Zoo Kid//Out Getting Ribs

Have you heard of Brit School, the Croydon arts & tech. high school that's churning out many of today's most talented musicians? I stumbled upon it last night, after a pal posted the following song on FB. I have decided to go back in time and redo high school there. Is that something we can make happen?

Already having gone through two band names (he now performs as Kid Krule), Archy Marshall aka Zoo Kid was born in, get this, 1994! Can you believe that small teenager is coming at us with this voice and these lyrics and that guitar tone? "16 is the new 21," someone on the FB comment chain posted. Someone else chimed in with, "He sounds like he's been married 4 times..." Maybe the kids aren't actually getting younger after all.

The song is stunning, the video seductively simple:



Out Getting Ribs.mp3 [Thanks]

Hear more here.

Anni Rossi//Land Majestic

A Jam Majestic and Untamed: Local Music Friday
What's up with Local Music Fridays?

Guys, I am just going to stop making promises about post frequency/quantity/etc. We both know I can't keep them. With the moving and the wedding planning and the new (sort of demanding) job, I'm like a deadbeat dad with a million shitty excuses. Not cool. So from now on, you'll hear from me when you hear from me. The only thing I can completely guarantee is that the jams will stay totally real and top notch. Quality, not quantity, amiright?

I've hung out with Anni Rossi a handful of entertaining times. We are strictly the kind of acquaintances who make plans to hang out when we see each other without following through on them. Honestly though, sometimes these are totally awesome relationships, I think. It's always good to run into these folks at shows/on the street/whatever and of course you do legitimately want to hang out, but you get busy, they get busy, you move across the country...you know how it goes.

Regardless, Anni is rad and her music is, as evidenced by the track below, also rad. This recording is super rich. The tones of all the string instruments are impeccable. The arrangement, especially with respect to the use of rhythm, manages to be interesting, original and catchy all at once. Not an easy feat. Have I mentioned that the lyrics are kind of heartbreaking (in case you missed them)? Have we all not been there?

Buy Heavy Meadow, the album from whence this came, here.



Land Majestic.mp3

And we jumped into
The Grand Canyon in winter,
Throwing glitter.

Laura Barrett//Robot Ponies

Cyber Monday Mail
What is Monday Mail?

How was your Thanksgiving? Mine was spent with family and good friends, and was fantastic as usual. Thanksgiving is a great American holiday. For the most part, it transcends religion, race and a lot of the other kinds of identity bullshit that can often trip us up. It unites us as people who all live together in this weird country. It reminds us to really give thanks for all our blessings.

Granted Thanksgiving also comes with some issues—mainly Black Friday/Cyber Monday, the beginning of the holiday shopping season. It’s as if it’s not enough just to be happy with what we have, WE NEED MORE! WE NEED DEALS! YEAH!

I would be derelict in my duties if I didn’t mention that I spent some of my Thanksgiving working, writing retail copy for various emails going out on Cyber Monday. And in celebration of this Cyber Monday, I thought I would post a song that fits with the theme.

You might remember Doug Hoyer from a few weeks ago. Well, in our email exchange, he sent me this:
ps:

I was going to ask:

Have you heard of Laura Barrett? Since we're talking about sci-fi songs...

She's a friend of mine from the Toronto area, who does her own thing but also plays in a Canadian group called The Hidden Cameras. For her solo output, she mostly plays kalimba, and honestly reminds me of Kate Bush.

But she has this song called Robot Ponies, about Christmas time for children in the year 2053. It's both beautiful and a bit spooky, I find.

She has a video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHK7XLBhsdM

Also, on her first full length she has lots of sci-fi titled songs (sometimes the theme isn't as obvious). I remember calling her out on the instrumental she named after a Ray Bradbury short story, "Escape to the Sun Dome" (along side other futuristic numbers like "To the Stars!" and "Star Seed: the Musical"

It might not be up your alley, but I think you might dig/appreciate it!

I have to say, since I first listened to this song, I have been completely obsessed with it. It’s so atmospheric. Spooky is the right word. Those kalimba sounds deliver a stark , sad feeling, perfect for a song about the consumerism of the future.

