or a diplo remix, whatevs.

Even though my house looks a lot different now from when I was living here, I can’t help but feel like I am 17 years old all over again…

Also, I found out the TLA Video on South Street is closed, and was kind of devastated. However, watching a ton ton ton of movies using my stepdad’s netflix queue, so I guess it’s all good.

A scene from Interior Design by Michael Gondry from the collection titled Tokyo!
Too cool for school, so I wanted to say something critical about it, but やっぱり、感動してたよ。　感動してた。

Almost as powerful as when I saw this movie for the first time.

This fall I had the pleasure of stumbling across Tim Thornton’s The Alternative Hero. Funny and real, Thornton hits on the inherent nerdiness and enthusiasm of any dedicated music fan. Clive Beresford, fanzine writer and pop-culture obsessive, one day unwittingly spots Lance Webster, the former front man for the Thieving Magpies, a man now more famous for his explosive antics than musical contributions. Beresford then crafts a plan to befriend the singer, in hopes of making sense of both Webster’s mysterious meltdown and Beresford’s own existence. Hilarious, captivating, and an impressive melding of real rock history and fictional events, The Alternative Hero is one of my favorite reads in recent memory.

TAH author Tim Thornton obliged us in creating a mix for M|H, based on the book.

From the author:
For this compilation I decided to be a bit conceptual. In The Alternative Hero there’s a scene where Alan, the protagonist Clive’s best friend, wistfully recalls listening to a compilation made by the elusive object of his desire, Nicola Cartwright. So here’s my reconstruction of that very tape. Lightly gothy with an indie underside… here it is… enjoy.

ALAN’S BIT OF STUFF

1. THE WONDER STUFF – A SONG WITHOUT AN END
The Wonder Stuff get a lot of stick and I’m always the first to defend them. John Peel apparently only ever played one Wonder Stuff song on the radio, and it was a ‘B’ side. Perhaps it was this one.

2. THE HOUSE OF LOVE – I DON’T KNOW WHY I LOVE YOU
In a parallel universe, The House Of Love became as big as REM and this was their “Losing My Religion”. But of course, they didn’t and this wasn’t. Great song though.

3. THE SUGARCUBES – BIRTHDAY
And a thousand indie fans check their record player is working properly. How gloriously weird is this song, Bjork already displaying all the things which later made her huge.

4. THE CURE – FASCINATION STREET
Instantly conjuring memories of rainy nights, raging hormones, flat Walkman batteries and empty bottles of cider. And a bassline so meaty it’s practically edible.

5. THE PIXIES – No. 13 BABY
Probably their only song to mention the word “chinos”. And the “tattooed tit” line is also pretty rare.

6. ALL ABOUT EVE – SHELTER FROM THE RAIN
It’s been a while, and I’m afraid time has not been kind. But it had to go on. My poor friend with his never-ending unrequited love.

7. VIOLENT FEMMES – ADD IT UP
The first 50 times I heard it, I thought it was a big joke. I remember dancing at Camden Palace on a Tuesday, wondering, “did he really say ‘why can’t I get just one f-‘??”

8. THE SMITHS – HANDSOME DEVIL
Partly picked because of the “mammary glands” line. Do I have a breast fixation on this compilation? Possibly.

9. PRIMAL SCREAM – I’M LOSING MORE THAN I’LL EVER HAVE
Not trying to be an elitist or anything, but we liked this song way before they turned it into “Loaded”.

10. NEW MODEL ARMY – VAGABONDS
A hundred crusties dancing in a circle on a rainy Sunday afternoon at Reading Festival. And us trying to steal their booze.

11. THE JESUS & MARY CHAIN – APRIL SKIES
I recently read in Anthony Kiedis’ autobiography that JAMC were the only band on the ‘92 Lollapalooza tour who were permanently drunk, grumpy and devoid of all party spirit. Gawd bless ‘em.

12. THE CURE – A NIGHT LIKE THIS
Not only is this one of the finest and most underrated Cure songs, it is also just about the only song in the history of the world to get away with a saxophone solo.
Of course, officially it’s a faux pas to put two songs by the same band on a compilation tape, but conceptual accuracy must prevail…

13. JANE’S ADDICTION – SUMMERTIME ROLLS
Every goth’s favourite summer song. Actually, make that every goth’s only summer song.

Tracks 1-6

Tracks 7-13

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For an excerpt from The Alternative Hero and an interview with Tim Thornton, click here. You can also find out more here and here.

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As if the mix wasn’t enough, Knopf has kindly provided us with copies of The Alternative Hero to give away! From now until 11:59:59 PM Central Time, December 31, 2009, you can enter to win a copy (and maybe some other secret goodies). There are two ways to win!

1) Leave a comment letting us know your favorite part about The Alternative Hero, Alan’s Bit of Stuff, or Mixtapes|Heartbreaks. Make sure to sign up with a valid email address, that’s how we’ll contact you.

or

2) Follow us on Twitter and retweet our contest messages to win!

So, backstage at ACX, I handed Laurent Brancowitz of Phoenix (a most cool human, may I add) an iPod and asked him to throw together an ON THE GO playlist from whatever he found -

and in the 15 minutes we had he came up with ten in this order -

1.  ARCADIA – ‘Election Day’ (1985)
2.  BO DIDDLEY – ‘Bo Diddley’ (1957)

3.  BUDDY HOLLY – ‘Peggy Sue’ (1957)

(Makes sense – Laurent sorta reminds one of Buddy!)
4.  THE BUZZCOCKS – ‘Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t've?) (1978) (Pete Shelley RULES!)
5.  D’ANGELO – ‘Untitled (How Does It Feel?)’ (2000)
6.  DONOVAN – ‘Hurdy Gurdy Man’ (1968)
7.  JONI MITCHELL – ‘Both Sides Now’ (1969)
8.  MY BLOODY VALENTINE – ‘Sometimes’ (1991)
9.  ? & THE MYSTERIANS – ‘96 Tears’ (1966)
10.  THE PIXIES – ‘Gouge Away’ (1989)

I’ve got a massive variety of stuff on my ‘Pod – but my BIG ‘Pod took a nasty tumble a couple weeks ago and just sits dark and dead now, so he didn’t have any Classical to choose from!  That would have proved VERY interesting!  To end the list with my favorite band ever, however, rocked.

