off the hip

On my way out the school today I was passing by the security guard and he had his phone on. Tuned in to Pandora from what he said, as I commented on The Killers blaring from his hip. Now I can't get them out of my head.

SONG OF THE DAY: "Mr. Brightside"- The Killers

terminal boredom

While pondering which of the more recent 2010 album releases to review for the month, I stumbled upon The Cute Lepers new release Smart Accessories. The Cute Lepers are a break-off from Seattle based The Briefs both of which take their cues heavily from early Brit punk, like Generation X, The Sex Pistols, and the Ramones, the Clash, etc. I like they way they take a classic sound,riff on it and make it their own.

SONG OF THE DAY: "Terminal Boredom" - The Cute Lepers

also check out "I think my baby is a communist" by The Briefs

wah wah wah wah-ow

Feeling sluggish and I have an appointment this morning that I don't want to go to. Here's some Monday morning wake up music.

For some reason this song reminds me of the posters of Sarah Bernhardt. She seems to embody the type of woman who isn't content to be in a life-less life and while she may play the role society expects of her, you can see she is open to being tempted away.

Sarah Bernhardt 1876 by Georges Clairin

SONG OF THE DAY: "Henrietta" - The Fratellis

7 and a half cents

Now that the countdown is over, I can finally get settled in, and use my Sunday posting as I planned: classical music, jazz, musicals and all the other stuff I don't listen to all the rest of the time.

Today we start with one of the most infectious soundtracks I have ever heard, The Pajama Game. If you are scared of earworms, beware because these songs are as catchy as a virus. Doris Day was a favorite in my house growing up, and I have seen Pillow Talk more times than than I can count. But, the film version of The Pajama Game with Doris Day has been my Katydid's favorite for years, and she has been watching it since 6:30 this morning. The songs are catchy and the tunes stick with you even when you don't yet know all the words.

The "7 and a half cents" bit is an interesting song for a few reasons. Mr. IMo? has used it as an example countless times for everything from explaining compound interest to the influence of labor unions. Almost every time I think about saving money this song pops into my head. I know it is supposed to be encouraging, but to me it seems so pitiful to work hard, risk losing your job over a labor dispute and and only get a measly vacuum cleaner and television out of the deal, although I could live with the prices.

If you haven't seen The Pajama Game, it is cheesy to be sure, and is rather propagandist. In case you are queasy around unions, 1950's TV wholesomeness and kitsch this may not be the movie for you. However if you are looking to spend a lazy Sunday folding laundry watching a movie, it's worth checking out.

SONG OF THE DAY: "7 and a half cents" - The Pajama Game (Soundtrack)

my own international man of mystery

MAD magazine SPY s. SPY

My husband: he is closer in looks to the blonde Bond than my favorite incarnation, Sean Connery, and actually he isn't a spy either because that would just be too cool, but he is my own Mr. IMo? trotting the globe doing boring power point presentations in exotic locales. We just play it up to pretend it's glamorous. This week he got to play his favorite game: where in the world is Mr. IMo?. This weekend the game was: if it's Saturday it must be Chicago, Sunday must be Texas, Monday it must be Tegucigalpa (that's in Honduras). After a week hanging out in the Central American capital, speaking funky Honduran Spanish and eating at the local Popeye's Chicken across from his hotel, he comes home tonight. I'll be asleep but I'll leave the theme music on.

Brian Setzer has been making music fun ever since he and his Stray Cats strutted. I recently picked up Built for Speed on vinyl for the kids.

In my next life I want to be a full-time rockabilly girl. I love the vintage pin-up look, I love the sound, I love to swing dance and I adore the boys with their pompadours, jeans and white t-shirts that James Dean and Marlon Brando took to the screen.

I really fell in love with the Stray Cats in probably the most humiliating way possible, a 1987 Disney special. It's an old fashioned mash-up of a 50's cartoon and the Stray Cats' "Rock this Town" that we taped on our VCR and watched over and over. I haven't seen it in ages, but thanks to the miracle of youtube, someone else thought it worthy of your time and posted it here(start at 2:05). They also have a funny versions of Toni Basil's "Oh Mickey", Madonna's "Dress You up", and The Countours "Do You Love me". My other favorite is the mashup of the Fantasia cartoon & the Eurythmics song "Must be an angel". Yes it's campy, but the Eurthymics original video is actually the inferior version of the two.