The lyrics are basically an advertisement for, well, robot ponies—the dream toy of all children in 2053. They ponies have a variety of functions. Some can swim (“we made those babies airtight”). Some are useful for cheering up old people (“the robot pony geriatric ranch”). The best part: they all whisper the affirming, “you know best.”

Witty and melancholy, wryly funny like a Vonnegut novel, this song is an amazing comment on American consumerism. You know best.



Robot Ponies.mp3

Tennis, golf and basketball,
These robot ponies do it all,
The fucking love it all.
They’ll tuck you in at night and sing to you,
“You know best.”

Del the Funky Homosapien//Style Police

Embarrassing, I know, but I think I first heard Del the Funky Homosapien's (or Del tha Funkee Homosapien's) solo work while playing Tony Hawk with Als at some ungodly hour in East Lansing, Michigan. The track featured on the game was "If You Must," a strangely fabulous track that basically focuses on the virtues of personal hygiene.

Of course, I had been listening to Gorillaz for quite some time. I loved Del's work on that stuff, knew he had a solo career, but for some reason just never bothered to look him up. Glad the stupid game jogged my memory, because his shit is completely insane.

Dude has the craziest flow. Seriously, what is he even doing? What is that beat? It's so weird and unique. Amazing.

This track is a banger. I'll just let you enjoy it. And while you're doing that, here are some things you might not know about Del:

-Del's real name is Teren Delvon Jones.
-He's the cousin of Ice Cube.
-During the late 90s, he was a frequent psychedelic drug user. Shocker.
-In 2009, he did an album with Tame-One. This will only register with New Jersey readers. But it's still exciting.



Style Police.mp3

When I’m up to bat, it's like you trying to duck a gat.
You commonplace,
I shift time and space,
Leave your mind erased like the year 2000
And data replaces the faces.

Toro y Moi//Drive South

Let's talk about Chillwave...because even though it's a bit trendy at the moment (or just was...or something? don't hate on me, but I can't actually keep track), I kind of love it:

Chillwave is a debated term used to describe a group of music artists that although sonically disparate, are often characterized by their heavy use of effects processing, synthesizers, looping, sampling, and heavily filtered vocals with simple melodic lines. Its musical predecessors are diverse and include the synthpop of the 1980s, shoegaze, ambient, musique concrete and various types of music outside of the Western World. The overall aesthetic of chillwave is generally influenced by the idea of hauntology. In this case, nostalgia of 80s synthpop is filtered through a distorted lens, re-envisioning the era in a more vague and lo-fi sense.

A lot of it kind of sounds the same and some of it has retained the 80s cheese, but the fact is, I still like most of it. I hadn't ever heard of Toro y Moi before, but I stumbled upon this track after checking out an acquaintance's new blog, International Tapes (which is actually really worth checking out--a very origintal concept for a music blog that I haven't seen done before).

I heard this song about three days ago and I haven't be able to get it out of my head since then. There's something about that bass line and the echoing synth, the quiet, contemplative lyrics over it...and of course that sweet little guitar riff in the chorus. Brilliant.

Now, I'm going to do the opposite of this song's title and fly north/west for a few days to work on the farm of some friends in Northern MI. I'll see you on Tuesday.



Drive South.mp3

It's different now
Cuz we kissed on other lovers
And we know it doesn't matter anymore.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs//Art Star

To be completely honest, I have absolutely no idea what is going on with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs anymore. I basically checked out after Fever to Tell, moving on to other things, figuring that their success probably was about to make them start sucking anyway. But when this first EP, Master, broke, it was totally amazing.

It was 2003 and I was working at a record store in Ann Arbor and my boss dropped in one day to tell me I should REALLY check this band out for their new New York sound, extreme buzz, crazy lead singer, screaming, etc. So, I did and man, the whole EP was weird and golden.