Actually, we realized that Rolling Stone was full of shit about a decade and a half ago when they proclaimed — and we’re paraphrasing — that Kurt Cobain was Jesus. Really, let’s be honest. The guy wrote good pop songs. Is he a Jimi Hendrix or John Lennon or Paul McCartney or Buddy Guy or Sam & Dave or Led Zeppelin or The Pixies or Bob Dylan or Janis Joplin or The Supremes? No.

Anyway, our years-old epiphany was proved right this week when we opened the “Best of the decade” issue. How? you ask. On the album front, Wilco’s unlistenable Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is #3 while the sublime Sky Blue Sky is #97, Arcade Fire places #6 (really? fucking Arcade Fire?), and that supreme piece of shit Kanye West rounds out the top 10 (although he’s been right about one thing in his career: George W. Bush doesn’t care about black people).

And Bruce Springsteen’s Magic is #24 but Working on a Dream isn’t on the list? (At least Springsteen’s epic “Outlaw Pete” made third best song of the decade.) Radiohead’s Kid A is Rolling Stone’s #1 for the decade and though it’s a delightful head-scratcher that demands (and rewards for) repeat listings, is it the best album of the decade? And just how did fucking Kings of Leon and that hack Fiona Apple end up on the list at all but Pearl Jam didn’t?

The problem may not be Rolling Stone. The problem may be popular music, and by extension, us. RS has always covered the mainstream. Of course, when Rolling Stone published its first issue in 1967, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, The Animals, The Who and The Supremes were the mainstream. And who’s mainstream now? White trash baby-shitting Britney Spears? Lady Gaga? The Jonas Brothers? Rihanna? Oh, fuck you, Fat America.

We won’t get into a rant that rock & roll and all its subgenres have been infantilized to a homogeneous bullshit because someone else — lots of someone elses — has done that. Just go back to sitting in your Barcalounger, using Sarah Palin’s nightmare conservatism as a playbook while watching “The Biggest Loser” as you pack on the pounds by eating processed food, drinking a ton of shitty beer and wondering why the middle class is shrinking while you’re buying made-in-a-Chinese-sweatshop toys for your fat, stupid, hateful children.

Like the category says: You’re the problem.

Memories of Glastonbury Festival have been in my mind since I wrote last, memories thankfully which do not involve hallucinogenics. One of my favourite years was 1989 despite the fact that some discrepancy in the festival licence that year meant that the Saturday evening’s performances had to end by a certain time, and noise volume had to be kept low. The headliner that year was Elvis Costello, who performed a resume of his career to date with just an acoustic guitar for accompaniment. He’d not long brought out the album ‘Spike’, some of which was co-written by Paul McCartney, and my highlight was his rendition of ‘Veronica’. I’m not sure if that was the song he broke a string in the middle of but his roadie handed him a fresh instrument while he carried on singing then he picked up the third or fourth chord after the break happened. The change of guitar was so smooth that my friend, stood next to me and apparently witnessing the same gig, did not even notice.

If I recall rightly, 1989 was also the first year they erected a perimeter fence around the main site. It did not bother me as I was working on site. Well, I was meant to be working. Greenpeace, the sponsors, had sent me my free ticket in advance and they told me which car park I was meant to be helping at on the Friday morning to work off the entrance price. But when I arrived there the car park was already completely full and the gate manager stamped the back of my ticket to prove I’d turned up to work, then told me to go and enjoy myself as there was nothing for me to do. Result.

I was not staying in a tent that year but on my mate’s bus. Dusty had been a part of the traveller convoy a few years earlier but had settled down in my hometown when I got to know him. He obviously hankered after the old days, though, as he spent time doing up and old bus and I think Glastonbury was its inaurgral destination ocne it was up and running. It was a real treat to have running water, a working toilet which did not smell like an army latrine, and an actual mattress to sleep on. The bus was obviously lockable too so that was the first year I took my guitar along. Several other friends camped nearby in their tents and at the bottom of our field a couple of bands from somewhere up north had brought a flatbed truck which they turned into a mini-stage and performed gigs for us every night. It didn’t take long to persuade them to let me do some songs too.

It was great to be playing Glastonbury, in a sense, but when I’d arrived on the Wednesday afternoon (two days before the music events began) I had fleetingly dreamed I might grace the main stage. I’d been wandering through the main field, right in front of the Pyramid stage, playing my guitar as I walked along. The engineers were checking the sound system at the time and someone on the desk shouted at me “Hey you with the guitar. Have you got a pick-up on that thing?” “Yes,” I shouted back. “Great,” he replied, “Get up there and let’s plug you in.” I couldn’t believe it, I was going to play on the main stage. I know there was no-one really there but as I was pulled up onto the stage by a burly roadie and handed a guitar lead I had visions of someone important hearing me make some music and deciding I was an undiscovered genius who needed adding to the bill. “Shall I sing as well?” I asked, thinking I’d be more likely to be discovered if they heard me do a proper song, rather than just strumming some chords. “If you like,” said the roadie and signalled to the sound guy to turn the mic on. This was it, destiny, my big moment. I started to play and sing something I had written only a couple of months earlier, convinced I was taking a major step towards musical success. I got half way into the first chorus when the sound guy’s voice came at me through the monitor speakers – “Yep thanks mate, that’s working fine. Sod off then.” The roadie smiled at me sympathetically as he lowered me from the stage and I was crestfallen. But, looking back, I can honestly say I have performed on the main stage at Glastonbury Festival. To an audience of several roadies and a git of a sound man, admittedly, but I was there, man, I was there.

