going, going, GONE!

dear friends,

here are some quick cuts for da weekend:

1. from their name alone, giant drag sound like they should be a mid-90's slacker rock band that sucks. they're not. I put to you the following example: this isn't it (hmmm...the shante-ish riposte to the strokes' is this it?). short, sharp, with a catchy lyrical hook that's an example of how sometimes you can grab a hold of a cliched expression that when set against music, suddenly seems worthy, poetic even. annie hardy, their singer, has a slurry, tired, totally resigned delivery that makes you think, yeah, she's berating a cold hearted snake of a lover in her song but she ain't going anywhere. I wonder why that is... sex? lethargy? or plain ole rock 'n' roll masochism? I vote for the latter.

2. a) from the opening aaaaows to the guitar scrawl, you know 911 is a joke by public enemy will always remain on the best summer jams of all time list*. b) the video: "911 never come correct/you can ask my man right here with the broken neck" (cue shot of guy on sidewalk, convulsing) c) thom yorke labels this one of the sexiest songs ever written. & that's unbelievably weird. but also kinda hot. you go on with your bad self, my tiny singing friend, seducing the missus to the sound of flavor flav sounding reasonable & vincent price laughing his ass off.

3. ryan adams makes some people want to kill. I understand. he's a smarmy little grandma's boy who talks a mad load of shit, dates really hot women, writes more songs in a night (usually on a bar napkin) than just about anyone I can think of, dresses in the most studied I'm a rich sloppy hipster way imaginable & has his songs covered by the likes of the corrs featuring bono. eek! I like him though. for many reasons actually, but (this is really ridiculous) partly because he's such a smiths nut, that when at one of his shows he started crowing about a fan giving him a single with wonderful woman** on it, I was like, "damn, he's a dork & damn, I wish I wuz him." & of course there's the intro to his album heartbreaker where he argues with david rawlings about whether a song is on viva hate or bona drag (adams is right) & then promptly rips into an album full of americana goodness. you want to hate but you really can't. 'cause this motormouthed moron can write real purty. I'd like to dedicate she wants to play hearts from demolition to all you people out there who've ever had a relationship go the way of pffft! adams ransacks every metaphor he can into one sad sigh of a song. respect.

4. wolfmother is dirty but cute garage rock & roll a la white stripes circa screwdriver. so much so, in fact, they sound like a white stripes cover band but with less shame about the classic rock-ness of it all. oh, & a big ole bass gueeee-tar. is that a bad thing? (insert 50's tv comedian shrug) check out apple tree & marvel at the homage/theft.

5. I don't know jack about graham parker, 'cept that a) he always gets lumped with early elvis costello & joe jackson in that he's angry but in a clever, cutting way & b) he wore really giant sunglasses ALL THE TIME & dudes who do that are usually pretty odd looking (see: roy orbison, r. kelly). passion is no ordinary word is the real deal of bitter & cutting, but like the best of that genre you believe that the singer/protagonist's heart is cracking slowly & hot, angry tears are but a fade-out away.

love, d

* I'm not really sure this came out in summer & I don't care! I'm misleading you all! muhahahaha!

** whoever can name what single that came from can join the big dork club of which I am secretary.

songs to seek: this isn't it/giant drag, 911 is a joke/public enemy, she wants to play hearts/ryan adams, apple tree/wolfmother, passion is no ordinary word/graham parker