And now in my own evil, mind-controlling way I am playing that Stray Cats album Saturday mornings after breakfast during our wake-up dance parties and introducing my kids to the fun of rockabilly, and the cool cat, Brian Setzer.

*j

SONG OF THE DAY: "James Bond Theme (Spies in the Night)" - Brian Setzer Orchestra

furious

I am usually pretty calm and collected but today I feel possessed by The Furies. I find myself in the midst of my 3rd scheduled phone-conference court date with a pack of lying,conniving losers and it couldn't come at a worse time. There is a 4 hour range of when the judge could call me, it's the first day of full-day school with the kids coming home during that time, all my babysitters have moved away in the past two weeks, and I have a husband that's out of country. My heart is racing and I am angry. So here I am, alone in the world, fighting it out all on my own. I am in need of some confidence building, and fuel for my rage, so we will have 2 songs today, first to burn off my anger so that I can seem serene to the judge, and the second to give me a boost.

SONGS OF THE DAY: "I Don't Wanna Hear It" - Minor Threat (for blowing off steam- ps. this is not a kid friendly track)

& "Army of Me" - Björk (because they messed with me and are going to rue the day)

Black Happy

I mentioned before that I am now reviewing for the online 'zine, Paper Dragon Ink. Here is a link to my review.

http://paperdragonink.com/Black%20Happy.htm

back in school again

I know it is absolutely asburd that the kids are begining school before it is even mid-August, but that's the way it goes.



Off the top of my head, with no links today, here are 10 great back to school songs, in no particular order:

* "Back to School" - Ghost of Tom Joad

* "Library" - Green Day

* "Knowledge" - Operation Ivy

* "Never Miss a Beat" - Kaiser Chiefs

* "Read it in Books" - Echo and the Bunnymen

* "Rock'n'Roll High School" - the Ramones

* "Sister, do you know my name"- White Stripes

* "The Teacher" - Super Furry Animals

* "Playground" - XTC

* "School" - Nirvana



And here is a thought for the day:
"Historically, much of the motivation for public schooling has been to stifle variety and institute social control." – Jack Hugh , CATO Instutute

LONG LIVE PUBLIC SCHOOL!

last day of summer

Laugh if you want to, but I have always loved this song, though I much prefer The Ataris' version over Don Henley's original. As a little California girl I always had visions of the surfer boys at Santa Cruz when I heard this song. This is my favorite bit though, it is such a great visual:

"out on the road today I saw a Black Flag sticker on a cadillac / a little voice inside my head said don't look back you can never look back"

I'm off to enjoy the last day of summer with the kids.

*j

Song of the day:
"Boys of Summer" - The Ataris

Lolla review: Gogol Bordello

I am about to cry because it is starting to look like I may have lost all of my pictures and videos from Lollapalooza. I can't pull them up from my memory card, and Mr. IMo? has the camera this week. I had some great shots of Gogol Bordello.

I was only slightly familiar with Gogol Bordello before I got to Lollapalooza, but I am now a fan. I don't want to make a habit of getting too much into my own personal politics, but often politics and music are so intertwined there is little distinction, so I will divulge this...I love immigrants.

Mr. IMo?'s dad was born into Nazi occupied Holland, during what is known as the "Hunger Winter", and came over to the States with his family in the early 1950's, and eventually became a naturalized citizen. One of my favorite ancestors is my great-great grandmother who was born to a Swiss-German father and his Chilean housekeeper in Mexico, soon to become California, during the Gold Rush. Pretty much everyone in the US has their own immigrant story, and most of us come from a group which was hated for immigrating.

