I'm just trying to watch the band (REVISED)

dear friends,

birthday month is almost over. what did I do with myself? I looked into the I want to eat you eyes of a hungry tiger. & saw a really dull movie about demon possession. went to several rock shows, some excellent. I received lovely & thoughtful gifts of monogrammed t-shirts, home recordings of fleetwood mac covers, a vocal effects pedal & a subscription to mojo*. I kroaked karaoke alongside luminaries**, both of my life & of the local nyc rock scene. all in all, I've learned that as much as I like to give, boy oh boy do I love to get. so I suppose I have to keep on giving in order to receive. damn! that means more work! back to the drawing board...

1. sons & daughters like to specialize in the bo diddley. what do I mean by that? well...there's these ingredients: roadside stomp, repetitive guitar groove, vaguely sexual/threatening vocals & shout along choruses. this recipe was in place for their first ep love the cup, but their latest album has them refining that sound so that the new songs make good on those dangerous advances. I don't use the word "dangerous" lightly, for anyone that's familiar with vocalist adele bethel's slow burn turn on afterwards by arab strap should know that the lady has a snarl in her voice that's cuts underneath the most benign seeming statement. so mentally combine her surly scottish burr to who do you love? then go listen to royally used from their new album, the repulsion box, & hit that barbed wire road wearing a cobra-snake for a necktie.

2. speaking of sons & daughters, who is wolf parade? I have no effin' clue 'cept that generally wolves seem to be taking over indie rock*** & that I heard the song dear sons and daughters of hungry ghosts & I have it playing on my september playlist on repeat. it is not lupine in the slightest. it is bouncy yet moody. for fans of the faintly melancholy bounce-along only.

3. anyone out there, caught that vh1 hip hop hall of fame thing? I was half asleep but I was jolted awake by the sight of big daddy kane not only rippin' it up on the mic but suddenly, miraculously busting out some SERIOUS dance moves. the kind of fall back, spin, jump on/off someone's hand into a split move that make you fear hip fractures. if anyone has any big daddy kane knowledge, please tell me where to start looking & listening.

4. the monkey & I recently nixed a possible '07 vacation to easter island after looking at it through google earth & realizing it was miles & miles & miles away from everyone, in the middle of the ocean & that is scary. especially since the only planes that get you out there look like toy models sold on ebay. besides, getting stranded in the middle of the pacific would not be like an episode of lost. OR would it? according to mi mami, they just found a buried treasure trove worth billions on chile's other random property, juan fernandez island aka robinson crusoe island - yes, home of the man whose tale defoe based his book on. & that is c-c-c-crazy cool.

see, I feel that they should've opened that hatch & found a pirate sitting on top of a chest brimming with gold coins, going "aaaarrrrgh ye...lost?". that would've been so much better than what it really was; the 80's****.

but I digress, orenda fink, the other non-oberst partnering part of azure ray, sings a song called easter island. I don't think it has much to say on the topic of moai but it sounds like a dreamy day by the ocean or at least falling asleep on the bus & dreaming about a day by the ocean.

WHAT!?! I was obviously out of my mind when I wrote that last sentence. NOT true. easter island is unsettling & if it's a dream then it is a waking nightmare. I can't tell if the theme behind fink's characters on her new album, invisible ones, is "ghosts of ancient people killed off by the modern world" or a"people who turn themselves into ghosts by not leaving their abusers" or both. a far cry from the beach, eh? not very reliable, me. sorry!

I really do need to investigate azure ray, because I find those ladies' voices so similar it must be like double tracking, all the time, on the cheap. nice going!

5. the song hi how are you by brakes makes me laugh. it's a short, silly joke. but one I know too, too well. brakes are playing piano's this tuesday, october 4th. I HIGHLY recommend you catch them.

love, d

songs to seek: royally used/sons & daughters, dear sons & daughters of hungry ghosts/wolf parade, easter island/orenda fink, hi how are you/brakes

* yeah! (does the dance of mojo)

** kristie & george from the song corporation need to record their version of no doubt's underneath it all NOW just for my listening pleasure.

*** I've always wanted to get a wolves fc t-shirt because I like the word "wolves" but I fear getting laughed at by random brits as I traipse around in it.

yes! it's true! I care what strangers think of me! (runs off & cries)

**** to those of you who watch lost but somehow haven't gotten to the whole hatch thing & feeling like I spoiled things for ya...I say relax. my comment, out of context, offers zero content clues. contributor tavie can back me up on this.