I live among the creatures of the night

Dear friends,

So I was at Mandee's (don't ask) and Say it Right by Nelly Furtado came on and I found myself doing an involuntary albeit discreet shimmy/shuffle. I was a little conflicted about it. Now, I'm no hater, I adore pop music and I'm not afraid to groove to it BUT I've never liked Furtado. Something about the quivering texture of her sharp little voice grates on me and while I worship Timbaland, his presence alone couldn't be it. And then it came to me. This song reminds me of Laura Branigan's Self Control*. I remember being at the Mandee's at Cross County Mall when I was a kid with my older cousins as they tried on bright banana yellow pants with big black stars on them and I couldn't wait until I was old enough to wear that kind of stuff. Yeah, I know.

Self Control/Laura Branigan (video)



So standing in the racks, holding a hideous shirt I'd never buy or much less wear, I spied a little girl watching her mother? her sister? her cousin? model a tight black dress with ruching that, while lacking in class, she was certainly working. The little girl moved her feet to the song and mouthed the words.

Say it Right/Nelly Furtado (video)



Even if the yearning I hear in it is only the projection of my nostalgia, this is a fine pop number and I want to move to it. Even if I mostly stick to jeans and ratty t-shirts with John Travolta on them. Even if I'm all grown up.

2. I'm going out of town with some friends to enjoy the outdoors 'cause this lady loves her countryside. If you are staying in the city, I urge you to go The Music Slut's Spring Fling at The Delancey on Saturday. I'm not familiar with some of the bands on the bill (though I'm a big fan of Cassettes Won't Listen and The Midnight Hours) but Jen and Matt Slut got some ears on 'em and I know it will be a ball.

Love, D

* If, you know, Say it Right had metal guitars and was way less fun.

stay while you can

dear friends,

do you ever have one of those moments where you think to yourself, "why o why do I talk SO MUCH?" I had several of those at last night's beg yr pardon # 6 party, I blame the beer. & the musical thrills. what can I say? I was high on life & hops.

thank you so much cassettes won't listen, ezmachine, my teenage stride & animandible! in addition to getting to see you all play in one place, it was nice to finally meet you face to face!

thank you jeff k & matilda von crumbcake for adding to the night's soundtrack with your dj-ing skillz! I boogied to serge gainsbourg & lee hazelwood. sexy sleaze in two languages! that's educational.

for some video of the cassettes won't listen set go over to merry swankster.

for some audience perpective from the latter part of the night go over to the music slut.

(one of the d makes an ass of herself highlights was my going up to a random lady audience member & yellin', "HEY SLUT!" thinking that she was one of the music slut folks. she was not. that was awesome. I should never be allowed to speak.)

tonight, I will go see step up. when ballet meets hip hop, there can only be excellence!

love, d

ps if you weren't at BYP last night, do yourselves a big favor & make sure you get to the crackers united presents friction show next wednesday so you can see cassettes won't listen for yourselves. TRUST ME. get your tickets now!

songs to seek: slee-z machine/ezmachine, reversal of red bird/my teenage stride, fuck the prom/animandible, summer vacation/cassettes won't listen

(NB: a remixed version of summer vacation, renamed picket fences, was SO fantastic last night! back-up lady singers! mc! my dragging people from upstairs so they wouldn't miss it! I wish I had a copy of that performance!

for those of you who were equally frothing at the mouth over it, the mc was bisc one, back up singers were thimali & mariella, & devang shah was on hand drum. you can download picket fences on bisc ones's my space page)