Your secret's out now, your secret's out now

Dear friends,

I swear it isn't a subconscious nod to the equine artwork for their upcoming record but when I hear Pinkies by The Big Sleep all I can think of is running horses. It's the cantering, celtic-style guitar riff that repeats throughout. It goes up and down and forwards somehow; a living carousel in a verdant field.

Not that the song is grandiose, it's fairly simple. The verses are sung by a man who sounds like he's shouting out at you across a great distance, the chorus that guitar line. Then it repeats. There's some respite from the repetition when a second guitar joins the fray, providing a steadily rising soprano counterpoint. What's being said here? The far-away man shouts "I know that you waited for this..." but doesn't provide an answer. He closes with an "Ah..." or "I..." Either way, it's a mystery, an unfinished thought. What? What am I waiting for? Curses! So you press repeat again and try to figure it out.

Pinkies/The Big Sleep (mp3)

photo by Ofer Wolberger
Sleep Forever by The Big Sleep comes out on February 19th on Frenchkiss Records.

Love, D

My huckleberry friend

Dear friends,

A lot for you today so I'll just barrel on ahead...

1. After spending a ridiculous amount of time trying, with the help of Contributor Tina and Michelle, my landlord/downstairs neighbor, to program the VCR (more on that in a moment,) I finally headed out to Sin-e only to get stuck on the train for HALF AN HOUR. We were informed over and over again through the warped speakers that the third rail was down and that we would be running as soon as power returned. People stuck half-way in a subway tunnel in a very nervous city does not make for good times. Which means of course, someone's gonna make a crappy tv show with just that premise.

But I digress, I made it to Sin-e, just in time to catch the last four songs of a band called Beat the Devil*. I had purposely not listened to any of their tracks, I just wanted to be surprised and/or disappointed on my own terms. Luckily for me, things turned out well.

Beat the Devil is a trio made up of drums/bass and harmonium, the harmonium manipulator doing double duty on vocals. Harmonium? Nico lite, perhaps? No, thank god. while I do loves me some Nico, I shudder at the thought of encountering late period Nico imitators holding forth in a lower east side club. Sure, the harmonium lends that ancient sound to their tunes, but the old timey feel has probably more to do with singer Shilpa Ray's raspy, loud almost carny-like pronouncements than any old chord wheeze. Tiny Ray pumped away at that thing and hollered like there was no tomorrow and it was damn near impossible to look elsewhere, like say, where that huge voice was coming from. The easy and cheap comparison would be PJ Harvey, another diminuitive but vocally gigantic songstress, but I wouldn't say that was accurate at all. There's certainly a theatricality to Ray's voice but it falls more along the lines of Tom Waits than Polly Jean. And that's a good thing, no?

Anywho, for their last song of the night they were joined on guitar by Danny from The Big Sleep on a cover of wait for it...wait for it...When the Levee Breaks. No denying, they really amped it up for this but the thing that put a smile on my face is that as soon as drummer Josh Fleischmann started on the beginning BOOM BOOM TSSS KA BOOM BOOM TSSS** intro, his face had a barely contained glee, Like "Dang, I've been wanting to do this since junior high!" and that infectious feeling was all over the stage. Bassist Mishka Shubaly was grooving in his little corner, weaving back and forth in front of his amp, Danny ZZZ was going buck nutty with the slide and Ray was lung-bustin'. Led Zeppelin covers can fail spectacularly for various reasons but if your singer ain't up to commiting 100% to the lunacy that is Robert Plant, then you've got nothing, and with Ray screaming about going back to Chicago, they we're doing jussss fine. They had several deliberate stops in the song where, every time, I heard the audience's sharp intake of breath, so they took them on their classic rock geekfest ride as well. Su-weet, eh? I will definitely be seeing them again. Befriend them on My Space.