The rest of the festival was such a wonderful few days. The sun was shining pretty much every day (definitely no rain that year) and I got to hang out with good friends and watch acts like The Pixies, Van Morrison, Suzanne Vega, The Waterboys, Hothouse Flowers, Ozric Tentacles and possiblyFairground Attraction (I’m sure I’ve seen them somewhere and Glastonbury seems the most likely location, seeing as I wouldn’t necessarily have chosen to go and see them on their own). I got back from the festival some time on the following Monday to find that I’d lost my voice. My band had a showcase gig that night and a cassette recording of the night has survived to remind me that I sounded like a man with a whole swamp in his throat, not just a frog. But it was still worth it, even if my band-mates were pissed off that I’d thrown my voice away ahead of our biggest gig so far that year. What did they expect? That I’d go to Glastonbury and drink lemon tea whilst relaxing under a sunshade and not over-exerting myself? They were just lucky I wasn’t the drug fiend I’d been three years earlier – I might have ended up in a Cornish tin mine and not have got back in time for the gig at all.

Frank Black & David Lovering (of The Pixies) – Live in Concert, 2009. Copyright Scott Dudelson. This photo may not be used in any form without permission. To hire Scott to photograph for your publication / website please contact Scott@prodege.com. Serious inquiries only.

1987? via P4k

Did Weird Al ever take on The Pixies at any point during his illustrious (not being sarcastic) career? Was there ever a “Where is my Mime?” or a “Caribou: Canadian Love Song”? or at least a “I Bleed (Hemophilia part 1)”?  I don’t have any recollection of any parodies, nor does Pazz and Jop contributor Jeff Vrabel, who has met and interviewed Al, Weird on more than one occasion,  but maybe we missed one.

Regardless, (most of) the Pixies and Weird Al finally joined absurdist, irreverent forces this week at a benefit for Baby Winston Bertrand at LA’s Echo Park. Why is this cool? Two things:

1) The Pixies are, and always have been, awesomefaced.

2) Weird Al is somehow a cooler celebrity now than he was at any time since his FAT days.

thanks to Jeff Vrabel for the link. Vrabel also posits that the absence of Kim Deal in the above video is no doubt to their 1993 beef over Al’s proposed Breeders parody “Wallyball.”

Think about it — just think about it: circa 1988, had I told you that in 20 years (20 years!) we’d be seeing Weird Al and The Pixies killing it on stage sounding just as crucial as always (while meanwhile Michael Jackson had died a weird pariah); you would have laughed me out of your Thundercats Fort of Power and Magic.

And a bonus, for anyone who actually got down this far! (anyone? any….one?)

The University of Maryland, and some of its illustrious alumni and staff, wishes you a happy holiday season. How many can you name?

Connie, Maury, Scott VP, Gary, CD Mote Jr., and so forth. Missing from this clip: Boomer, Cribbster, Carl, Larry, and David. And at the end … wait, why is Testudo stalking girls in the library? OMG, he was the McKeldin Masturbator all along!

Flea (of The Red Hot Chili Peppers) – Live in Concert, 2009. Copyright Scott Dudelson. This photo may not be used in any form without permission. To hire Scott to photograph for your publication / website please contact Scott@prodege.com. Serious inquiries only.

Apologies readers for my last 4 or 5 days of inactivity. I’ve been dreadfully sick, but last week, before the sickness hit me, I had the unique pleasure of strolling into town, at around 7pm. I walked into a bar, and this bar had so much energy, fuelled by the customers; the atmosphere, the band. A band who’s known as Porcelain Coins, consisting of four, laid back, energetic and hilarious men who look as if they’re in their early twenties. As lady luck had it, I got a front row seat reserved to be able to see Porcelain Coins, who have previously supported major indie rock band, Bloc Party. Not only was I able to enjoy the musical genius that radiated from them, but I was blessed enough to get to interview Pablo, Sam, Ben and Gypo (Matt to his friends), throughout the evening!

M: What are your personal influences?
S: “‘In my opinion, my personal influences are Pearljam, Eleven and Led Zeppelin. Especially Led Zeppelin, the greatest band since someone said ‘hm, that sounds good, I’ll call it music’.“ Sam, who is a fan of the classic old-school rock legends, is the band’s bassist, and a killer one at that.

P: “Bernard Fanning, Powderfinger, I mean I like him in Powderfinger, but I love some of his solo stuff. Counting Crows, Cold War Kids, Simon and Garfunkle, Cat Stevens, and you can’t beat a bit of Bare Naked Ladies.” What sounds like a collection of obscurities from a teenagers life (apart from the Bare Naked Ladies!), actually proves to be a unique insight into what fuels vocalist and acoustic guitarist Pablo in his quest, which we’ll delve into later.

B: “The Pixies, Rage Against The Machine, Be Your Own Pet, Cold War Kids.” After talking to Ben in-depth about his influences and what it means to the band, he agreed that it’s generally about experiences, it’s a band where everyone brings something to the table. The electric guitar enthusiast’s tastes, along with Gypo’s (the drummer!) are slightly on the heavier side of things.

G: “It’s a tricky question, I mostly love things like Metallica, Chilli Peppers, and Rage Against The Machine.” Short and sweet, much like Gypo himself! But height related jokes aside, he had this to say, “Enjoyment comes through playing your instrument, but teamed with other people, it’s amazing.” It seems Gypo is full of words of wisdom, despite his crazy headache that evening, he ended with “Your creative side… It’s gotta get out somehow!” Hm, I never asked him if he was a Buddhist.

After a few drinks, and a couple of songs, the atmosphere was far chilled than it was since I had entered. And whilst we sat and enjoyed the performances of the stunning Jenny Reid (with an equally as stunning voice), who was performing solo that evening, despite her commitment to ‘The Penny Rogers Incident‘, we had discussed what they see themselves doing in five years time.

