Listening, Watching, Reading (for William)

Listening:

• Lavender Diamond- Cavalry of Light EP, “You Broke My Heart” plays in my head all day long.
• The Dirty Projectors- Slaves’ Graves and Ballads, The first half of this album, he plays with a ten-piece chamber group called the Orchestral Society for the Preservation of the Orchestra and the other half is crooning acoustic loveliness.
• Smog- A River Ain’t Too Much to Love, Still on this one. What I love about it is that it has the ability to make me nostalgic for a history that isn’t even mine.
• Jonathan Richman- I, Jonathan- He thinks the Velvet Underground is what music is supposed to sound like. I agree. Except now I also think that he is what music is supposed to sound like. (Also see Modern Lovers.)
• Le Tigre- Self Titled, I was listening to this repeatedly (and I mean, starting it over as soon as it finished, repeatedly) while I was painting. Have you ever listened to “Deceptacon” while you’re trying to sit still? I found myself dancing around by myself a lot, with a wet paintbrush in my hand (Also, if any of you out there have one of the other two albums, PLEASE send it to 149 S. Daniel Morgan Avenue, apt. C, Spartanburg, SC 29306. I can’t afford to buy them right now and I must have them.)
• The Unicorns- Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone, Fear of death (in plane crashes, in sleep, etc.) and fear of ghosts dominate this album. That covers almost 75% of my interests.
• The Moldy Peaches- Self Titled, I feel like I can listen to annoying New York hipster music now that it’s not new anymore and I no longer live in New York. Besides, it’s just so much fun. It reminds me of my friends recording music in Brooklyn basements.
• Explosions in the Sky- The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place, First of all, best name for an album ever. I’ve been listening to this album sporadically over the last year or so, but more so in the last few months since I saw them live. I have found that it best suits activities that take time and that I don’t want to do, like cleaning my room.
• Elephant Micah- Ok, so I’m not exactly listening to this, but I would like to be. Nick has one song on a compilation, Folk Music for the End of the World and I have fallen in love with it. Is anyone out there familiar with him? I want to get an album, but it seems he’s very prolific and I don’t know where to start.
• Freezepop- Freezepop Forever and Fancy Ultra Fresh, Synth-pop deliciousness from the days of Elinor’s maroon Altima with 12’s in the back bumping “Heina Mixes” (aka “girl mixes.”) If you’re interested in songs about falling in love with robots during the apocalypse and cute summerboys (one word) then give it a listen.
• Anthology of American Folk Music and Alan Lomax’s Sounds of the South Smithsonian Recordings, Got to get acquainted with my new home…
• The Books- Lemon of Pink, Lost and Safe, and Thought for Food, I saw them just before I left New York. Their shows are a multimedia experience, and I loved them before I knew this. These guys make music, they make art, they make videos. They are living the dream.
• Silvio Rodriguez- Mujeres, Check him out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silvio_Rodr%C3%ADguez
• Old Crow Medicine Show- Big Iron World, Bluegrass, folk and country for and from the grunge-rock-hip-hop-generation

(Thanks Derya, Charles, Sara and Brad, Marco, and Mike Alfano for above music.)

In other music news, Andrew Bird in Asheville later this month. I’m so there. And Derya and I are working on putting together the ultimate Heina Mix, “Heinas Through the Ages.” Think cheesy (and awesome!) girl music from disco to 80s to late 90s blonde girl pop. Any suggestions? Email us: derya@hub-bub.com, arielle@hub-bub.com.

Watching:

• Party Girl- Ok, not the most intellectual of movies, but so what? You don’t think I’m smart enough to work in your fucking library?
• The Philadelphia Story- Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn and Jimmy Stewart. I think it might be my new favorite movie. The writing is phenomenal, as it was first a play. They just don’t make ‘em like that anymore, I’m afraid.
• The Triplets of Belleville- A beautiful movie through and through, visually, musically, and narratively.
• Lady Eve- Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck. “I need that man like an axe needs a chicken.”

Reading:

• Flannery O’ Connor- A Good Man is Hard to Find, dark and violent and delicate and funny. Southern writers are unbeatable.
• William’s baseball blogs: http://bugsandcranks.com/category/florida-marlins, http://108doublestitches.blogspot.com. I don’t really get them, but I love them anyway.