A bunch of friends and I went to see them shortly thereafter on a tour with Liars at The Magic Stick in Detroit. Karen O. really lived up to her reputation. She was so drunk and wild that she almost slid off stage a few times. Something about the band's sound and persona in that era was so perfect for my age--the raucous nights charged with booze, sexual tension and a special kind of youthful aloofness. I think, at that time, we all considered ourselves art stars.



Art Star.mp3

I've been working on a piece that speaks of sex and desperation.
I've been screwing on the tracks of abandoned train stations.

Olivia Tremor Control//A Peculiar Noise Called ‘Train Director’

Now that we’ve opened the Pandora’s Box of Elephant 6, I figure we should just go with it. Yesterday’s song made me realize that I haven’t been listening to many of my favorite E6 albums lately, which caused me to revisit. So many of these bands really hold up…the stuff still sounds fucking great.

Of course, The Apples in Stereo’s Tone Soul Evolution is a brilliant pop gem, one that I will soon return on this blog, since it hasn’t been adequately covered yet. However, there’s also the equally amazing Black Foliage album by the lesser-known band in the original E6 trip, Olivia Tremor Control.

OTC are distinctively less poppy and more weird than TAiS. The songs veer out into strange territories sometimes, completely abandoning the hook and structure. Sometimes, the songs aren’t even really songs, just soundscapes. And yet, it’s not a problem. I’m not really a noise lover, but these guys make it work, dexterously weaving the ambient with the active and smoothing it all out with some harmonized 60s ooouhs and ahhhhhs in the background.



A Peculiar Noise Called ‘Train Director’.mp3

In the blink of eye you get several meanings.

James Brown//Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine, The Flying Lizards//Sex Machine

Dear OSS,

It's beautiful and I've got two very dear friends in town. Thus, I'm going to post a few tracks today and be done for the week. I hope you can forgive me. My girlfriend is bagging disgusting dead leaves in our backyard and I'm typing this! See how dedicated I am!

This is a classic James Brown funk song from the 70s. It's pretty self explanatory. It's about being a sex machine.

Here, also, is an amazing cover by the British post punk outfit The Flying Lizards (best known for another cover, of the song "Money"). Their take is, no doubt, a bit flatter.



Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine.mp3



Sex Machine.mp3

Get up,
Get on up!

Love,
G

Laurel Halo//Embassy

Lush and Local: Local Music Friday
What's up with Local Music Fridays?

Sorry, I missed yesterday. I was putting all my energy into putting my apartment back together after the big shack up. Besides, I figured you'd still be playing that France Gall track on repeat.

It's funny how you can live with people in a very small town and not meet them until you move to a very large town. This was the case with Laurel, who I met by chance at a party at Sharon's house.

Laurel just got a shout-out from this cute little music website. You may have heard of it. It's called Pitchfork. Pretty cool.

This recording is very textured and lush. Those dudes compared her to Dirty Projectors, which I can definitely hear, especially the way the vocal lines weave in and out of the instrumentation. The music itself also reminds me a bit of Bell.



Embassy.mp3

Though I've never had the chance to see Laurel live, I bet it's rad. I'm always curious to hear how recordings like this translate into live performance. Catch her at Glasslands on May 4.

Billy Bragg & Wilco//California Stars

I can’t exactly say why this feels like a good song for today, but it does. It’s kind of grey outside. Did I tell you I might be moving to California in about a year? Where I might be going, every day is a beautiful one. I can’t imagine what this might do for my mood. Good things, I suspect. Still, I have to wonder if I might miss the seasons, the overcast mornings, the weather giving me permission, as a coworker aptly noted yesterday, “to feel sad.”

This came out in 1998, when I was just a freshman in high school. It’s a collaboration between British musician Billy Bragg and Chicago-based once alt-country, now more experimental Wilco to imagine melodies and chords for old Woody Guthrie songs that only had lyrics. They did a great job. The result is a gorgeous album containing many beautiful songs, including personal faves “Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key” and “Ingrid Bergman.” The project was organized by Guthrie’s daughter Nora and was named after the street in Coney Island where Guthrie once lived.

