Oversights 2010
Oversights 2010
In my haste to post the previous entry within the closing hours of 2010, I realize I made some glaring oversights. Um, no mention of LCD Soundsystem?! Sister Crayon? Daft Punk going Tron? Now that the dust has settled from bringing in the new year, I've gained some clarity, and I'd like to reflect on some of the most notable 2010 musical goodness one last time. LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy arguably makes This Is Happening the best album of the year, and makes me want to pack up and leave for New York forever. "Dance Yrself Clean" gets you to do just that, and "I Can Change" is the best song the Human League never wrote. $17 was the price of admission for a screening of Tron: Legacy in IMAX 3D. It was all well and good, with those lightbikes and games of straight-dagger frisbee (as I like to call it). Olivia Wilde is smokin', and Jeff Bridges is basically The Dude ("You're messing with my Zen thing, man.") But when legendary French house robot-DJ duo Daft Punk make their cameo at the End Of Line club, the movie becomes louder, better, and any qualms about the steep ticket price are squashed. Check out the new fantastically old-school video for "Derezzed," and pay attention for one lovely cameo. Oh, Kanye. Whatever. It's good. I was fortunate this year getting to know the Sacramento quartet Sister Crayon through a good homie of mine. So besides Terra, Dani, and Nicolas being super cool and chill folks, they also happen to make wonderfully soulful indie pop, fusing it with traditional trip-hop elements - samples, ambient melodies, and crisp beats. These kids had an epic 2010, highlights including the premiere of their video for "in(Reverse)" in February, their opening at LA's The Echo for School of Seven Bells in June, successfully acquiring a touring van(!), and completing a tour of the west coast with El Ten Eleven. They're killing 2011 already, playing with Little Dragon in LA tomorrow at the Natural History Museum, and anticipating the Manimal Vinyl release of their full-length Bellow, out February 22. And just yesterday, Boy George of all people tweeted about their cover of Bowie's "Bewlay Brothers" saying it was "FUCKING LOVELY." You can catch them live on February 23(along with Dan Deacon) in SF at the Rickshaw Stop for the Noise Pop festival. Listen to the fantastic single "Souls of Gold" off their forthcoming LP here. Boy George should be feeling good about himself lately, after guesting on Mark Ronson & The Business Intl's Record Collection for the modern synth-pop slice "Somebody to Love Me" - a track not far behind the rest of my favorites in 2010... Mark Ronson of course- the more talented of the producing/musician/DJing Ronson siblings (his sister being hi-top sneaker wearing and ex-Lilo-lovin' Samantha) - is producing Duran Duran's new album, which he says will satisfy any true DD fan, that "it's the imaginary follow-up to Rio." Uh huh. Yeah, that's what he said. But is it any good? Nah.
Although speaking of Rio, my hair is well on its way toward John Taylor status circa 1982. I always thought he was sooo pretty. p.s. this is hella cute.
More Posts from Alwaysmovinginstereo and Others
the-greatest-hits tumblr does it again.
B&W
John Hughes ‘The Reckless Club’ Project by Butcher Billy
ha. pretty dope.
Did ya hear the Oxford Dictionary kicked out the word "cassette tape" in its newest edition?
fade out/fade in.
today is the end of an eleven day work stretch.
every day i feel stronger. leaner.
When I was young, my Mom would take my older sister and I in her modest Toyota Tercel on roads to anywhere and nowhere. Day trips to the Mendocino Coast, or down to Santa Cruz, through vineyards or artichoke fields. There was always a soundtrack for the road, for my mother was still young and big on cassette tapes. INXS, Madonna, and Fine Young Cannibals were heavy in rotation. Lest not forget Pat Benatar. My mom would kill me if I didn't mention her.
Alas, another band was often filling my impressionable ears, whether on the tape deck or ol' KRQR, and that band of course was U2.
Now, you could imagine the shit I've gotten over the years for my penchant for the band's music. Especially from music lovers my age, of whom I've endured so many "Bono sucks" rants I've lost count.
In part, I understand, Bono's persona is incredibly self-righteous, and he's always had awful hair. It's too bad, because it detracts those who may be so inclined from their music. And their music my friends, has generally been outstanding. In their prime (1980 -1991), the band's catalog is unparalleled. They became the greatest rock and roll band for their passion, their sincerity and their sound, which now has been ape'd like a bad rash (Coldplay would be served well if Chris Martin stuck to his piano).
I have no qualms stating that tonight I'm seeing my all-time favorite band for the first time. I'm not going out on a limb saying I am who I am in part to the music I've grown up listening to, and U2 is a such a significant part of that.
They're gonna play one of my favorite songs, which you can stream above.
And when they play, I'll sing and holler and put my arm around my brother-in-law(who in fact first saw U2 in '87 for The Joshua Tree tour) and stand in awe of it all.
The Irish band plays the Oakland Coliseum tonight with Lenny Kravitz.