M: Where would you like to be in 5 years time?
G: “Still playing music, hopefully with bigger crowds! It’d be nice to reach more people, and it’d be great to experience some travelling” Big aspirations for a little man, who would’ve known. (Alright, it’s too tempting, sorry Gypo!), they may be big aspirations, but they’re certainly respectable.

B: “I see myself spending 6 months in a temple with my wife and kids, and spending 6 months touring with the band.” Ah, a family man, it’s nice to see someone who’s certain about their priorities, but being unsure isn’t always a bad thing!

S: “At The Rose Bowl! Playing to hundreds of thousands, that’s where I wanna be!” Well, there’s always one who truly appreciates their time in the limelight, Sam will be no exception. The rocking enthusiast has written previously for websites such as ultimate-guitar.com and has a pretty amazing taste in films!

P: “I’d love for us to get signed, it’d be a relief to have a good record deal. I’d essentially like to take the money from that and go to South America. I’ve always wanted to establish a community project, where everyone can benefit. Cafés, art galleries, that sort of thing, where people can get their work out and have a good time doing it. A self-sufficient system where everyone can escape the pressures which you and me do today.” I have to say, I loved Pablo’s answer, it’s one of those things which makes you stop and think about what you’re really doing. He’s a truly dedicated man, which was easily seen whilst he was on stage. His beautiful girlfriend, Zoe, seemed to agree  ”He’s one of the most driven and determined people I’ve ever met.” Watch out Zoe, his charms are pulling even me in!

It was by this point that the evening was drawing closer and closer to an end, with not only performances by the talented Jenny Reid, but also by another rising local band; At Last, who has an awesome vocalist. Porcelain Coins got up and stage and wowed the audience with one of their better (in my opinion!) songs, The Redemption of John Doe! If you’re a lover of Counting Crows, you’re bound to appreciate the edgy, unique flair which is personified by Porcelain Coins themselves. A group of aspiring, talented, young men who are truly dedicated to music and even through the ups and downs, still remain concrete on the idea of making it big. A well deserved idea, at that.

M: Do you have any advice for aspiring musicians out there? Any regrets?
G: “Listen to drum, I mean really listen to it, focus on nothing but the drum, listen to different styles, and be confident to try new things, don’t be afraid.” Grand, solid advice from Gypo in regards to drumming, he then told me about regrets “I’ve been playing drums for 7 years, I taught myself. My only regret would probably be not starting earlier, I love it!“

B: “Feel it.” Was all that Ben could muster after his amazing performance on electric guitar that evening, but it’s true, you can’t be a good musician unless you feel the music inside of you. “I have no regrets, because life is too short.“

S: “Perseverance is the key, keep at it and you’ll get there“ sound advice which is only surpassed by the sounds this crazy murdock was making all night with his insane bass and harmonica skills. “I haven’t got any regrets man, whatever doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger, right?“

P: “Never give up, one of the most important things as a musician, or as a band is to talk to your crowd, involve them. Do it because you love it, a job is something you can give up, this is a lifestyle. Keep at it, because the hardest thing to do is usually the right thing.” The ever wise Pablo shed some of his philosophies to newcomers, and there are some crackers in there, believe me. “My only regret is taking it so head on, it’s pretty physically draining, but it’s a learning curve, approaching it slightly slower would’ve made a little less pressure.”

And so concludes my interview with Porcelain Coins, an upcoming local band who I predict will be rising to stardom pretty darn soon. If you’d like to know more about them, or hear some of their music, you can join their facebook group here, myspace here and bebo here. I recommend Panama Guitars and He’s Got a Gun (loving that harmonica!)

If I didn’t have to work tonight, I would, without a shadow of a doubt, go see Frank Black of The Pixies, Tenacious D, Weird Al, Flea…

It’s super cheap too! Click here for detail. The show is at The Echo.

Frank Black is one of my all-time favourites.

The Frank Black and The Catholics self titled album of 1998 has some fantastic riffs, great harmonic lines, brilliant epic moments, emotion, truth, rock’n'roll — and the great Frank on genius vocal. In turn, each of the following could be in my head for days — each one is so honest and catchy.

01 – All my Ghosts (Eb);
02 – Back to Rome (E);
03 – Do You Feel Bad About it (G);
04 – Dog Gone (D);
05 – I Gotta Move (Eb);
06 – I Need Peace (C);
07 – King and Queen Of Siam (E);
08 – Six- Sixty-Six (G):
09 – Solid Gold (E);
10 – Steak n Sabre (D);
11 – Suffering (D);
12 – The Man Who Was Too Loud (F).

I know a lot of reviews that dislike this album, but for me, I cannot see why — even when taken with his other stuff.

Mind you, I adore “Teenager of the Year” — it’s earlier (1994) and nearer what the Pixies were doing.  The tracks were shorter and each one a thing of real beauty.  Taken as a whole album, this is a work of sheer magic.  There are so many idea per liner millimetre of master tape, that it is outstanding.

My girl and I went to see Frank Black live in Edinburgh a few years back, and it was a life highlight.  It truly was one of those nights.

Yet Frank is an ordinary, chubby bloke. I guess that absurdity adds to the mix. Ultimately Frank Black is about making music in the way that you always thought rock music ought to be made.  There is something essential about it, something energetic and live, something raw and powerful, something clever and witty, but in an off-the-cuff and spontaneous way.

[embedded video from YouTube]:

I would have to have Frank Black and the Pixies included in my “Desert Island Discs”; how could one live without a regular fix?

