album of the decade. the most timeless, perfect album of all time. the one that makes me feel at home, anywhere. when I'm alone, or with friends, sad, or happy, or tired, or energized, or running, or writing, or on the train, or on my lunch hour, or really fucked up, or lying on my floor with my record player on. the damn album that started it all. that made music matter. to me. the one that alienated me as the crazy music blogger who obsesses over The Strokes. well fuck you if you don't get it. because Is This It is my fucking soulmate.
12 songs. 6 days. you do the math.
in the sun sun having fun it's in my blood. I just can't help it.
I love the US and UK versions equally. I listened to the US one maybe 2349 times before I found out about NYC Cops. now, I usually listen to the UK version, but they're both equal in my book. plus, the US one has the album art that will end up on my left arm. once I save up a little money. it's gonna be the most bitchin tattoo in all of North Dakota.
Some music is loud, some music is soft. Some music is nothing more or less than a transcendent experience.
Explosions in the Sky are from Texas. They make experimental music that will lift you beyond the realms of ordinary musical expression. The various instruments fall into place more seamlessly than two conjoining puzzle pieces finding their place on a table. It's wonderful, powerful music, and it will take you to places that you never bothered to visit. The band has been around for ten years, and their discography is varied and colourful. They recently joined The Flaming Lips on tour.
Just as Costco gives out free samples knowing that you'll most likely go home with a 10 pound tub of whatever it is you're tasting, Explosions in the Sky offer a cornucopia of free downloads--knowing full well that you won't be able to walk away unaffected. On their WEBSITE they offer a whole album (The Rescue) for free, as well as a single song from each of their albums. What a smart group of lads, they've figured out that a bit of bandwidth is a fair trade for inspiring lifetime fans. You'd better bet your bottom dollar that if I ever come across their records in a shop, or see that they are playing a venue within a 50 mile radius that I'll be the first one to bust out my wallet.
my first semester as an English major, I was obsessed with this poet named Gascoigne, and wrote about him instead of Spenser for my class on Spencer's Faerie Queene. I tend to do things like that...I don't hold well to restraints. plus, I really despise Spenser. anyhow, one of Gascoigne's best pieces was a satirical essay called ADelicate Dietfor Dainty Mouthed Drunkards, which ostensibly is an anti-drinking piece, but in essence pokes fun at what it's supposedly supporting. he so wisely stated that one should drink "no more than is convenient", something that can be stretched as you see fit
t in any case, I love drunkards. Happy Holidays, everyone.
you know, I have all of these fantasies of moving out to NYC and being a music writer, and whenever I think about it, the soundtrack which pops in my head is primarily composed of Lou Reed singing. his songs always embody New York for me, very powerfully. I think it has to do with the mixture of drugs, smooth flowing rock n roll swagger and the sheer dancibility of it all.
his album Transformer is a keeper. it's his second solo album, and was released in 1972. it also contains "Walk on the Wild Side", a song Strokes fans might know because our boys love to cover it. the album was produced by David Bowie, and marks Reed's solid transition into the dark side of glaaaaaaam. gotta love it. seriously, the Reed/Bowie friendship is one of my all time favourite rock n roll relationships.
this picture is from the newest issue of SPIN. I really like it because it reminded me of this conversation I had with a classmate of mine, like yeaaaaaaaaaars ago. I had just gotten into The Strokes (like, maybe 2 months in), was citing them as my favourite band and listening to them endlessly (haha not much has changed)...anyhow, that was before I had really looked into the band, and I had only seen a few pictures of them. the only one I had seen of Jules was his SPIN cover
anyhow, so this girl asks me if I thought Julian was hot and I was all "um, no I don't think of him that way, to me he kind of looks like a kid. and you know, I'm not a pedophile. Fabrizio on the other hand...damn, I'd tap that shit"
haha anyhow the innocence of the above picture brought back memories of when I was blissfully (?) ignorant of Julian's sex appeal.
"sin is honoring desire above what you know is right"
Julian Casablancas' debut video just combined all of my favourite things: fabulous music, 80's glam leather fashions, a nod to the Thriller video, violence, Victorian corruption/coats/handwriting, AND JULIAN HIMSELF WITH A GUITAR AND DRUMMING. and did you guys see, he has a tattoo on his upper left arm? I didn't know he had one there, I wonder what it is.
best of all, he writes out different aphorisms like Voldemort does, you know, in the air but they look like fire? and the whole video follows the theme of one of my favourite lyrics in the song: "so when's it coming, this next great movement that I can join?"
some old favourites and some newer ones that will surely turn into classics (in my book at least) ZIP FILE
Crocodiles & Dum Dum Girls - Merry Christmas, Baby (Please Don't Die) [mp3] Crocodiles put out an insanely good record this year. so good, in fact, that it got stuck in summer trips to the beach and didn't make it to any end of the year lists (its place was usurped by Girls' Album). check it out, though, it's called Summer of Hate and is consistently awesome, lo-fi neo-punk grimey goodness.
my goodness do you hear that voice. it gets better every day. I am so stoked for the new Strokes record, yo!
secondly, Julian told NME that he wants to make "weird" music that is "not electronic". I can only interpret that as his plans for The Strokes, 'cause I think this solo shindig was a one time thing.
andd the video for 11th Dimension is supposed to premiere today on BABELGUM, and the link is up but it's one of those 0:00 videos, it's not functioning properly yet. that is what the refresh button is for! also, you can keep yourself busy with the teaser trailer, which is amazing. AMAZING.
ok so first things first: the beginning of his singing reminded me very strongly of LOU REED (a vibe which I have not gotten at all in the whole solo thing, he used to emanate it all of the time in The Strokes), and I swear that just reawakened my passion for The Strokes all over again.
the rest of the video is just MAGIC. it's like, the ultimate Christmas miracle. and this is coming from a secular blasphemer who was raised in an infidel's faith (who, regardless, probably loves Christmas more than you and your grandma combined)
now if we could just get Julian and the boys to dress up in reindeer sweaters, my life will be complete.