Also, when I was about 16, I had this inside joke with a friend that consisted of us shouting, “BILLY BRAGG!!!” in a really gruff bad English accented faux-Billy Bragg voice. I’m not exactly sure where that came from, but I think it had something to do with this album. And maybe The Sex Pistols? I know—they seem so unrelated.



California Stars.mp3

I’d like to rest my heavy head tonight
On a bed of California stars.
I’d like to lay my weary bones tonight
On a bed of California Stars.
I love to feel your hand touching mine.
Oh, tell me why I must keep working on?
Yes, I’d give my life to lay my head tonight
On a bed of California stars.

Hanne Hukkelberg//Ease

Nordic Tracks, Monday Mail!
What is Monday Mail?

A few weeks ago, Brooke from Big Hassle wrote to invite me to see Hanne Hukkelberg at Scandinavia House's new emerging artist music series.

The first performance of the series features Norwegian artist Hanne Hukkelberg… Out of Scandinavia/Out of Context is a uniquely-selected series of musical performances the first Thursday of the month from April through August 2010, headlining a myriad of fresh Nordic musicians that features one-off and premiere performances.It will continue through August, and has the benefit of being held in a unique cultural space, Scandinavia House, The Nordic Center in America.

Sadly, I was otherwise occupied that evening (when your girlfriend is an actor, you go to a lot of readings). My eyes perked up at the email though, since I had heard a few very good tracks from Hukkelberg’s previous album, Little Things (the song below is featured on that album). She’s got a new one out now called Blood from a Stone, which, if her myspace is any indication, is equally good.

I really like this song because it’s obviously arranged with a number of offbeat found sounds. Woodwinds toot over keyboards and twinkly metallic hits that could be from pots or pans or bicycle spokes. The sound sparkles and flecks like a kaleidoscope. Every turn brings something new, pretty and unexpected.

If you, like me, missed Ms. Hukkelberg’s last show, you’re in luck. She’s got about five New York shows lined up for the next few months, so go make that happen. Meanwhile, the fest also continues. More info on that here.



Ease.mp3

But when I'm all alone,
My tiny heart of foam
Dries a little.

Stina Nordenstam//Winterkilling

It just keeps snowing. Is it ever going to end? I am kind of freaking out about it. When I was a kid, it used to snow like this, but we haven't had this kind of winter in quite some time and I am not used to it anymore. If I was in Michigan, I would expect it. I would feel prepared for and even welcome the nights spent in, drinking whiskey and playing board games. But this is New York. It's so out of context. I can't wrap my head around it.

There's something else I've been trying to wrap my head around this week. It seems possible that A. might be going to school in California next fall, which means that I may be living in California in a year. If a constantly snow-filled season is unexpected, the prospect of me living in Southern California is downright foreign. Still, at least right now, I am feeling like the former may justify the latter. 70 and sunny's sounding better and better!

This song, by reclusive Swedish artist Stina Nordenstam, is about hating winter and moving somewhere for someone (although in the narrator of this song's case, maybe not for the right reasons). Although the actual situation described in this song has little to do with my own, I feel you, Stina. Winter is killing me.



Winterkilling.mp3

You say winter's killing you
And you can't stand the season.
It has no smell or flavor.
I left the city for you.
There was no other reason.

Tracy + The Plastics//(We Meet the) Queerion

Oh, happy day. Oh, day I have been waiting for. Today is the day we are going to listen to one of my favorite live acts ever, Tracy + The Plastics.

I first saw Tracy (aka feminist video-artist Wynne Greenwood) and her Plastics (also aka Wynne Greenwood) at a very hilarious electroclash tour at The Majestic Theater in Detroit on October 17th, 2002. I had heard how amazing T+TPs were from friends who had seen them (her) the year before opening for Le Tigre. They could not stop talking about how hilarious she was.

