Get Your Pop Rocks Off

Um... whoa. Jim Noir's kinda really cute. I had no idea.



I always thought he was just a doughy Brit.

No.

Can't leave. Not on the most perfect day.

Must find a magazine to work for in San Francisco. Must...

Tu Lan. Go To Tu Lan.

Whenever I learn someone's going to San Francisco, I always say, "Go to Tu Lan. Go to Tu Lan."
They never do. They really should.

When I learn someone's from San Francisco, I like to ask, "Do you love Tu Lan?"
Not many have. But many of my friends are Vegan and Tu Lan is no place for a Vegan.
However, still surprising to me since it's been there so long doing what it does.

Go to Tu Lan...



The best Thai coffee too. The best.

Tuvan Throat Whispering

I made coffee that was too strong this morning. Yes. I did. Making coffee at other people’s houses is difficult. A note should be left or some kind of review made before it’s too late. Mostly before it’s time to make the coffee and the houseguest might be left to fend for their coffee-needing selves. I can't believe I didn't inquire about a review.

I’ve made bitter mud. Two sips. My shit is jacked up.

Went to see Six Organs of Admittance last night. So fun to hang out with Kathy at a show. She talks a lot. No really. Read the depth in the meaning of this sentence. This is Kathy w/ a K fact. But Kathy is genius level so her content is incredibly factual, topical, abundant and a large portion lies so much with good music. She is also 41, which you would not believe if you were to ever see this little girl. But her age tempers her awareness to keep moving with her audience and not just ramble at them. It’s a guided tour. You're often pleasantly entertained by the surprise wrap up of one her details.

But her knowledge was important last night. She wanted to get to the show when the doors opened. We wanted to have good positioning. She and I are very small. Generally, early show arrival includes worrisome hanging out for hours through dull bands and forced dialogue and many fake people. (L.A.?) But since we were hanging out, I was genuinely entertained. I also got to do a lot of looking. Our positioning perched me on a shelf so I was taller than the tallest. I got to live the good tall life for a night. And in San Francisco for crying out loud.

Who knew there were so many faces?

I leaned into Kathy, “Um…there are so many cute boys here.” Referencing “boys” already represents I'm indulging a handicapped perspective. But there were a lot of good looking faces. “I don’t see them.” Kathy was teasing me and stating fact. If I needed to be “down on the scene” (pun intended) there were plenty to choose from. But the truth is and my exxxposing note, “So many. I want to have an orgy.”

But Ben Chasny. I'm focused now. He's moved in around the block from Kathy. He’s personable on stage and self-effacing within his publicity. He makes modal fairy psych music on a guitar. Master of distortion for a tragic mood. He performs a Tuvan Throat Whispering. Fascinating. While singing one vocal, Grimlock, the Evyl Fairy Troll-Wort from the Thrid Level, whispered from deep within his belly.

Then Elisa Ambrogio joined him. She is a heavenly noise goddess. She plays guitar. They screamed six strings for awhile. She is in Magik Markers. I watched her endlessly. I had already noticed her way into I’m A Gun – heavy pummeling alcoholic stoner noiserock – but didn’t realize she would be next to do it. (And better). So then I loved her more.

Chasny played backing riffs to Elisa. The last show of the tour and his pedals gave out. He thought it was his guitar. Total bummer interruptus on my very heated night. They were totally fucking shit up. So much noise. The kind that really reflects your overly sophisticated and well designed internal mood with screaming guitar sound. He was bummed about the mechanics, gave a fuck, fought for it and ended the night on a very high note.

Bought the Limited Edition touresque LP. “What’s this sound like?” “It’s the noisier side.” Great. Here’s my $15. Still hot from the night, I smiled purty at the MerchBoy.

Then we drove out of Potrero Hill and I stared at the city lights. Just like the girl in the hipster car commercials.




Two small girls on the 49 making Googly Eyes.

It's Enough To Be Here.

There's a coffee place in San Francisco (Philz Coffee) that brews one cup at a time. It's dangerous. Most / Everyone says it's just too strong.