The history of this land is a history of civil conflict arising each time there is a new wave of immigrants, whether they are the Spanish coming to "discover" North America, the Vikings before them, the Pilgrims on the Mayflower, the Quakers, the Africans brought over as slaves, the Chinese brought over to build railroads, the Mormons and the Mexicans, the Jews, the Germans, the Irish, the Italians, and now back again to the Mexicans and our newest immigrant "enemy" the Muslims. Nobody can seem to get used to the idea that there really is room for everyone in the free market and a democracy (not that we really have either) and the newest wave of immigrants always takes the heat for anything the majority wants to be disgruntled about.

Gogol Bordello with its "Familia Undestructable" platform is the perfect reflection of that history and all the chunks of influence each wave of immigrants has brought to this country in particular, but also globalization in general. The crowd at Gogol Bordello had the most diverse audience I have seen at almost any festival. Their global attitude is reflected in everything from the nationalities of each member of the band, the cross-cultural dress, the range of instruments, musical styles and lyrics. The music is very gypsy based, but crosses the board. I would call it Indo-European with a splash of Latin American and a sprinkle of Asian.

Eugene Hütz declared his "total support of immigrants worldwide" from the stage and the crowd went wild. I found the whole experience amazing, because so many people were connecting to his sound. They were just fabulously international, and I think every one, whether they were Eastern European, Hispanic, Asian, an old hippie or a politically aware punk kid, seemed to see themselves somehow reflected in what Gogol Bordello represents. It didn't hurt that there was effusive love from the stage going out to the crowd.

If I were to best compress them into a comparison I would say musically they are similar to Dropkick Murphys with the political currency of Rage Against the Machine. The best moment I saw was when there was on old-school punk circular pit going and then as the music slowed it turned into a circle with arms across shoulders like a folk dance. It was incredible.

This is an entirely different kind of "world music" and I bet you find something of yourself reflected in it.

*j

Highlight from the show:
"Immigrant Punk" - Gogol Bordello

26 days playlist

“26 reisen” – Einstürzende Neubauten
“In the year 2525”- Zager and Evans
“Twenty-four” – Mudhoney
“23” - Blonde Redhead
“22” - Babes in Toyland
“Twenty One” – The Cranberries
“Twenty Years” – Placebo
“Not Nineteen Forever” – The Courteeners
“18 soldiers” – Pennywise
“Seventeen” – Jet
“16” – Green Day
“15 men” – Aquanettas
“Fourteen” – Beat Happening
“Thirteen” – Danzig
“Twelve” – The Plimsouls
“Eleven” – Primus
“10 X 10” – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
“Plan 9 [choki galaxy mix]” – 808 State
“Eight Days a Week” – The Runaways
“Seven Nation Army” – White Stripes
“Six” – Sonic Youth
“Five o’Clock World” – Julian Cope
“Four Letter Word” – The Gossip
“Three Days” – Jane’s Addiction
“Between Two Points” – The Glitch Mob feat. Swan
“One Day” - Matisyahu

ABC playlist

Here is the ABC countdown playlist in order....

A-ha-The Sun Always Shines on TV
Built to spill- Car
Casper and the Cookies- Krötenwanderung
Dinosaur Jr. – I Live for That Look
Eyeliner- You’re all wrong
fIREHOSE- Brave Captain
Goldfrapp- Ride a White Horse
Hot Chip- Over and Over
Interpol –Wrecking Ball
Jesus and Mary Chain – Head On
Kinks- Come Dancing
Ladytron- Destroy Everything You Touch
Maximo Park- Signal and Sign
Navvy- Robot
Operation Ivy- Sound System
Plastilina Mosh- Magic Fever
Quarashi – Stick ‘Em Up [clean version]
Rasputina- Barracuda
Tsunami Bomb- Safety Song
Universal Poplab- Bedhead
Vines- Get Free
Wombats- Let’s Dance to Joy Division
X-ray Spex – Germ Free Adolescents
Yaz- Situation
Zombies - Summertime

ending the countdown

It has come down to the end. School is starting in 1 day for the kids, Lollapalooza is over, my International Man of Mystery (Mr. IMo?) is on his trip to Tegucigalpa this week, and on a more practical note my air conditioning finally got fixed.

