art is the new religion

The Apprentice

My favorite new reality TV villain that I love to hate:

Jim from "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart."

What is wrong with this guy??  He is so over the top, melodramatic and out of touch with the real world.  I LOVE IT!  Is it an act, or does he really lack the ability to pick up social cues?  Is it really Jim's world, and we're all just squatters?  Is our only real choice in life Jim's way or the highway?

When he was in the board room in the last episode, I was actually scared he might get voted out, thus depriving me from getting to witness his infantile antics.  I get so annoyed watching him that my stomach starts gurgling, but in the tradition of Scott from "Blowout," Wendy from "Project Runway," and JD in the first few episodes from "Rock Star: INXS" -- this guy gives good TV.

Amazing Grace: Jeff Buckley

This is an exciting weekend because a few of my closest friends are coming to visit me!  OK they're actually coming for work reasons, but I will try to monopolize their time anyway.

The first exciting friend-related event is the San Francisco World Film Festival which will be screening the documentary film Amazing Grace: Jeff Buckley at the CineArts/Empire Theater at 85 West Portal Avenue.

 

Friday, September 30 at 6:30 PM -- Get tickets

Sunday, October 2 at 2:15 PM -- Get tickets

AG:JB was made by two of my dearest friends, and, OK, I'm in it briefly too.  But it's a gorgeous film about the life and legacy of one of the most incredible musicians and performers any of us has ever heard.

The second exciting event is the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival which features 50 acts (many of which are from Austin, what's with that happy coincidence??).  The festival is FREE which is fantastic, but I'm still befuddled as to who's paying for it.  No matter, because The Knitters are playing on Saturday (yeehaw!) and none other than DOLLY PARTON is playing on Sunday.  That should be enough to sell anyone, but no, there are more incredible performers, like Emmylou Harris, Los Super Seven, Gillian Welch, Patty Griffin and more.  Hooray for San Francisco's free outdoor festivals!  It's like our own little ACL Fest without the heat, ticket prices and travel time.

My former 19 year old self is FURIOUS with me right now

I've been writing about music for SFist and a few other publications for about a year now, so I get a steady influx of music-related emails and packages each week.  When I was still freelancing, self-employed and looking for a day job, I had plenty of time to open these emails and packages as they arrived.  But ever since I found a day job, I've been slacking on opening things in a timely manner.  Nowadays I let them collect for 4-5 days and then spend an hour or two at a time going through them.

This morning I finally opened an email entitled "30 Seconds To Mars" from a publicist friend of mine.  Since I write a weekly concerts column for SFist, I do a reasonable job keeping on top of which artists are coming to town.  I hadn't seen any notice of this band coming to SF, and there wasn't a show date in the email's subject, so I figured it wasn't urgent to open the email when I got it on Tuesday.

I opened it this morning, five days later, to read:

"30 Seconds to Mars will be coming to San Francisco to perform on 9/25 – in case you are unfamiliar, they are a great rock band (not lying) who are fronted by none other than Jared Leto.  If you’re interested in attending and covering – please let me know and I’ll hook you up.  Also, I can get you an interview if you’d like."

Since today is Sunday, the day of the show, there was no way for me to take her up on the offer at this point.  But if I'd read this email at any point last week, I could have interviewed Jordan Catalano.

Bewildered at how I could have missed the fact that this show was coming to town, I raced to the band's website to find out where they were playing.  Much to my dismay, I discovered that they are opening for Audioslave. 

Given my obsession with the television show "My So-Called Life" and the human being Chris Cornell, I'm heeding this as a wake-up call that I need to find some balance in my life.  Because if I'm too busy to meet Jared Leto and see Chris Cornell sing for free*, then I don't even recognize myself anymore**.

--
* I wouldn't pay to see 30 Seconds To Mars, nor do I own any of their records, but I would have accepted free tickets to see them.

** I fully realize that admitting that I would want to interview Jared Leto's band and that I love Audioslave outs me as being completely uncool.  But you already knew that.

*** This is me riffing on Ben's blog post footnotes ™.

Webzine 2005

I'm sitting here with my friend and co-worker Nicole, waiting for the Podcasting 101 workshop to begin.  We're at Webzine 2005 and it's a little chaotic, but there are plenty of interesting and interested participants here. 

Eric Rice is about to speak -- I wonder if in the next 45 minutes or so he'll be able to teach me how to podcast.

Elizabethtown ST

Two posts in one night!

Stream the soundtrack to Cameron Crowe's forthcoming flick Elizabethtown here [via Stereogum] or listen to it on Rhapsody.  (I'm not even going to comment on how a major movie soundtrack is being promoted via myspace.)