Philz' coming to L.A. and has already been interviewed on my work’s Good Food show. I made friends with the owner's son and he gave me a piece of baklava. I’m leaving it for my SF hosts. Must let work know Philz is coming to L.A. Trouble…

I also solved the Chronicle’s Cypher Puzzle over my second cup. It was a quote from Gene Hackman. Funny considering today’s Word-of-the-Day from Dictionary.com. Their sentence: “Unlike important men of affairs, novelists can turn midnight into sunrise and solve nettlesome world problems wherever their imaginations decree.” I was thinking about being a writer of enthuse from a nondescript place of origin. Like Los Angeles.

6 Eye Columbia. Neat.

Papalote. Plus.
St. Francis Fountain. We're worried about David.

White Pee. Countrified Noise Jamboree with a Dr. Sample. Plus.
Holy Kiss. Boo. But the singer doesn't think so. There's something for everyone.

Tomorrow Philz and a walk up the hill. For sure.

Some Things I Excel In. Some Not So Much.

Off to San Francisco today. I expect a lot of sitting in pleasant pastures. 

Real English?
I'm hoping to get all over the city and find some pretty views after enjoying some pleasant walks...
That's the best I can do.

I have to check my bag in. Hair care product alone, I'm not able to keep to the the (2) Bottle of Liquids minimum. Are you fucking kidding me?

Kathy w/ a K

Kathy and Josh came and visited in December. Now I'm going to San Francisco to visit Kathy and Josh.

She left me her 2007 Best Of, "Toof." "Toof" references her missing front tooth that happened last year. She's getting it fixed.

I met Kathy at KUSF in the very early '90s. "Nevermind" had just come out. A few years before, Kathy's ex was the original label to first put out "Bleach." "Alternative" things we're very big. Kathy knew so much about music and I was amazed. I was dried up on VU, grunge and dub and really needed some serious musical guidance. So she and they began to show me everything. AMM, Uncle Tupelo, Caroliner Rainbow, The Monks, even Nick Drake... I was barely 21. I began private repeated listenings of "The Battle of El Goodo." Commonplace today, but these were all first told to me when nothing else like them were ever discussed before. I needed to hear them. Exactly those and just right then. Somehow I knew they existed. Etched into my mind, I can still see Eric as Music Director in the Music Meetings holding up, "The Mummies." I thought, "These are really important bands Laura. Pay attention." Shit I did. And then Eric would laugh about just what the fuck these bands were doing. We all loved it. Sometimes Eric and I would play music together. Mostly Neil Young. When Eric wore his Jandek shirt to the SF Jandek show, people asked who that was on his shirt.

So "Toof." Just the name alone makes me laugh for Kathy. She's tough as nails, breaks just like a little girl, loved Lennon. She was the girl in New Orleans who wore the black arm band when he was shot.

There's a Bright Eyes song titled Kathy w/ a K. It's her. She was first to tour manage him. She worried about how fragile and nervous he was, how he always sounded like he was going to break - which made her laugh - and now he's become a big-time (ahem)... heartthrob. Anyway, Kathy w/ a K always says things like, "A classic if ever there was one," and was the first to tell me about Lester Bangs. She's Southern polite and Brooklyn smart. She's incredibly petite, dresses in Converse, grandpa sweaters and wears wingtips for dress-up. I am amazed when she considers me a "girlie" friend and we share fashion tips and advise. She's been quitting smoking for years but presently smokes American Spirit Blue - an improvement from Camel Filterless (or whatever cigarette she would tear the filter off of). She loves bunnies and Winnie the Pooh. She'll give you socks for presents because she loves socks so much. My cashmere argyle are still a favorite. The recent pink and black striped thigh-highs are somewhat befuddling but I'm way down for them. Kathy would always pull some kind of sexy girl thing out - in Converse high-tops. But she always got her man: The smart music geek that had social disorders. That's what you get when you love song so much and you're as smart as shit like Kathy is. So Josh is her gem. He actually talks to her friends. Like me. He's even picking me up at the airport. We've reviewed going keyboard shopping during the week and he'll probably comment on how I need more RAM - my computer is coming with me. He's right.