2. Yes, I had to tape America's Next Top Model. And Lost. And Project Runway. What of it? Regarding Lost, I just want to say (and DON'T READ THIS IF YOU DIDN'T SEE THE SHOW) that I surmised correctly that the episode would only deal with one group but I was wrong about who it would be. I thought you'd only see Hurley and Co., not the three dingbats that got captured. ALSO, is it just me or are they trying to do some crazy zoo shiz with Kate and Sawyer, make 'em get it on in a cage? Or is that my overactive imagination getting away with me? ALSO, ALSO (new term alert!) I wanna say how glad I am Elizabeth Mitchell is on this show (the Other who seems to have beef with bug out eyed Artist Formerly Known As Henry Gale,) I love her. it seems pretty clear though that they're gonna hook her up with boring ole Jack. Man. They better make him a secret sexual deviant or something because he is the blandest man on earth. So bored of his daddy issues already. Bring on the next episode!

3. I really, really wanna book this singer named Bell. If it doesn't work for Beg Yr Pardon then I'm going to find a place and make it happen Mickey and Judy style, straight up. Melding warm electronica with fetching and winsome vocals, slightly jazzy a la Leslie Feist, this lady is definitely one to download, go see live and eventually, as soon as it is ready, purchase her cd. Befriend her on My Space.

I played Bell's cover of Moon River last month on my spectacularly incoherent guest spot on Colleen's Sandy Acres Sound Lab show on East Village Radio. If they ever update Breakfast at Tiffany's, or do any type of Audrey Hepburnish girl skipping around in NYC type of romantic comedy, they should definitely use this version. I love it when the dual vocals come in on "Two drifters..." so that the song isn't about you and some dreamy guy, but you and your mirror self, peacefully accompanying each other on life's journey.

Echinacea/Bell (you send it download)

From the same twinkly starry lo-fi universe as Moon River, this time more beat-skittery and uncertain. 'Cause even though the expression of gratitude is clearly felt, the way the soundscape can't quite get a fix on itself says there's a whole lot more to this story than a simple thank you.

4. Pete Galub added to the covers fun over at D: Undercover with a Pink Floyd selection. Go check it out!

Love, D

* Also the name of an amusing noir film starring Humphrey Bogart. Wait...is Noir the new tapes?

** Special thanks to Matt Earfarm for helping me sort out this sound. Yes. We are dorks.

Songs to seek: Plea Bargain/Beat the Devil, Moon River/Bell, Echinacea/Bell, Comfortably Numb/Pete Galub

have people shakin', shakin' my hand

dear friends,

1. because I am overworked, I'm going to post ALMOST EXACTLY the same thing I have up on the beg yr pardon site.

2. the next BYP party, #9 to be exact, will also double as my birthday party. what does this mean? that in addition to the baked goods, bonhomie & streamers you've come to expect from our little basement party, the festivities are gonna be taken up a few notches. the bands are fabulous. the decorations will be extra junior prom'd OUT. & I? I will be....merrier than usual*.

the details:

tuesday, september 26, beg yr pardon #9 aka my birthday fest 3000 at the delancey (168 delancey st. btw clinton & attorney)

7:30 doors, 8:00 start time

$5 to get in. your cash will get you 4 bands, baked goods, $5 all you can eat bbq (with vegetarian options) on the roof from 7-9, 3 awesome djs, the opportunity to make fun of my "singing" & FREE BEER from 11:30 to 12:30.

the bands:

8:00 tiny masters of today

"Anyone who thinks attitude is underrated in rock 'n roll should cast an eye in the direction of pint-sized garage-rockers, Tiny Masters Of Today. With their debut three-track EP, brother-and-sister duo Ivan and Ada showcase just how far you can go with a handful of chords and a boatload of sass."
-Drowned in Sound

ada and ivan have never been married and are actually brother and sister. they are also 10 and 12 respectively, sell their 7" in europe and the amazing russell simins (blues explosion) is their live drummer. don't be a hatah, we can't all be prodigies. they're fantastic. come check them out.

9:00 the vandelles

"Acts like the Vandelles keep one foot in pre-psychedelic surf rock while remaining true to the shoegazer movement of the 1990s."
-Billboard

the vandelles are like the jesus & mary chain fronted by a good looking california bike gang. sweet stuff.