Why listen?  Because it's got Tom Petty, Ryan Adams, Patty Griffin, my hero/wife of Crowe Nancy Wilson and Lindsey Buckingham.  That's right, I said Lindsey Buckingham.  So what if he's singing in a creepy whisper, just listen to that fingerpicking guitar work!  He's got a good track record with soundtracks -- he is the man responsible for National Lampoon's "Holiday Road" after all.  That Cameron Crowe makes my kind of mix tape.

Arcade Fire

Sir Blagg of ye olde blagg blogg swooped in heroically about midway through Sunday afternoon to offer me his extra ticket to see the Arcade Fire.  I gratefully accepted, knowing what a hard ticket it was to come by, and looking forward to seeing him after exchanging lots of "how've you been, we should hang out soon" emails.  After enduring Wolf Parade's set (contrary to Blagg's report, they didn't rock the *#%@ing *#%@ out of me), the Arcade Fire came out to live up to every last bit o' the hype, despite my jaded hunch that they wouldn't.  I never realized how much they relied on the disco beat, yet they use it in such an earnest way.  The show was dramatic and serious, but it was a celebration. 

The Arcade Fire is perfect supporting evidence to JD's claim that I was refuting in my last entry -- in about a year's time this band has gone from selling out Bottom of the Hill to selling out the Warfield.  It was strange seeing such a unique and compelling band in a large venue.  Promising on the one hand, but kind of sad on the other.  Win kept thanking the SF crowd for our enthusiasm, and bemoaning their recent gig in LA.  They'd apparently just played to an enormous crowd for KROQ but the 30 VIPs closest to the stage were on their cell phones the whole time, much to the band's dismay.  I think they would have enjoyed the intimacy of spending a little more time in smaller venues before they blew up.  They seemed to crave connection with the concertgoers -- Win either got sucked into the audience or dove in on a few occasions.  At the end of the set, most of the multi-member band literally fell into the crowd.  Win capped off the evening by standing outside the venue and singing a final encore unplugged, while stunned audience members discovered him as they spilled out onto the street.   

For better or worse, this band blew up quickly, but thankfully the live show hasn't suffered from it.

Odds & sods

Music

Listen to new songs by my friend Dave Doobinin on MySpace.  Dave was my bestest friend and partner in crime back in my NYC days.  JD, Vickie, Penn and I had a discussion after the Mountain Winery show last week about whether or not true talent always gets recognized.  JD's belief, if I'm paraphrasing correctly, is that talent always rises;  he believes that if someone has a true musical talent it will get recognized eventually.  Vickie and I disagreed.  Part of what depresses me about the music industry is that I think many formidable talents go undiscovered for all manner of reasons that have nothing to do with quality.  In my opinion, Dave Doobinin should have a healthy indie career of releasing records and touring regularly, but that hasn't happened yet.  If JD is right, then it will happen at some point.  Here's hoping.

Here's a good way to help struggling musicians:  donate to Move The Music, a nonprofit 501(c) (3) charitable organization dedicated to supporting independent artists by providing financial assistance to allow them to tour. 

I was catching up on fellow -ist Jen's Daily Refill blog and she introduced me to Bravo Silva.  Listen to 3 of their songs on their MySpace profile.  If you like the songs, then don't look at their photos because that guy's assinine headband might make you think twice about supporting them.

Listen to Catbirdseat's September 2005 mix for lots of fantastic music you've probably never heard before.

A friend of mine just gave me some good gossip:  Kelly and Graham sitting in a tree...  Those Texan popsters look cute together.

Reality TV

It's down to 3 finalists for "Rock Star: INXS".  I was sad to see Suzie go, but I've known since the 3rd episode that JD is going to win.  He's the perfect blank canvas for INXS to reincarnate through;  his moderate amount of talent and hearty ego makes him the perfect candidate for America's next top rock singer.  As for the runners up, I love Marty but he seems to have too much vision and personality to be satisfied singing someone else's songs every night.  He needs to front his own band.  And Mig needs to be reunited with his amazing technicolor dreamcoat.  *jazz hands*

The new TV season is upon us!  Already excited about "Survivor" and both editions of "The Apprentice".

Odds & Sods

I got hired full time at my new job!  My team surprised me by busting out silent noisemakers (how's that for an oxymoron?) during our Monday meeting.  I wonder if they realized how much I loved that?  It made me feel so welcome.  I work with some of the best people I've met in San Francisco, or anywhere for that matter.  My coworkers are interesting, intelligent, creative, innovative, accomplished, inspiring and fun to be around. I'm grateful for that. 