Now she works for the Tenants Rights Union of San Francisco. For her, a dream job. This is after working for Homestead Records, booking folkprogrock festivals, bringing Ghost to America, Bevis Frond, Windy & Carl, Glenn Jones - and I'm totally blanking on everyone else. These are the Go-Tos. Obviously.

So to get her 2007 Best Of? I get excited for her lists. I still have the Best Of 2006 eMail saved in my Yahoo account.

Her notes open (centered as shown and in an Excel document):

"of course I wrote this brilliant thing about the How of listening changing the What, listening on the ipod, listening on the commute, not listening as often to complex long beautiful comtemplative [sic] stuff like richard bishop or william parker, not this time, not this year, not that I didn't, but rather I didn't all the time, what dominated was the commute ipod song not the challenging but rewarding, not the albums... then I accidentally deleted it. sorry."

I love that, "not the challenging but rewarding". Good shit Kathy.

I miss her complex comtemplative educational bits on this one. But still I'm listening to her show and I'm reading her notes. She's on the air to me. It rocks like the only person to talk about Lime Spiders to me would. She loves songs with energy and excitement. Passionate sincerity that seems melodramatic but it's just the point and I liken it to the true loyalty she gives to her friends. Like the pop-punk-not-trash-futility of Ted Leo & the Pharmacists. Think about just their name alone. Pharmacists. That's not for kids.

I don't doubt any of us who get a copy of "Toof" aren't thrilled to have it. It's the Kathy w/ a K show.

I'll close with her LCD Soundsystem comment (I tell you, I was surprised to see they made it, but LCD is way good music, she knows a good song and after reading her notes, I at least knew it was Kathy): "one of those singles-things: the album was way too... modern(?) for me". The song she listed? "All My Friends." Aside from the sentimental connotation this song has when reminiscing about an old friend, the lyrics had already reminded me so much of Kathy. The beginning... the part all about astrological charts and sex? That part is so Kathy w/ a K.

Good stuff.

Ditching On Campus. A Pop-Up Post.

I’m at work practicing my backstroke.

Apparently I like the color green. Walking in to work today I noticed I’m all dressed up in it with my big green bag, my puffy green jacket and my green “cashmere” sweater blouse – very girlie. Goes great with the black cords and checkered Vans.

My work is sick. We’re small to begin with but the majority of people here, aren’t here. Last count was 11 out. We’re maybe 30 deep. Maybe. Most endearing was the staff eMail sent by our Station GM. A chicly, swift woman, originally from Brooklyn. This is pretty much her station. She started it all in ’78 in the former woodshop of the Jr. High down the street. Her co-creator was once jailed for not releasing his Patty Hearst interviews to the FBI. First Amendment rights released him. They were KPFK back then (Pacifica radio). In ’84 we moved into the basement of the Student Union we now reside in. She is a personality Los Angeles loves to hate. I find her invigorating and love working with her during our drives. We rock it. Example: Her last 4-1/2 hour shift of pitching =’d $127,000. It takes a lot to get that right and it’s then that I’m like a cat ready to pounce. I become incredibly Stoic but my secret is… I am blissed out. Everything’s intense and focused. Eye of the MotherFucking Tiger. And I like being a cat.

Side note to mention: We raised 2.15 million dollars in 11 days. My boss said to me in all of her 14 years of being here (she is our GM's subset) she has never seen a drive run the way this was. It was obvious a new regime was in. She actually said regime. She congratulated me. This was my second drive as the director. How can I be soft about this? Because to hear that really made me happy. This place has put me through a lot. Example right now: Rolling Stone remixes. Please. Don’t make me say it again. Sigh…

So our GM’s eMail? Goes on and on about the flu shot she arranged and “asked” us to all take (she held my hand while I got mine) and that it was resilient for only one strain. So don’t blame her for half of work being out. Ego? On this one? Totally. How else is L.A. going to hate her? Apparently we are under siege of a different virus and everyone should duck. That’s me paraphrasing. Her endearing eMail? She consistently spelled “flu” as "flue". This is the woman Los Angeles loves to hate. L.A. is fucking stupid. They should love this woman without shame. She is crazy like a fox and has hired me to run the subscription drives. You have no idea… They’re missing out. Anyways, I decided she was referring to soot and how it’s akin to what the Industrial Revolution did to our world.

