say the words that I can't say

dear friends,

the monkey fixed my ipod, little monkey jr*, this past weekend. yay! this time I promise not to overheat it with 5 trillion songs. I will only keep the songs I want to hear while being driven around florida because when I go down to that sunny, southermost state, I would like to avoid all their country stations. ah, vacation. I need you. be my friend?

1. I've ranted about nouvelle vague before in this post. I was sad to miss them when they came to nyc. really, really sad actually 'cause I had the feeling they would lift my spirits from what was becoming a difficult period of crippledom**. now I'm feeling much better thanks to godknowswhat (acupuncture? swimming? summer? you?) & as if to congratulate me on that, KCRW just aired the band's recent, spirited live session. to watch or listen to it go here. their version of new order's bizarre love triangle (not on their record!) is so juicy with green mango goodness that boy, do I wish I had the mad internet skillz to record it & play it over & over & over & over again until I overdose. (WARNING: not so subtle attempt to solicit information from the soft communication readership. ahem.)

2. I first heard architecture in helsinki on bbc radio a while back. I dutifully wrote it down on my desk pad & promptly forgot to write 'em up. now I want to slap myself in the face 'cause I just missed their show at northsix 'cause I didn't even know they were playing & they're from new zealand or something & what the hell! & I'll never have that recipe again! AGAIN! WAAAAAH!

basically, I suck. but they don't. featuring a pussywillow-voiced girl, a boy who sounds like he's singing on his tippy-toes & charmingly eclectic arrangements (indie guitars, strings, gregorian monk sounds, happy keyboards, clapping, disco sitars!) these songs are just the right minty fresh accessories to a bright summer day. neverevereverdid starts like big ben, followed by a ghostly operatic woman singing over a theremin. enter tuba. yes. you read that right. towards the end after a few more changes, it starts to remind me of the clash's straight to hell, but being that it sounds NOTHING like it, in that it's not even remotely serious for one, you'll have to tell me why I feel this way. for the pretty la la girl vocals with glockenspiel seek out souvenirs. for twee that out-twees any skinny lad in a cardy & 50's specs, seek out the owls go. seriously, it makes belle & sebastian sound like gwar.

like my beloved bearsuit but with a shiny coat of cherry red varnish, this band is patiently waiting to be loved by you. so love them. & then smack me for not telling you about them sooner.

3. contributor phil once wrote about the coup here, I just found out that their upcoming album will feature a cameo by none other than billy bragg. this is the man that wisely left some indian takeout with his demo for john peel. peelie played it that night. humorous, political & romantic, bragg has written many a lovely ballad as well. I recommend the only one because I love the way he sings "kiss me or would you rather/live in a land where the soap don't lather/& oh..." & he holds that oh as a cello shadows it underneath like a gymnast's ribbon & it says everything the song's been trying to say prior.

4. oh pete doherty. you're so very wrecked. I followed your travails in the tabloids before I ever even HEARD your old band the libertines. breaking into your band member's flat & stealing his stuff? public crack smoking? flat, off beat singing? writing a vh1 piano ballad that doesn't stink with a junk crony named wolfman for quick cash? releasing a single called fuck forever with your new band baby shambles thus guaranteeing it will never play outside blightly? having read bits & pieces of your teenage fanzines, you're clearly no dummy. ever thought about going back to live with mum & gluing stuff on paper again? hmmm? just for the heck of it? I know. life is complicated.

5. I have an old dusty tape of the go-betweens' 16 lover's lane. I believe I overplayed it to the point of transparency. one of the songs on it, devil's eye, an acoustic number with plentiful guitar string squeak noise, which murmurs about love in the face of saying goodbye, everyday trouble & heck, just plain old love in all its cheese & splendor, was a particular favorite of mine. even though my notions of love back then were purely based on movies, what was being said there sounded like something tender & true.

I'm ashamed to say I've neglected to keep up with their current output but I'd love to start now, if someone can tell me what to hear...

love, d

PS for those who might be interested I will be posting the mystery artists behind the covers on my mix today over at soft communication mix exchange. I will be putting up jenny p's playlist tomorrow. please visit us & comment.

* the monkey gave me little monkey for my birthday last year. it died. it was then replaced with little monkey jr.

** I have a disease. it is this. I mention it so there's no confusion when I occasionally refer to my part-time gimpitude.

songs to seek: bizarre love triangle/nouvelle vague (kcrw live session), neverevereverdid/architecture in helsinki, souvenirs/architecture in helsinki, the owls go/architecture in helsinki, the only one/billy bragg, for lovers/pete doherty & wolfman, the devil's eye/the go-betweens