Craigslist is the best.  I just found someone who wants the 50+ used bubble mailers I've accrued from getting advance CDs in the mail. 

If you know anything about digital cameras or external hard drives, I need your advice.

Your friends' blogs

I was just reading a friend's blog post about a show we both saw the other night, and I discovered in his blog's sidebar that two of my other good friends have blogs!  This discovery is like striking gold!

That may sound weird to people who don't understand the beauty of blogs yet.  People who take the grumpy position of "why don't you talk to your friends IN PERSON rather than through a dang blog?"  While I do understand the danger of living your entire life behind a computer, I will defend the important role that a blog can play in a socially active person's lifestyle.  What better way to keep track of what everyone's up to?  You say it once (in your blog) and maybe even share pictures, and everyone gets to hear the story.   When my friends who go on tour or live in other cities have active blogs, that's the best.

As strange as it sounds, blogging can even bring you closer to friends who you see all the time.  When I first started blogging, I convinced one of my closest friends to start one of her own.  Over the years I've talked to her about pretty much everything, and she probably knows me better than anyone else.  But I constantly learn new things about her by reading her blog. 

If I could get every one of my friends to actively blog, I would be ecstatic.  Right now I'm convincing people one at a time.  Who's next?  Penn?

Shakira and the dude

I have an unjustifiable obsession with that new Shakira song, "La Tortura," which I will now attempt to justify:

The video is mesmerizing. In it, Shakira has spastic ribcage convulsions and sometimes wears shiny black tar body paint and beats on her hipbones.  How does she make her spine do that?  And more importantly, why?  She's cutting onions, some dude sings to her, her spine goes back and forth -- none of it makes any sense yet somehow it's an eye-catching video.

The video for a Spanish-language song is in heavy rotation on VH1. This is a big coup!  Nice work, Shakira.  (If I understood Spanish, maybe I would understand the meaning of the onions, body paint and spine spasms?)

Maybe what's causing her spine to spasm is the song's fantastic production!  The dramatic drum beats. The start-stop dynamics. That irresistible accordion!

Her duet partner has the most perfectly raspy voice EVAR.  Whatever he's singing about, he means it. I just listened to some of his music on Real Rhapsody, and unfortunately I'm not hearing the same kind of tortura in his solo work.  Come on Alejandro Sanz, where's that rasp I've come to know and love?

Team Love & Saddle Creek

I have mixed feelings about Jenny Lewis and Rilo Kiley (someone innocently asked me the other day "Do you like Rilo Kiley?" and they got a diatribe in response).  I had heard several months ago that she'd decided to be indie again by releasing a solo record on Team Love.  I won't rant about that, but I do find it very interesting that Warner Bros. is allowing her to release it on another label.  And I do like the name of the album, Rabbit Fur Coat, because it makes me feel nostalgic for the one I wore when I was little (hey, I was 8 then - I don't wear fur now).

Speaking of Rilo and nostalgia, I traded in some CDs at Amoeba last week and got, among other things, the Spend An Evening With Saddle Creek DVD.  The DVD focuses on the fascinating history of Saddle Creek including the organic growth of the label and the interconnectedness of all the artists.  With such a small, tight-knit roster, it's amazing what unique successes each band has had individually.  The vision and integrity of the core bands and employees is inspiring, especially since they've been rewarded for doing things on their own terms.   (OK, and it's kinda fun to see people that I know on film.)

In other Saddle Creek news, Sef sent me a care package that included the new Criteria CD When We Break.  I love their first record en garde so much that I couldn't wait to hear the follow up.  So far it's not quite living up to my en garde obsession, because the lyrics seem a little too self-referential and the dynamics aren't quite there, but I need to spend more time with it.  Either way, I'm excited to see them at Great American on 10/16.

In other Team Love news, when I saw David Dondero at the Jackpine/Alejandro Escovedo show, he told me that they're putting out his record in October.  He'd just gotten the advances that day and didn't have one with him, so unfortunately I haven't heard it yet.  Also coming out on Team Love in October is Craig Wedren's solo record Lapland which is uncharacteristically mellow and understated (as far as STT and Baby go), but it still has Craig's gorgeous voice, phrasing and melodies.  Download the devastating "Fifteen Minutes Late" from the new record or listen to 4 tracks on Craig's myspace page.

In a sort of related note, Tralala is playing at the Hemlock tonight.  Tralala is basically Tilly and the Wall (sans tap dancer) in sound and style:

  Tralala vs. Tilly and the Wall 

Download Tralala's "The Girls Say" [via Stereogum] or buy the record.

Listen to songs from Tilly and the Wall's Wild Like Children and read my review.