I couldn't have planned it better if I tried, but today's song of the day for the letter Z is perfect. I know the 60's are huge for music, but I think The Zombies are one of the better groups who don't get enough attention. "Time of the Season" was their biggest release in 1969, but they have a lot of great pieces. "Summertime" is the perfect song to round out the end of summer vacation. I have always loved that it is slow and lazy and mulling over the past, which is so opposite most of the over-exuberant summer songs that make you feel like somehow you are missing out on something. A great way to finish out the alphabet.

And to finish our numeric countdown at number one is Matisyahu. I got to see him perform last November and I am so glad I did. He is one of those guys who really knows who he is and has his act together. If my Katydid ever decides to marry a rock star I hope she finds one like Matisyahu. And I hope all my Boise friends are going to see him tomorrow night at the Knitting Factory. I just think he is a genius. He's one of those people I just lose words for when I try to describe how great he is, I just love him.

*j

Today's songs of the day are brought to you...
by the letter Z: "Summertime" - the Zombies
and the number 1: "one day" - Matisyahu

Lolla review: the XX

I first saw the xx on my beloved Jools Holland, and Mr. IMo? in particular liked them a lot. When we saw them come up on Lolla's schedule we figured we would check them out. They had an emotional, minimalist shoe-gazer quality that was interesting because it is so uncommon at the moment.

Coming in the side entrance we came upon the xx and they were blocking traffic. Their fans had overflowed beyond the allotted section and were clogging the pathway. I had heard that they have been a fast rising band but I wasn't prepared for this response.

What I noticed first was that an outdoor mid-day venue was all wrong for them. The xx is more of a hang out in the dark and brood sort of band than a dance around and go crazy in broad daylight as you sweat profusely kind of band. I was doing some interviewing to go with my new slot as a writer for Paper Dragon Ink, and met up with a girl named Brittany. She was an all-American looking blonde from Chapel Hill, North Carolina and had already seen them twice before. She said was of the opinion that the outdoor show was all wrong for them, calling them "lights out music" and she though that although they looked more confident in their performance this time, the feel was all wrong.

Brittany made me wonder why a peppy preppy girl would be so drawn to such a dark and brooding band like the XX. The best answer Mr. IMo? and I could come up with is that they are the closest thing to the Cure to come out in about 15 years and so this generation is finding their own version of gothic-emo bands.

I promised MR. IMo? I would be kind to them in my review, so here is my summation. They are not something new, they are a blurry muffled version of better bands like the Cure or Cocteau Twins, and unless they really step it up this bolt into fame will burn out quickly.

I don't see them as being unique or technically adept enough to last. At this point they aren't quite yet garage band quality, more at a testing out ideas in your bedroom level of playing. But there is something undeniably appealing in Romy Madley Croft's voice that people connect with, and the band seems to be there more as a foil for her ruminations than anything else.
I have never been one who can predict what will be popular with the masses, so who knows, they may prove me wrong.

Best song of the show: "Crystalised"

namesake

My littlest rocker, Yaz, gets his nickname from a great New Wave band, Yaz (or Yazoo outside the US). Fans of Depeche Mode may know that Vince Clarke was involved in their early years, and wrote the fabulous track "Just Can't get Enough". He then moved on to form Yaz, putting out just two albums, then moved on to his real claim to fame with Andy Bell as Erasure. My little Yaz is a big New Wave fan like his mommy, and Vince Clarke is a huge part of that.

Todays' other song comes from another act I saw at last year's Lollapalooza, The Glitch Mob. Their performance was the first time I had heard of them, and their infectious sound kept me trapped longer than I had expected. I caught one of the CDs they threw out and liked it a lot when I got home. They do a lot of covers and collaborations so I find they appeal to a larger audience.

*j


Today's songs of the day are brought to you...
by the letter Y: "situation" - Yaz
and the number 2: "between two points" - the Glitch Mob feat. Swan

recovering

I don't know how people who drink their way through Lollapalooza do it, but the hangover can't be good. We drove up in the morning, rocked all day and into the night, then drove straight back, and I am beat. I am running on 2 hours sleep and keep nodding off every time I sit down. I have to stay awake with the kids for 2 more hours so I figured I'd better do something productive so I don't fall asleep and they catch the house on fire.