As it turns out, I wrote a VERY SNARKY (in keeping with the paper's style) review of this show for The Michigan Daily the next day. Let's just go to a relevant segment of that now:

Tracy + the Plastics were the first official performers. They were absolutely wonderful and also incredibly bizarre. Tracy, whose real name is Wynne Greenwood, makes her prerecorded “music” on a drum machine and midi keyboard then sings along onstage. What really made Tracy spectacular was her witty between-song banter with two alter-egos (the Plastics), Nikki and Cola. These characters were really just pre-recorded camcorder footage of Tracy playing the parts of the Plastics projected onto a screen. By the way, they all talked like that popular Asian girl on MTV’s Daria. Although she is most likely on some very heavy drugs, Tracey’s act was highly amusing.*

And since I really, really want you guys to understand this, here's a video:



This one is also really good.

Sadly, Wynne ended T+TP ended in 2006. Hard to say what Wynne is up to these days. The last thing Wikipedia has her doing is teaching art to kids convicted of crime in Seattle. Still, it's never too late to buy Musclers Guide to Videotronics (hurry! right now there's only one left on Amazon).

(We Meet the) Queerion.mp3

You have my suit.
I want it back.

*I have a feeling some of my good friends might want to re-read this review in full. If you're one of them, let me know and I'll direct you to it.

Sleigh Bells//Ring Ring

Stereogum says they're a band to watch. Pitchfork says they're "rising." All this attention is making their first album one of the most anticipated of the year.

If you read this blog with any regularity, you may be well-aquatinted with my feelings on the concept of "hype." Much of the time, I think it's just that--hype. Some of the best music I've ever heard has been completely without buzz and some of the worst music I've ever heard has been completely over-praised by "prominent critics." Once in a while, a band is getting hype because it actually deserves it or because it's special in some way. I kind of feel that way about Sleigh Bells.

It's not that Sleigh Bells are good songwriters or masterful artists. At best, they sound like passable musicians with a creative sound. What I'm sure makes them stand out is their live energy...and this is something I can tell even having never seen them live. You better believe though that I'm going to try to see them live as soon as possible. Their songs sound like the best party you've never been too--the kind you know will be fun and bad and debaucherous; the kind you wouldn't tell your parents about, the kind you want to get yourself to ASAP.

I put this song on my Christmas mix because I thought it was witty and appropriate. And since we're wading through a foot of snow, it still seems so. Get it? Sleigh Bells?



Ring Ring.mp3

You're just a weatherman,
We make the wind blow.

RJD2//2 More Dead

You may know RJD2, electronic music and hip hop producer, from his numerous commercial placements with song "Ghostwriter". And if you don't know him from that, I have a feeling I know where you do know him from. "Ghostwriter" is a great song. In fact the entire album, Deadringer, is great. That said, I'm definitely partial to this track.

I believe I first heard this stuff mid-college time. I'm sure it was Ali who introduced me. She may have even put this track on a mix. There's something so perfect and expert about the way RJD2 (aka Ramble John--note to self: name children "Ramble") mixes and mashes his beats and sounds: A dash of old funk, a pinch of a soul vocal and a base of the new. Not surprising that this delicate balance between retro and modern is a perfect fit for the Mad Men theme.

Apparently, a few years ago, RJ moved in a new musical direction--toward playing instruments and singing. It's definitely different, but not nessicarily bad. It seems as though he has returned slightly to his older style on his newer record, The Colossus.



2 More Dead.mp3

Live in NYC? RJD2 plays The Highline on March 7. Live elsewhere? He's on a major tour now.

Boards of Canada//1969

Friends, Time Travel Week is coming to an end and my grand plan is to strand us somewhere in the summer of 1969, maybe in some kind of commune, probably on some hallucinogenic drugs. Maybe Altamont? Maybe Woodstock?

Speaking of Altamont, yesterday A. and I went to the Brooklyn Museum to catch Who Shot Rock and Roll? before it closed. There is an awesome picture of The Rolling Stones playing to adoring, if distressed, looking fans, while a Hell's Angel Security Guard pushes crowds back in the background.

Soundscapes presented by BoC are strange, deeply analogue and pretty. This song is from Geogaddi, which was released in 2002. One member of the band, Sandison, described the album as "a record for some sort of trial-by-fire, a claustrophobic, twisting journey that takes you into some pretty dark experiences before you reach the open air again." From Wikipedia: "Geogaddi's development allegedly involved the creation of 400 song fragments and 64 complete songs, of which 22 were selected."