10:00 draculazombieusa

"The band name has a sort of lovable B movie feel to it. And so does the music...Fun loving and danceable indie electronica pop."
-Mystery & Misery

o'death requested draculazombieusa for tonight's festivities. I don't think they were aware I'm one of the members. oops! dzusa (east coast annex) is like cheerleaders plus dance bleats plus live drumming. we want you to dance but won't yell at you if you can't. just don't be surprised when you're molested by a large man in a sweater vest.

11:00 o'death

"The O'death sound: Imagine a slightly disturbing blend of old-world Appalachian folk music crossed with Tom Waits fronting a modern-rock/folk band. Insanity works for the band, and it's clearly captured on the album."
-An Aquarium Drunkard

o'death is the best live act around. fah reals. hootenanny guarantee.

the djs:

sheila b (7:30-9:30)
jeff k vs rachael underrated (9:30-12:30)

if you're like me, someone that shamelessly trolls the internet looking for quality music reads, then do yourself a favor & follow our dj's links.

the poster (courtesy of alec longstreth):



yes, I know all the kool kids wanna go see grizzly bear that night. that don't mean you can't come before or after the show, right? if you're going to behave irresponsibly on a tuesday, this is the tuesday to do it. come wish me a good one.

3. see? I meant it.

4. elsewhere on the web, rachael underrated & contributor mary, dzusa member & ruined music doyenne, urge you to come out to BYP #9 too, only with more finesse.

5. I went to see the big sleep last night, bought a cd, & was generally WAY too happy to hear aaliyah being used as pre-show music**. alas, I didn't feel well & they had a late start so I didn't catch the whole set. it's a shame 'cause I was into that shiz. came home & found the monkey (who couldn't attend because he had to erm, shop for my birthday present) clicking away at his laptop & listening to the saint-saëns cello concerto #1 in a minor on the radio. I suddenly remembered my mannes music school friend**, sari, who did that very same piece when she graduated. I hope she's still playing, she was fantastic.

6. here's some live big sleep on you tube...

brown beauty (live)/the big sleep



have a good weekend, get some rest, see you on tuesday. I wanna party like it's 1999.

love, d

* the kind of merry that occurs when your have own personal bottle of fauxpagne

** you don't believe me? ask stereoactive nyc, I was standing next to him, going "babygirl! better known as aaliyah! give me goosebumps & high fevahs! making playa hatahs believahs! babygirl! better tell somebody!" etc, etc.

made words out of sound

dear friends,

1. I am going to see the big sleep at mercury lounge tonight. I can't really write about 'em until I give their new album, son of the tiger, the deep listen but if you need a preview, go here & stream it.

2. on a semi-related tangent, whenever I hear the name, the big sleep, I think of the howard hawks film with bogie & bacall & of one scene in particular. in it, bogart's character, detective philip marlowe, runs into a book store to escape the rain & dig up some dirt*. after some testy then flirty give & take with a spectacles sportin, brown hair pinned back, very young dorothy malone (looking oddly like alicia silverstone) they smoothly glide into what looks like a quickie book store romp. jigga huh? that's right. no strings sex with a woman who underneath the ultra-dowd is smoking & ready to go. she puts the "closed" sign up & everything. post-hays code**! this scene is catnip for folks (you know who you are) who really, really subscribe to the sexy librarian archetype. & yeah, the rest of the film is pretty good too. go rent it now!

2. the comas are on tonight's bill as well. I like them so I wrote about 'em once. every time I've tried to see them in the past, there is a cancellation, or idol is on, or my a.s. goes beserker at the last minute. I will catch them tonight. oh yes. I will. you come too?

love, d

* that's not a mixed metaphor. I don't even know what that sentence is. but I know some sort of crime is being committed.

** one of the hays code regulations: "adultery and illicit sex, although recognized as sometimes necessary to the plot, could not be explicit or justified and were not supposed to be presented as an attractive option." oops.