• www.blackfrancis.net
• www.frankblack.net
• www.myspace.com/frankblackisking
• www.last.fm/music/Frank+Black
• www.4ad.com/frankblack

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I’m not a fan of the talking-heads music documentary. I find it a waste of time to listen to lesser musicians gush about their idols. But I do appreciate a well-crafted or intimate tour doc, and the 2007 film “loudQUIETloud” is nothing if not intimate – which is the brilliance of it because The Pixies are notoriously shy.

Kurt Cobain once remarked in a Rolling Stones interview that he was basically ripping off the Pixies and that his band Nirvana used their sensibilites by playing softly and quietly and then following up with hard and loud sounds. In this sense, Nirvana didn’t change the course of music in the ’90s, it had already been set by the Pixies.

But despite their incredible music “presence” the band members themselves remained mysterious and elusive. Most of all, the reason behind their 1993 break-up remained unexplained as did the reasoning behind their decision to re-group in 2004. But even after seeing the film, there are no clear reasons other than the band members’ very apparent difficulty communicating – not only with each other, but with their families and their fans.

The conversations that we are privy to are so penetrating that we begin to feel that as an audience we have a closer relationship with the band members than they do with each other. The directors truly achieve here.

This is not a retrospective documentary. Don’t expect to see lots of old highlights of the band’s early years. This is strictly a tour film, and it’s a special gift to be able to travel with a rock band as it shuffles back to stardom. loudQUIETloud is an intimate look at four very different personalities, none of whom appear particularly attention-hungry, but all of whom embody some deep musical and emotional spark. When the sparks meet at the same time, you see fireworks. And when they don’t, you sense the kind of moist discordance that extinguishes any relationship – no matter how brilliant the fireworks.

loudQUIETloud is available for free online viewing through SnagFilms.

In the karaoke scene of the film (500) Days of Summer, Joseph Gordon-Levitt performs a snippet of “Here Comes Your Man” by The Pixies:

Here is the original, full-length version of “Here Comes Your Man” by The Pixies:

Frank Black knows.

He knows that the Pixies never have to create another original album again. All he has to manage is to keep the group on semi-friendly terms, enough that they can stand on stage together for 90 minutes, so they can play their hits and rake in ridiculous amounts of cash.

Cash from ticket sales, t-shirts, live recordings of shows and a new Minotaur box set that is selling for up to $600 for the limited edition package.

The Pixies have had their differences over the years. After parting ways in the early ‘90s, the quartet reunited for a tour in 2004, which is covered in the documentary “loudQUIETloud: a film about the Pixies.”

In fact, if Black ever did decide to record a new Pixies album it would most likely harm the group more than benefit it. There is really nothing Black can record, no matter how mind-blowing it is, that will stand up to the groups seminal works – “Come on Pilgrim,” “Surfer Rosa,” and “Doolittle.”

Weezer could take a cue from the Pixies.

Rivers Cuomo keeps releasing music that disappoints his fan base and enrages critics. Every couple years Weezer releases an album full of tracks that are amazing. Most musicians would kill to be able craft a pop-rock song half as catchy as Weezer’s.

Yet, no matter how catchy Cuomo’s licks are there is one common critique that haunts him: the album doesn’t sound like “Pinkerton.”

Imagine if Weezer simply did a “Pinkerton” tour where all they did was perform the album live. People would lose their minds to get their hands on those tickets.

Granted, from my understanding “Pinkerton” is the bane of Cuomo’s musical career, akin to Nirvana’s frontman Kurt Cobain’s relationship with the song Smells like Teen Spirit.

Coming full circle, Cobain was a huge Pixies fan who admittedly tried to “rip-off” the Pixies.

In a 1994 interview with Rolling Stone, Cobain, in talking about recording Smells Like Teen Spirit, stated:

“I was trying to write the ultimate pop song. I was basically trying to rip off the Pixies. I have to admit it. When I heard the Pixies for the first time, I connected with that band so heavily that I should have been in that band— or at least a Pixies cover band. We used their sense of dynamics, being soft and quiet and then loud and hard.”

Cobain’s love of the Pixies, ultimately lead to my love for the Pixies. When the Pixies were in their heyday I was only seven years old and thus had never seen them live.

The Pixies have had their differences over the years, parting ways in the early ‘90s, to reunite for a tour in 2004, which is covered well in the documentary “loudQUIETloud: a film about the Pixies.”

When the news of a “Doolittle” tour, where the band would play, arguably my favorite album of theirs, in its entirety, surfaced this year I was ecstatic.

The show offered far more than just the Doolittle gems, as good as they are live. After a nearly eight minutes of Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali’s surrealist 1928 short film Un chien andalou, which inspired the Pixies’ song Debaser, the band emerged to perform four b-sides.

The b-sides, including Dancing the Manta Ray and Weird at my School, were so obscure that bassist Kim Deal said they actually had to practice them.

From there the group ripped into “Doolittle” backlit by an array of surreal videos that varied dramatically from creepy to lighthearted. The vibrant videos are almost like a portal into Black’s mind revealing macabre or silly images that seem to complement a song’s lyrics and tempo.

Following the “Doolittle” performance, the group delved into another set of b-side starting with Wave of Mutilation (UK SURF).

The show came to a spectacular finale with an encore of some of their signature hits: Nimrod’s Son, Caribou, Crackity Jones, Vamos and Bone Machine.

Black may have gained a pound or two over the years, but he still has a voice that sound otherworldly when he screeches like a banshee.

All in all it was quite a 20-year anniversary for the quartet whose music has left a gaping imprint on popular music of the past two decades.

A Debaser Andalou:

Okay, where do I even start? I guess this isn’t really like any other concert post. The Dead Weather concert was amazing, the Blink 182 concert was SUPER fun, but nothing else in my live music event history has made me feel like I witnessed something as EPIC as when I saw The Pixies live on November 24th. Probably because they’re old and were celebrating their 20th anniversary of the album Doolittle. That in itself sounds pretty fucking epic, you know? The big TWO ZERO. When I first discovered the band, it didn’t really occur to me that I would ever get to see them so I never really held onto that hope. Thus, when I really did get the opportunity to see them, it was even more surreal. When I got the tickets back in July I was like “holy shit…” but when they actually arrived on stage, I was like “HOLY SHIT” hahaha. I’m not very articulate when it comes to these things. How many other ways can I say “epic” anyway???