1969.mp3

1969, in the sunshine.

The Year in Music, 1969: In addition to Woodstock and Altamont, 1969 saw the formation of Black Sabbath, Mott the Hopple and ZZ Top. The Beatles released Abbey Road. The two highest charting singles were "Get Back" by the Beatles and "Honkey Tonk Woman" by The Rolling Stones.

Mirah//1982

Now, let's travel just a few years into the future, to 1982, where future K Records all star Mirah (who has been mentioned before) is playing Atari in her living room, probably in Bala Cynwyd*, PA, just outside of Philly.
*Sidenote: I really love when people not familiar with the Philadelphia metro area attempt to pronounce "Bala Cynwyd." It's "Ba La Kin Wood," for the record, homies.

A year later, in 1983, THE HUMBLE NARRATOR OF THIS BLOG will be born in Hackensack, NJ. A few years after that, my family would frequently travel to see family friends who had, awesomely, an Atari (ready for home use in, really?, 1977) AND a pinball machine in their basement. Some particularly bright childhood memories for me were the mornings spent in their old Pennsylvania farmhouse in PJs with the family's oldest son and still dear friend Matt, playing Pac Man, Donkey Kong and some military-ish shooting game that I can't remember the name of. Matt?

Old school video games are awesome. Did you know that you can now download emulators for computers and play all your favorite games from childhood. I recently did this at the urging of some friends/bandmates and my life hasn't been the same, not necessarily in a good way. Mostly, I've been glued to a chair listening to the audio version of Game Change (which is completely cheap and salacious) while frantically trying to defeat pixelated viruses with pixelated pills in Dr. Mario.
Also, if you live in NY, you can go play all the arcade versions of these old games in person, while drinking overpriced microbrews, at Barcade in Williamsburg. I have a friend coming to town from LA this weekend and I am thinking about putting this on our list of places to hit up.

Anyway, video game digression aside, the point of this is that if you were a child of the 80s, like I was, life was pretty rad. We had the fun of video games (and, as Mirah points out, the fun drama of destroying our friends and siblings at them), Saturday morning cartoons and the Sunday funnies, but not the electronic time-suck of the internet and cell phones. We played outside a lot and would later be excited by things like snap bracelets. Public Enemy and Faith No More were just forming, while ABBA and The Eagles were breaking up. Life was good.



1982.mp3

Frogger, I'm a frog.
Breakout, you're a dog.
You're a dog for trying to run me over.
1982, I'm playing Atari
In my living room.

Time Travel Prep: Now that we're in 1982, you should probably know some key facts so you can blend in, BTTF style. In the US, we're having a recession and Toyota just came out with a new kind of car. It's called the Camry. Cal Ripken JR. is going to break records, the St. Louis Cardinals are going to win the World Series and Time Magazine's Man of the Year is going to be, for the first time, non-human: the computer. Very interesting, considering that Apple's about to introduce it's much-hyped Tablet-of-the-Future today. 1982, how far we've come.

Yeasayer//2080

Before we kick off the week: OSS finally jumped on the social networking bandwagon (about 1-4 years late, but oh well). You can now follow the jams on Twitter and Facebook.

Speaking of technology, I would like to officially welcome you to Time Travel Week here on OSS. Prepare to be jostled around as we move between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space!

Last week, I had dinner with a friend and we got into a long, intense conversation about what would happen if we lost the grid. This is one of my favorite conversations and usually leads me to fantasize about the hell that would occur when post-digital information age, we realize that no one in our society actually knows how to do anything anymore and we are hurdled into another dark age. I have a few friends who are carpenters and farmers. I am looking at you guys. If this ever happens, I will be showing up at your doors.

With that in mind, let’s travel to the future. Brooklyn buzz band Yeasayer just released a new album that sounds, from what I’ve heard of it so far, great. On their previous release, All Hour Cymbals, they wrote about 2080.

