get into a U.K. band sooo quickly, and a song never makes my head swirl around so fast to go look at my computer, but this happened a few short months ago, tuning into woxy.com. Sadly, I had probably heard it before, but it was just a particular amount of coffee in my system that made me pay any attention that day. That being said, I don't think it'll be hard to drag my buddy Ron over to this stage, and this will probably be the only band we will be able to agree on. That, and Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, but that's for a different post. www.thecribs.com 03 Mens Needs.mp3
Bound Stems You get the Indie Rock Feed from your podcast on iTunes? Totally free and it comes EVERY freaking DAY. I do. It's impossible to keep up with, but I try to check it as much as possible. Well, they love these guys over there, and I tried and tried not to...but I finally gave in. (The reality was, when I found out I was gonna see them live, I caved....hey, I'm an honest woman!) Such a sweet sound, I feel like there are a lot of "Arcade Fire Lite" bands coming out now. These guys just about fit into that category, just about. It's that nice cravass between The Arcade Fire and Modest Mouse, and I think it'll be interesting how it translates in a festival setting. www.boundstems.com 01 Wake Up Ma and Pa Are Gone.mp3
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah I know I know I know. It's a no-brainer. Can I ask a question though? Just going to put it out there.....is it just me, or is this the second coming of the Talking Heads? Not every track makes me think so, but just about 80% or so. Especially the one I've got for you today. Just posting for the deep thought question of the day. www.clapyourhandssayyeah.com 11 Gimmie Some Salt.mp3
This video is for Nick. We kissed and made up, he's gonna see more music than just the PJ. So, I decided to give us a laugh.
So many reasons why these two go together like pb and j.
1) I am an idiot. I've had Dino Jr's album in my new downloads for awhile now....(May, June? I think) and I just scrolled thru slow enough to find out that I had the whooooole thing. Questions for why I'm so dumb from the class later.
2) It's just an awesome thing to listen to. That's it. Fun all around. Not many bands should get back together and do this sorta thing, and that's a list for another day, but this one should, they did, and its great!
3) The song below is from The Bottle Rockets, and there are days I am convinced they're a singin' bout me!
4) I don't know, just felt like I needed a fourth......
I just got off the phone with my buddy Nick. AKA K.J. AKA Douche-bag. Believe me, it's all terms of endearment. Here's the reason he wins the douche award today.
Me: ya goin' to Lolla? Him: I dunno maybe. Me: WTF? Him: Thinking if I go, most likely just Sunday for Pearl Jam. Me: Douche.
Well, it didn't go EXACTLY like that. But it was KINDA like that. Hey, I'm super excited for the boys in flannel as the next guy. Never got to see them in their '90s hey day, but geeez man. That's like saying I'm gonna go to the zoo, check out the flamingos, turn around and leave. Weak!
So, this is for my friend Nick, KJ, Douche. He needs some flavor in his life, god love 'em. And he needs to get laid. Maybe a weekend at Lollapalooza would do just the trick, and not just one lousy day!
Here's some picks: 1)Juliette and The Licks. a)super rockin' b)super fun c) super hot d) a much better scientologist to listen to than Madonna, or Travolta, for that matter!
2)Muse. Because they're incredibly awesome. A band I have yet to see live, and I don't care what happens, I know I'm gonna be happy with the final result.
4) Spoon. Nothing to say here, except KJ is a douche for not wanting to see them! 07 The Underdog.mp3
That's just a start. I'm not even getting started yet, this is would be the warm-up. Oh, KJ, you need help. Hope to see you and many fine frienz at Lolla!
I thought back on my concert I went to about a month ago at Red Rocks. The "True Colors" tour. Never been outnumbered by so many people so full of pride! But all in all, quite a site to behold. For the record, Debby Harry COMPLETELY disappointed, looking as bored as possible her entire set. Erasure was hysterical. All of their tunes came out of a Macbook no bigger than mine. Nobody cared, and the flaling was insane! But the shining moment was Cyndi Lauper. Now, I think I must've been about 7 when the whole Madonna vs. Cyndi thing was going on, and obviously Madonna's star has shone a tad brighter thru the years. (Understatement, I know.) But to hear this woman sing, she puts Miss Kaballah to shame! It made me wonder why we followed that nutbar around so long through her weird SexbookEvitaI'malesbianbadactressnowI'mamommyandI'mbritish phases. Cyndi just kept belting out tunes, and man has she got some pipes.
This is not the best vid, but the best part is, she did the "Goonies" song, which apparently she never does. And below, my favorite Lauper tune of them all.
I figured I oughta give the proof in one of my first blogs. Come on though. You must know. And this reeks coolness. Have you heard the new album? Good god! Pink drums or not, this is music that was just meant to be written. It's as if we've been waiting for it this whole time, bored off of our asses. I'm one happy camper. yay for pink drums, even though he doesn't play on them all the time. There really should be more pink drums in rock n' roll.
Just sit back relax and keep this puppy in the favorites or bookmarks column. Taking an old idea from a friend, I'm going to pass along gems I find interesting enough for others to enjoy, share tidbits from shows I go see, and let you in on the inner workings of the weird world I live in. Ready?
Like, let's take for instance my weekend:
Starts off with a bang baby! Morning 40 Federation at the Maple Leaf. Can't really pack more people into that sweathole if you tried. And then it got interesting, crowd surfing. With a fan these poor souls kept running into and jamming their hair, hands, feet, etc. on. What a sight. I definitely recommend these guys for a night out, but keep in mind, you're gonna have to keep up with them drinkwise, it's basically a pre-requisite.
After a long sleep-in. Seriously, I think I made it all the way up to noon, which is late now by my standards, I made plans to go see some friends of mine in a great local band The Garden District, open up for a band I had been wanting to see for awhile now, Glasgow! As per the norm here in Nola, we are overrun by bands with kids with a stunning Loyola music education. I know I should be greatful, but it's almost getting to be annoying. No matter here, these guys are adorable, their music is poppy and fun, and I found myself singing along to songs I had never heard before. If that's not catchy, I don't know what is!
I support, with my heart, body, and beers, all artists that I listen to, and therefore blog. With that being said, download to your hearts content, and if you like, pareweeeese, parreeeeety parreeeeese buy buy buy. For the most part, artists are getting the shaft. I know this. How? Not by being an artist, just by knowing the lil' touring guys. They need every dollar man. Help 'em out would'ja? Think of it the same way as you would adopting a puppy, or buying a homeless man a 40. Whatever makes ya feel better 'bout yerself!