Well, I can’t say enough how much I love their 1989 album Doolittle. I’m sure people are sick of hearing this but it really is one of my favorite all-time albums. I love every piece of it – how the bass just jumps out at you in the intro of their opening song “Debaser” … The song is essentially about the surrealist film Un Chien Andalou - a disturbing movie by Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali, from which scenes were shown at the beginning of the show. Ever wonder where the lyrics “slicing up eyeballs came from”? Yup…

The second song, “Tame,” then invites us with a seductive “hips like Cinderella” in a low husky voice, which then fully explodes into continuous screams of “TAME TAMEEEE TAME.” I think of this song when I think of how The Pixies sort of invented the whole quiet verse- loud chorus format of their songs, which later Nirvana “ripped off,” as Kurt Cobain once admitted.

“Wave of Mutilation” is one of my favorite songs on the album, which has a cheery sort of tune to it but is still at unease by the employment of the term mutilation. If you read the lyrics, it’s as if you’re getting a glimpse of Frank Black’s strange fantasy imagination. Or maybe I’m completely wrong – there are hints of suicide in those lyrics as well. I guess we won’t really know, but Black Francis himself has said that the lyrics were meaningless. Too stoned? Perhaps.

“I Bleed” was an instant attraction for me when I first heard it (whereas songs like “Tame” took a little longer to fully appreciate). The awkward yet fitting harmony of Kim’s girly voice on top of Frank’s – especially on the low “nobody knows” – is a strange pleasure to the ears. I could really sit here and analyze and reanalyze what all these songs mean, but I’m not really sure. I just know that there’s a place in the buried west in a cave with a house in it.

The fifth track, “Here Comes Your Man” has the bounce of a surfer rock song. I always find that Pixies songs are deceiving. You listen to a track like this and it sounds so fun, but something disturbing and grotesque lies underneath. Maybe I’m tripping balls, but just the entire album is violent, poppy, aggressive, unknowing.

“Dead” is interesting because whenever I listen to the guitar riffs, I feel like I’m on drugs and in a room with confusing, flashing lights. Apin’ rapin’ tapin’ catharsis? The chaos in this song passes by me when I listen to the album from start to finish and it always leaves me with the feeling of “did I just listen to that song?” It’s a really strange placement between the previous “Here Comes Your Man” and “Monkey Gone to Heaven.” Oh and the way his voice was recorded, it always reminds me of Jack White. So so so strange.

It was clearly no mistake that they put “Monkey Gone to Heaven” as the SEVENTH track on this album. If man is 5, then the devil is 6. And if the devil is 6, then God is 7. I like that a lot, especially the progressing repetition and the screaming at the end. I don’t want to fuck up trying to figure out what this song even means, I just know that it is a fantastic song. Easily one of the best ones.

I never really got into “Mr. Grieves” too much, but I really do like how they start off the song. It feels like old cabaret. And then the rest of the song comes to life. I’m not sure if I believe in Mr. Grieves, though.

I see “Crackity Jones” as a sort of continuation of the previous song. Why are all these songs short by the way? I felt the shortness even more when I saw them live. Most of them are under 3 minutes and songs like “Tame” (1:56), “Crackity Jones” (1:24), and “There Goes My Gun” (1:50) aren’t even 2 minutes long. Because the songs are so short, I’m always left wanting MORE. Kim was pretty funny with her dry, mechanical sense of humor. “Who’s coming back tomorrow? You know we’re playing the EXACT SAME THING…” lol.

I la la love the next song “La La Love You,” which is a sweet little love song. The energetic drumming and whatever he shouts at the beginning of the song give the wrong impression of what the rest of the song might sound like. Then, the guitars transition too, opening into a surreal combination of instruments, whistles, and “I love you.” And really, those three small words are all that is need to be said. They don’t try to complicate the statement with poetic metaphors. They simply say, “I love you. I do” and that simplicity bears so much truth. Oh, and then they do it up Pixies style with their cheeky “first base, second base, third base, home run” bit.

“No.13 Baby” is a fun song, starting with their anticipatory introduction which drives Frank’s wavering voice. I once read that the 13 stands for the 13th letter of the alphabet.. which is M, which stands for marijuana. Ha.

I’ve had “There Goes My Gun” stuck in my head for weeks. The entire song is really only made up of 4 lines, repeated throughout.

“Hey” is a brilliant song on Doolittle. I’ve always loved that build-up from the verses into “We’re chained…chained..CHAAAINED” because there is a certain desperation in his voice that I want to hold onto. And then of course, Kim’s bass line takes stage in her little solo. I love her bass lines, which often take Pixies songs to a whole new level. Black Francis’ screaming desperation comes back at “the sound that the mother makes when the baby breaks” – which I embarrassingly sang along to and then got recorded on the video that Max took. Oops.

There is a dream-like quality to “Silver,” a track I found quite haunting. And… foreign almost. The abrupt guitars coming and out towards the end adds to the surreal quality to it. I can’t say the same for this song as any other song on the album, like “Oh, I love it so much!” but it ties the album together, and I feel like it carries out similar images to previous songs like “Monkey Gone to Heaven” or “Wave of Mutilation” – only with a much more obscure melody.

Ah, and the album ends with “Gouge Away,” which is my favorite Pixies song. Quite possibly from their entire discography and not just Doolittle. Another song that really grabs your attention from the first second with Kim’s bass. The sparse riffs throughout the verse is amazing too. This song also follows the qv-lc format of “Tame” and every time the “mmm”s turn into its exploding chorus, I always have to sing along. Always. This song is the perfect finale to the perfect album, basically.