The version of the future (and the resistance to thinking about it too much) described in the song feels pretty bleak. The narrator suggests that we “grab at the chance to be handsome farmers,” implying that our current situation likely won’t hold long. The way the song sounds, I can’t help but imagine post-apocalyptic urban hells taking over our once-thriving cities and small farming communities dotting our countrysides, with people returning to old ways as lack of resources leads civilization to revert to simpler times. The narrator also acknowledges that he’ll “surely be dead” by the time any of this comes to pass.

Until tomorrow, enjoy your stay in 2080. If you get bored, you can always get back in the DeLorean for some more.



2080.mp3

I can't sleep when I think about the times we're living in.
I can't sleep when I think about the future I was born into.

Time Travel Fact: It’s unclear where the idea of time travel first emerge, although some point to an early example around 700 BC. From Wikipedia: Ancient folk tales and myths sometimes involved something akin to travelling forward in time; for example, in Hindu mythology, the Mahabharatha mentions the story of the King Revaita, who travels to heaven to meet the creator Brahma and is shocked to learn that many ages have passed when he returns to Earth.

Zoos of Berlin//Electrical Way

Enjoy this Local Music Friday at the Zoologischer Garten.
Tell me...what is this Local Music Fridays?

We had the pleasure of playing with these guys last month at Cake Shop. It's not that often that I go to a show and actually want to dance to the live music being played. While Zoos were playing, I couldn't keep still. Their tracks have a way of entering with an upbeat, danceable bang and then emptying out into a mellow jam.

Zoos has been around for a while and many of the group's members have played in other bands, including Red Shirt Brigade, Pas/Cal and The Pop Project (who I can remember seeing many times at The Halfass). They recently released a new album, Taxis, which is awesome through-and-through. Best CD trade I ever did. Buy it here.

This song is one of my favorites on the album (along with "Black in the Sun Room") and gives you a good idea of why it would be hard not to dance at one of their shows.



Electrical Way.mp3

And it's all about personal control.

Talking Heads//Psycho Killer, Once in a Lifetime (Live)

I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “Gina, you are a liar and a slacker.” Well, listen, I might be one. I didn’t deliver yesterday and honestly, there’s usually been about a day every week where I don’t lately. I’m not saying I don’t feel bad. I don’t want to let you guys down. That said, you barely ever answer me when I ask you questions. For example, a few days ago I asked everybody what they wanted to be when they grew up and no one responded. I was genuinely interested! C’mon guys! Shape up! I want to see some dedication!

While I might not actually be here every day, I will never leave you short on songs, because I really care about you guys! Let’s try to work it out!

So, listen: if you’re in NYC like me, you’re probably lovin’ lovin’ lovin’ this weird summery weather, especially after the week of intense dank doom we experienced last week. If you’re in NYC like me, you probably also went to the amazing free David Byrne show at the beginning of the summer in Prospect Park. Face it, I know you were there. EVERYONE was there. I think I saw 9/10ths of the people I know in the world that night. And Mr. Byrne looked like a the hazy light of Jesus in the distance across throngs of young hipsters, aging hipsters and Park Slope hipster parents. Someone gave you a sip of whiskey straight from the bottle. Someone in front of you was smoking a joint. The twilight fell on roaring applause and dancers in weird costumes. Remember?

While that time has passed, we can still think back on it fondly as we prepare to enter the cold hell of winter. We can also give thanks to David Byrne for his many cultural contributions to society: attractive custom bike racks (and a book about cycling), an incredible installation involving a hacked vintage organ, slightly crazy hair, Luaka Bop, the big suit, amazing work with Talking Heads, a tasteful solo career and a willingness to cover Talking Heads songs live in concert to this day. Mr. Byrne, we salute you.

Also, a random thought, I will always remember Jill’s sisters dancing to Psycho Killer, which Jill made them do in front of all her college friends, kind of against their will. Jill’s sisters, we salute you too.



Psycho Killer.mp3

Once in a Lifetime.mp3

You start a conversation, you can't even finish it.
You're talking a lot, but you're not saying anything.
When I have nothing to say, my lips are sealed.
Say something once, why say it again?