Just looking for a new direction

Dear friends,

1. A quick one: check out DZUSA tubthumper and Serious Biz honcho Travis H's new site, Shuffle Lovers. Ah sweet, sweet podcasting. T-Ha is a man of exquisite aural taste. Go listen!

2. A quick one: J and I were Slope-eating like a pair of dirty yuppies this weekend and this song came on in the restaurant. I started doing a modified chair bounce and mouthing the basso profundo "And so the conversation turned/Until the sun went DOWN." The Monkey thought I had a brain injury. Hardly! I ADORED this song when I was a kid. It's a tune that's vaguely about change*, is not dance-able in the traditional pelvic thrusting sense** and yet...it was a total SUMMER JAM! Brighton Beach! Someone walking by with it blaring out of their humongous radio! Moms fixing me a sandy snack! Ah, those where the days...

(Keep Feeling) Fascination/The Human League (video)



3. A quick one: Wish me luck!

Love, D

* Well, with multiple singers each singing a line it sounds like a group manifesto about what's to come after all the parties involved are forced to grow up. But honestly, who gives a crap? When you have a keyboard line that goes "tootly too roo roo roo roo!" you don't need to be deep.

** I don't see strippers dancing to this unless they're insane. It's more of a side to side, arm waving dance. A more muted version of the Molly Ringwald.

I'll be sure not to sing your praise too loud

Dear Friends,

1.

Things I learned in the woods:

Eagles have a large wing span. (Okay, I already knew that but up close and personal is a little different.)

Well water can be malodorous.

That in itself is not enough to stop you showering in it when you are dirty.

If you "hike" in sneakers, carrying an umbrella, more experienced types will laugh at you as they pass.

Hikers will also ALWAYS greet you. Which is interesting if you've been entertaining thoughts that they are serial killers on the stalk.

Brown bears steer clear of well traveled logging roads (at least that is what I will continue to hope.)

Certain songs are made for nightime, curving road driving with dark tree silhouettes reaching overhead and a loved one's reassuring hand on your knee.

One such song is They built you up too fast (yousendit download) by Takka Takka from their album, We feel safer at night.

A sotto voce ditty about great expectations; not overly serious, just matter of fact. It's probably the punctuation of syncopated handclaps and la la las sprinkled throughout that keeps it so light. The song is a promise, a quiet one and something about the measured quietness makes you think that the narrator is unsure they can keep their vow. How can they when odds say they will fail? So they turn it into a nursery rhyme of sorts. One that says, "Don't blame me if I can't keep it...I'll try though." and secretly hopes that through repetition, they can make it so.

Of course when I listen to it, none of this comes in to play. Especially on the country roads with the signs saying 'Fawn crossing.' I just hear the quiet spaces in between and murmur the refrain under my breath*.

Takka Takka play tonight as part of an Earfarm Halloween showcase at Union Hall. Check it.

2.

CMJ here we come!

Wednesday, November 1st. Knitting Factory Old Office. Serious Business Records Famiglia!

This is gonna be good freakin' times so if you are free, come on out! Conversely, if you hadn't planned to come, have a CMJ pass and are in the building, feel free to wander our way.

Love, D

* Gabriel Takka has just informed me the song is about Richard Serra. Uh...really? (Consults cd booklet lyric sheet.) Tomorrow I will write about how Young Folks by Peter Bjorn and John is about fear of discos and my winning interpretive streak shall continue!

I should've known

dear friends,

oops! my friend & sometime boss, contributor travis told me about this video last saturday & I plum forgot to mention it. how could have that have happened?

here it goes again/ok go



o a-ross, I can't wait to see you again. I've always sassed you in the past 'cause good looking & talented people need to be sassed often for their own health & humility. next time, I'll be sure to make the ribbin' extra special.

love, d

ps one more thing! go to the news page on the serious biz website & download the draculazombieusa/JAMF remix of spank rock's put that pussy on me STAT. it's six o'clock in the freakin' morning & I am rocking that shiz! my neighbors love me, word.

you must be used to this now

dear friends,

1. another weekend, another show. actually, no. I took a break from showgoing ('cept for a brief jaunt to philly, see #2) to cook & lounge & watch a cock & bull story*. for coverage of the pretty girls make graves show at the mccarren park pool keep checking subinev. you can count on bryan's photos to be good so there's definitely some kind of wonderful to be found.

2. here is a video for man in gray's thirty-six directed by steven huber. I took a lot of mediocre photos of their illadelphia show so this will have to do for now. my apologies to those who have seen it here already. I like to repeat myself.

thirty-six/man in gray



3. speaking of man in gray, serious business records has gone way fancy on my ass & revamped their site. go read their boozy, rosy-hued arthurian legend penned by the incomparable joe willie & maybe buy some of their premium products. ok not maybe. definitely. pony up.

also go to the photo page, I'm in one of the pictures. try & spot the waldo.

love, d

* SO great. a lot of movie set based films fill me with anxiety & this one is no different (I was practically gnawing my hands off) BUT a cock & bull story had that magical ingredient necessary for this type of movie - CONTEXT. makes me want to re-read the life & opinions of tristram shandy & re-read stephen fry**, who makes an appearance on the extras passionately discussing the merits of this singular novel.

** asterisk in asterisk aspic? did it. done. grammatical crimes daily here at soft communication! but I digress...yes, stephen fry is not just jeeves but a terrific writer as well. for proof try & nab yourself a copy of moab is my washpot.