Okay so…… I guess my “concert review” turned out to be a song-by-song analysis of Doolittle. Haha, which is cool too, you know. I wonder if anyone would really read everything.

But yeah, the concert was AMAZING. Went with my bros Nicky, Henry, and Max. I had the best time ever, even though the crowd was a little bit bizarre. Probably because they were too old to dance around, which is completely understandable if you grew up listening to Doolittle when it came out in ‘89. It was awesome to see that the band members haven’t lost touch, though!

long live the pixies. amen.

For Immediate Release :: 12.3.2009

Owner Richard Colligan has taken his New York chic vintage store, Metropolis Vintage, into the online world to better connect with the people who relish in it’s vast and endless vintage collection. Nestled in the heart of East Village, Metropolis is known for their amazing vintage shoe and boot collection along with concert T’s that line the walls of the two-level vintage gem. The second level is part of a brand new expansion that coincides with the recent openings and current dorms in the area including NYU, Parsons, New School, Cooper Union, and the School of Visual Arts. New York City’s favorite stars Chloe Sevigny, Rachel Weisz, Zoe Kravitz, Parker Posey, Keanu Reeves and top models Gemma Ward, Agness Dynn, and Joy Bryant also turn to Metropolis for their fabulous vintage looks that can been seen in magazines and the tabloids.

Now vintage enthusiasts living or visiting the NYC area that have cherished the shop for the past 19 years, can be more involved with the store’s community. News, promotions, and store happenings can all be seen online and will be promoted throughout their website, Twitter and Facebook accounts. Richard Colligan is passionate about Metropolis. “My goal for Metropolis is to treat the store like a museum by picking items that are unique and special, but also being fun, affordable and wearable for any night on the town,” says Richard.

Metropolis’ future is bright. Metropolis and it’s newly opened second level can be seen in the upcoming film, “Happy, Thank You, More Please.” written by How I Met Your Mother’s Josh Radnor. Along with movie spotlights, the shop will also be opening an online store for clients not located in NYC. From Manhattan fashionistas to Brooklyn hipsters, Richard suggests people stay tuned because as the neighborhood continually evolves, as does Metropolis… and if a store knows how to bring the fun into fashion, it’s Metropolis.

About Metropolis
In 1995 after four years of being located in LES, Richard moved Metropolis to its currently location of 3rd Ave & 10th St., which is conveniently situated in the heart of East Village near St. Marks and many college dorms. New college students and seasoned college graduates have turned to Metropolis for their [vintage] fashion needs. Metropolis has become a staple to New York City’s vintage fashion community. Metropolis’ items have found their way into the hands of Iggy Pop, David LaChapelle, The Pixies and members of Sonic Youth throughout the years. Known for their endless shoe and boot collection, Metropolis, Richard Colligan and his staff are committed to carrying vintage pieces that will help them become a leader in the vintage shoe and boot market throughout New York City.

Metropolis Vintage Apparel :: 43 3rd Ave. New York, New York 10003
Twitter.com/MetropolisNYC :: MetropolisVintage.WordPress.com
For all media inquiries please contact :: Media Director / Courtney Haefner :: MetropolisVintage@gmail.com

Carly's not taking things seriously

So last night was Episode 8 of Final Cut for semester one. Like always we began at 8pm sharp following on after The TigerFace Show and things started off quite well… for like the first 30 seconds anyway. That’s when I forgot half of what I was supposed to say for the introduction and Diane kept talking over the music because she assumed the mics were turned down; funny at the time, kind of embarrassing in hindsight. Since the big film of the week was New Moon, we decided to focus our New Releases reviews on that. The only other film of significance to come recently (that we haven’t reviewed already) was Jim Carey’s A Christmas Carol, but we’ve decided to save that until at least December, out of principal if nothing else.

Lady D hard at work

Here’s a brief list of what we covered last night:

1. Intro – Pulp Fiction Theme.
2. We commenced the show with this week’s movie news:
3. Joss Whedon to winPGA Vanguard Award for general awesomeness.
4. Stephen King to pen a sequel to The Shining.
5. The Lovely Bones Charity Film Premiere in London.
6. Kat Dennings to join the cast of Thor.
7. First images of Shrek 4 released along with news that Kristen Schall will play an ogre-hunting witch.
8. Played Holding Out For a Hero by Frou Frou. (Shrek 2)
9. Decode by Paramore. (Twilght)
10. Reviewed New Moon.
11. Got into a few arguments visa vi Team Edward vs Team Jacob.
12. Played Possibility by Lyyke Li. (New Moon)
13. Shooting the Moon by Ok Go. (New Moon)
14. Ciarán and James broke the first two rules of Fight Club this week on Cult Classics.
15. Played Where Is My Mind? by The Pixies (Fight Club)
16. During The Rant we discussed Cinema Blends Best Cinematic Music Moments of the Noughties and played snippets from each song and all of the winner.
17. Played Little Dancer by Elton John. (Almost Famous)
18. Diane’s Pretty Boy of the Week – Up for a vote Robert Pattinson or Taylor Lautner. Go to our Twitter or Facebook Page and cast your vote!
19. Carly’s Pretty Girl of the Week – Kat Dennings.
20. Close – Metal Module up next.

So yeah, that was the show. Some of you might be asking why we didn’t play the more prominent songs from New Moon, like Death Cab or The Editors. Well the reason for that is simply because we reported on the release of the OST a few weeks ago and had already ran some of those tracks. It was a personal thing really, I just didn’t want to recycle songs, and I felt like it wouldn’t be fair to the people who listen to us every week. Besides, ‘Meet Me on the Equinox‘ isn’t even in the film, (Wtf?) whereas Possibility is played during one of its few good scenes. Lykke Li is someone you should check out.