I will catch you up on the Lolla shows over the next week, but today's song of the day is brought to you by a little band I was in the front row for last year at Lolla, Jane's Addiction. Ok, maybe they aren't little, they are in fact Mr. IMo?'s all time favorite, and we got into a lot of shouting matches and threw a few well placed elbows last year holding onto that front row spot and it was totally worth it. Lollapalooza is in fact Perry Farrell's brain child, both in the older and new incarnations, and he has earned a place in rock heaven for all of his contributions to music, from his own band to Lolla and his ability to resurrect bands like the Pixies and Rage Against the Machine from the dead for one good show. I was on the Dave Navarro side of the stage about 8 feet away from the stage. His physique will grace this blog some other day.

Today's other song comes from the girls of X-ray Spex. When I was in Oxford, England this past spring I was picking up some vinyl at a street fair and got to hold their full length LP on white pressed vinyl. It was 25£, which was the cost of everything I had in my hands already plus my train fare. I had to leave it behind, and still have non-buyers remorse (which in my opinion is one of the greatest curses of traveling). X-ray Spex are some of the hardest rocking girls in my opinion. Not only does Poly Styrene have one of the coolest stage names in all of rock, but those girls didn't stand for the male-driven world of punk rock and carved out a spot for the other half in the world of teenage anger and angst.

*j

Today's songs of the day are brought to you...

by the letter X: "Germ free Adolescents" - X-ray Spex

and the number 3: "three days" - Jane's Addiction

kicks on route 66

Well, today Mr. IMo? and I are headed up Route 66 to our beloved adopted hometown of Chicago for one of the best days of the year...
Lollapalooza. We start getting excited in April and look forward to it all summer. I will post pictures and reviews next week. In the meantime it is just about the end of my summer countdown with only 4 more days until Katydid begins 4th grade and Macaroni begins Kindergarten.

*j

Today's songs or the day are brought to you...
By the letter "W": "let's dance to joy division" - the Wombats
and the number 4: "four letter word" - the Gossip

my nation underground

For those of you who love the original Emo boys like Peter Murphy, Adam Ant, William and Jim Reid (aka Jesus and Mary Chain), and of course Echo and the Bunnymen,you may be aware of Julian Cope. In part because Julian Cope played with Ian McCulloch before Echo and the Bunnymen, way before my musical awareness began. Echo and the Bunnymen were one of my favorites back in 8th grade when I was a blossoming New Wave girl, but I didn't discover Julian's solo career until about 2 years later when a friend made me a mix tape, and included "China Doll". I ran out and bought the tape and fell in love with the title track, "My Nation Underground".

The original tape went missing over the years, and I could never find it again on CD, but over the summer I was able to find it on vinyl for $3. I was so giddy to see that pale face again. Granted, it wasn't his best album, Peggy Suicide was better, but it still has a few gems, like his version of The Vogues' "Five O'clock World". Death Cab for Cutie does a cover of "World Shut your Mouth". As fair warning, he has a hypnotic voice, but his videos lean toward criminally bad, so close your eyes and just listen.

As far as our second band, The Vines, I don't know much about them, except that they are from Australia, that I love their sound, and tend to replay their songs on my MP3 player when they come up.

I will be out for the next two days, going to Lollapalooza, then sleeping it off, but I am going to try to stock pile the next few days and post them remotely.

*j

Today's songs of the day are brought to you...

by the letter V: " Get Free" - The Vines

and the number 5: "Five o'clock World" - Julian Cope

pop goes the world

Confession: I am not up on my synth-pop. For all my Erasure/ Pet Shop Boys/ Kylie Minogue inspired music I get all my info from my friend A.E./ D.C. If I ever have need of a pop-culture life-line, he's my guy. But I actually am pretty proud of myself that I found today's U band all on my own a while ago.


