Thursday, March 12

All of My Days and All of My Days Off

So instead of taking crappy pictures at the Tokyo Police Club show I took none at all! I forgot my camera. My phone died at the concert. And though there are no awesome show pics I did get a really sweet poster from one of the opening bands. The concert was fantastic. Harlem Shakes and Born Ruffians were truly great. Both have a sort of country twang that I have been digging a lot lately.

TPC were absolutely phenomenal. I have had a couple of transcendent concert experiences (Yo La Tengo, Xiu Xiu both times, parts of Say Hi) but few face-meltingly kick ass experiences. This is firmly in the top spot of my “All Time Desert Island Top 5 Rock Your Pants Off Concerts.” They had tons of good new stuff, all the old favorites and the entire line-up doing “Train In Vain (Stand By Me)” as the encore.

In other news: I went to the beach. It was very relaxing to go to Ocean City without the usual crowds. I got the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Converse Hi Top at the Outlets too. I’m reading High Fidelity finally, if you couldn’t tell from the Top 5 reference. So far I quite like it and it seems like the movie was very faithful to the book, at least in terms of dialogue.

Speaking of faithful movie translations of literature: Watchmen was all I wanted it to be. I think. I was so worried it was going to suck but hoped it wouldn’t that my expectations got confused. I think I’ll need to contemplate on it more but overall it was a great rendering of the comic. The editing made sense to me even if I wanted all the deleted scenes. It does lose a lot from nixing the Black Freighter story and the newspaper vendor/kid reading thing is great but that lose is for a reason (people need to consume art for art like it to have a future, as sad as that makes me sometimes). I’d give it a 9.4 overall.

March’s New Stuff playlist has yielded some important finds. Here they are:

“Able To” by Eternal Summers: I cruised around with my sunroof open and the windows down the other day when it was so nice to this song. Feel-good nineties guitar and simple beat that is eminently toe-tapable.

“Spirit Come Back!” by The Constellations: “I came to appreciate the devilish messages you left on my bathroom mirror, now I’m waiting, waiting for you to call. Spirit come back! I miss the chains in the attic.” Just download it (via Said the Gramophone) it’s moving both lyrically and musically. The other songs I’ve since found by the band are also very good.

“A Sad Day for Investors (Astronautalis Remix)by Sole & The Skyriders: A rap song, of sorts, it’s definitely indie but there is something about the line “If we live we live to tread on kings and if we die we die” and the contempt with which he says it that makes me shiver.

“Are You Devo (The Spirituals Remix)” by Shelby Sifers: I’m not entirely sure why this song is so good. It works its way under your skin and makes you hum the strange melody while you walk to do other things. I’m not Devo, Shelby, but I could try to be if you smile at me like I think you do when you sing this song.

That’s it. Spring Break starts at 4:45pm today. Maybe I’ll try and post again soonish…

Listening to “Rumble in the Jungle, 1974” by Casy & Brian and “Dog Meat” by Condo Fucks. Both are raucous, wake-up-in-the-morning songs. The post’s title is a song by AC Newman. And if you were curious, my Top 5 All Time Desert Island Best Wake Up in the Morning Songs are (in no particular order):
1) “London Burning” The Clash
2) “My Favourite Game” The Cardigans
3) “Song 2” Blur
4) “Where It’s At” Beck
5) “Intensify” !!!

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