Jamey Baby gettin' ready to rock and/or roll

Anyway, this week was a bit different because we actually had Ciarán and James in the studio with us doing Cult Classics live, as opposed to pre-recorded. They sounded really good live, most likely because for the past fortnight they’ve been getting some good practice in. (Listen to ‘Homophonic’ Mondays at 9pm!) I also had Ciarán on photo duty since I wanted some pictures of us at work for both here and our Facebook Page. In summation, I was quite pleased with how everything turned out. The Rant sounded great, which was a huge relief since I was pretty worried that playing the snippets (unedited) might be a bit glitchy, but I was pleasantly surprised.

The Wookiee working the desk during Cult Classics

Next week we’ll probably be looking at The Road; Viggo Mortensen’s new movie set in a post-apocalyptic world about man and his son trying desperately to survive. Hopefully we’ll also get to review Paranormal Activity; providing it gets a semi-widespread release. The commercials I’ve seen for it look really clever. They’re advertising it as one of the scariest movies this decade but instead of playing us clips of the movie itself, they show us the audience’s reactions. Colour me intrigued.

That’s about it for this week at college. Even though I finished my Media Studies assignment today, (design a book cover and write a document to accompany it explaining the conceptualisation, process, semiotics, etc. We did The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon) another one has snuck up on me. Damn you Research Methods! I also have Video Production, Crime and the Media and a media studies exam at the end of the semester. Suffice to say, I’m a tad stressed. Luckily I’m only working Saturday evening and 10 hours on Sunday, (which despite how it may seem, is actually a lot less than what I usually do) so tomorrow will be spent doing research in the morning, and a lot of sitting down with Ciarán and James in the evening. This pleases me.

You guys should check out DCUfm. I know you’re probably sick to death of me plugging it, but what is the internet good for if not self-promotion. Diane and I are back next Wednesday at 8pm with another Final Cut, and if you want some more of the audible chocolate that is James Buckley, (alongside Ciarán’s awesome producing skills) check out Homophonic, Mondays at 9pm. Click the link on the left to Listen Live right now.

   Je n’ai aucune idée de comment (re)commencer mon blog.

   Je devrais me présenter mais je n’arrive jamais à faire court. Je m’appelle Ced, je suis né en 1990 mais j’aurais dû naître à la fin des années 50 et grandir quelques part au Etats-Unis ou en Angleterre pendant les 60’s et les 70’s. Il y a pas si longtemps encore je rêvais d’être à l’image des héros tels que Kurt, Jim, Janis, Ian, Jimi, Sid… J’aime la musique plus que tout, Nirvana, the Doors, David Bowie, the Clash, the Rolling Stones, Joy Division, Lou Reed, Janis Joplin, the Sex Pistols, Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Jefferson Airplane, the Pixies, Sonic Youth, etc, etc. J’écoute à peu prêt tous les styles de musiques, bref vous aurez l’occasion de voir ça tout au long de mon blog.

SPACE ODDITY - David Bowie

   A part la musique j’aime beaucoup le cinéma, (les séries), l’art, voyager, etc… J’aime glander et j’aime par dessus tout avoir “la flemme de…”. J’aime la solitude et j’ai souvent besoin de me sentir seul. J’aime jouer de la batterie. J’aime les lives, les festivals et leurs ambiance.  Je suis fasciné par tout ce qui touche à l’univers. Je rêve d’aller vivre à Londres quelques temps, d’aller voir les temples Maya au Mexique et de faire le tour du monde. Et enfin je suis le genre personne capable de débarquer dans son lycée pour massacrer tout le monde avec un fusil à pompe. Bon j’estime que c’est tout ce qu’il y à a savoir sur moi, hin, hin. Bon aller je vous laisse avec du Surf Rock  et une video de Godspeed You! Black Emperor.

MARIACHI’S FEVER - Hawaii Samurai

Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Rockets Fall On Rocket Falls

…you’re reading about one of The Pixies’ awesome Doolittle reunion shows and you see this photo:

and this comment:

Sing with me. With your feet on the air and your nest egg in a diversified portfolio…

[Ed. note to purists: They played Where Is My Mind as an encore.]

“Got me a movie, Ah ha ha ho, Slicing up eyeballs, Ah ha ha ho!”

“Don’t know about you, but I am un chien Andalusia!”

The Pixies performed the second of four shows last night at the Hammerstein Ballroom here in NYC to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their mega-successful album “Doolittle,” playing the record in its entirety from start to finish. Jay Reatard opened and played his long, loud, and widely-grafted re-creation of the best of all rock n’ roll music from the 70s on. Then a few video screens projected some of the re-edited and re-formatted black and white imagery from “Un Chien Andalou,” a film by Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali shot in 1929. Notorious for its slicing of an eyeball with a razor blade, the film inspired The Pixies’ first song “Debaser” off their 1989 album.

Yet the band started their set with four B-sides. Clever, I thought, because once a record starts there ain’t a lot of room to deflect the listener from presupposing the next track. Then came “Debaser” and the crowd knew where to go from there.

Last night was the first time I have seen The Pixies perform live. They disbanded in 1993 while I was still in high school so it’s no real surprise that I missed them during their heyday. Black Francis’ vocals were spot-on strong and Kim Deal brought adorable excitement for the band, which stayed remotely quiet throughout. Her vocal parts/songs have always been some of my favorites. Lovering’s drums were far from rusty, in fact at points they were the absolute highlight, and Santiago provided the surf rock-solid foundation. For all the criticism they are receiving for brazenly capitalizing off an old album’s years long success with steep ticket prices, I think they rocked it and maybe it is because of the fact that I’ve had 20 years to harbor enthusiasm and memories for this album.

I have learned, through this show and seeing Built to Spill perform their entire album “Perfect from Now On,” that there is something familiar and honest about playing a record live as it was recorded. As a fan, I know what I’m getting and the surprise comes in finding out how much I really enjoy that.

Posted by: Autumn.