I have to say, Universal Poplab is one of my favorite Swedish pop bands (next to Lo-Fi-Fnk) since ABBA (if you are an ABBA fan check out their song "Another Last Time").
I also like their song "Fame & Hate", which sounds very A-ha inspired but is performed more like Depeche Mode.


That was a lot of Synth-pop for references for one day, and it has left my brain thumping with a digital beat. Sonic Youth will be covered in another lesson. Class Dismissed.


*j


Songs of the day are brought to you...
by the letter U:"Bedhead" - Universal Poplab
and the number 6: "Six" -Sonic Youth

Lollapalooza 2010

As head's up this is where I will be Saturday.

my schedule Lollapalooza 2010

we gotta get out of this place

The temperature peaked at 89 degrees in my house last night and we are headed for another hot day. So, rather than stick around for a repeat we are headed somewhere with working air conditioning today while mine gets fixed.

With no fuss or embellishment here are two bands who rock so well they can stand on their own: The White Stripes and Tsunami Bomb.


*j
[For my Boise friends, Action Design (the post break up version of Tsunami Bomb) is playing with Social Distortion this month or you can catch them on their own at the Neurolux.]


Songs of the day are brought to you...
by the letter T: "Safety Song" -Tsunami Bomb

and the number 7: "Seven Nation Army" - White Stripes

lethargy

Lawrence Alma-Tadema

I am not feeling up to sitting at the computer for more than 5 minutes today. It has been 80 degrees and humid in my house since yesterday morning, and while that is a perfect temp for the outside it is stifling indoors, and we are all feeling lethargic.

Mr. IMo? is digging Shy Child right now. It's just two guys with a drum kit and a keytar, oh yeah baby, a keytar. We first saw them play on Jools Holland, and he can't get enough.

The Runaways have gotten a lot of deserved attention lately since the movie about them came out, which makes it easier to reference them as a great foundational girl rock band. We'll chat more about them some other time.

*j

Today's songs of the day are brought to you...
by the letter S: "Drop the Phone" - Shy Child
and the number 8: "Eight Days a Week" - The Runaways

single digits

For those of you who love your musicians to be real musicians Rasputina is the band for you. Rasputina is based on electric cellists who rock more than you might expect. I would rank them most closely with the White Stripes for their ability to make the most noise with minimal instrumentation and man-power. As a unit, they have gone though a lot of permutations as musicians have rotated through, which lead to a constant mutation and growth of sound. The idea of cellos may drag up images of dull chamber musicians, but even without the benefit of their elaborate costuming that they employ at concerts, you will have a hard time reconciling that image with the music once you hear it.

I am really excited about their new album Sister Kinderhook. I was just accepted on as a music reviewer for a St. Louis area online magazine and I think that this will be my first review. Because I am not a local and don't know all of the venues around here I have been missing some incredible shows (like this one 2 weeks ago, and Silversun Pickups last week), but hopefully this new job will give me more access to information and shows.

[ps. boise friends...Rasputina is playing in August]

*j

Today's songs of the day are brought to you...

by the letter R: "Barracuda" - Rasputina (linked)

and the number 9: "Plan 9 [choki galaxy mix] - 808 State

i bet you thought i was going to be stumped

For the letter "Q" there will be no Queen, or Queensryche or Queens of the Stone Age, and though I was tempted to throw in "The Kids are all Right" by the Queers, that still felt like cheating. Instead of the old stand-bys I want you to meet : Quarashi.

I have already mentioned my love of Icelandic music, and Quarashi is a great way to expand the Beastie Boys inspired genre on your MP3 player. One of my favorite things about Quarashi is that they remind me of a soundtrack for a modern spy movie; very urban, very universal with a strong beat that keeps the movement filled with tension and suspense. That, and they're Icelandic, which practically is interchangeable with effortless cool. And if none of that is enough for you, their name means "Supernatural". How cool is that?

I am too short on time today to adequately explore our other band today, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, so I am going to have to bump them down the road to a later post, because the glorious Karen O deserves more attention than I can give today.

Today's songs of the day are brought to you...
by the letter Q: "Stick 'em Up [clean version}" - Quarashi
and the number 10: "10 X 10 - Yeah Yeah Yeahs