Then I started thinking about Globalization.

I’ve been having a religious experience with Wire’s “154”.
New Malkmus track at the station. New Monade too.

S.F. is next week. I’m so excited. I’m going to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. Lived there for a good 7 seven years and I never did that. 

Well, maybe just halfway.

California Winters

Saturday, February 9. Los Angeles, CA. 70° F.

So warm. The idea of the gym seemed like a waste. Calling Sevie seemed like a good idea.
Sevie is a Sherpa. Of sorts.

We drove up to Topanga Canyon, just 30 minutes up the coast. There were frogs. I climbed a very steep rock. 

Don't eat me.

Sounds.

I worked my way backwards with Dimlite. Middle and back rather. My first full length came after enjoying a fresh mind expansion from Rush Hour’s Beat Dimensions release. A title that came out mid last year. This collection showcased the top creative producers and beatheads. I don’t like to call these guys producers. Sound innovators? Sure are. Creatives is better. Geniuses is gushing.

A few really stood out. Less maybe. Dimlite did.

Starting as I did from his second release, This Is Embracing is so well constructed, smooth and incredibly complex. Knobs turning, pads beat with abstract precision. Each track layers sounds, clips, warps and tones that amuse, befuddle and warm with technique. I fell instantly in love with his music. Now just getting to his first release, Runbox Weathers, it’s very similar but so much rawer. You can hear his genesis and it’s very pleasing. “Oh? That’s your Point A.” It’s a pleasant, totally unexpected surprise. The sounds are simpler and the execution is too. It is therefore a dirtier release, while still magnificent. The ear and mind of Dimlite directs brilliant digits. 

So today we meet Misel Quitno. A non de plume for Dimlite’s nom de plume. The evolution continues. It’s just like in your dream.  The prettiest one. Invoking Raymond Scott in a neo soul super space, a delicate unreleased '80s French soundtrack, slightly fusion, psych folk acoustics, musique concrete, songful science fiction... Misel Quitno is regality expressed as an artist. Classically glorious in ingenuity.

At special times, you notice something familiar, soon realizing it was Dimlite you were thinking of. But the reunion of what you're hearing now, shows the bloke's moved into a different neighborhood. Same family, just years later with new shoes and new fall semester clothes.

I want to marry him and have French babies with him. Neither he nor I are French.

Like Two Bitter Strangers. A Correction.

Terror Twilight is a great album.

Capistrano Swallow, Answer to Your Inner Voice

I've started taking meditation classes.

Like real meditation.

Turns out the teacher is a disciple of Swami Kriyananda, a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda. A couple years ago I got halfway through his book, Autobiography of a Yogi. I didn't realize this was the study I was signing up for. This pleases me though. It's the practice my dad studied when I was a kid. I didn't realize that either. I have always said the dad I knew then is different from the dad I know now. Both are good dads to know but the the former had a really mellow vibe. It was great to have it around when I was little. One thing he would say about the teachings that's always stuck with me is that they believe we don't have a body. I think I'm smart but I couldn't get that. Fortunately, our teacher reviewed this philosophy in our first class. It makes sense now. I get it.

I'm hoping this helps with my hopelessness. That doesn't make any sense. Just give me the truth. I signed up when for the first time in my life I realized I couldn't figure something out. The pain seemed excruciating. But I finally knew I just needed to sit.

Chips and Dips.

Love the new Hot Chip. Didn't expect anything less. Every time I see those geekfunkfuckers I dance for hours and declare at their exit, "YOU'RE NOT DONE YET!" I am not alone.

One of the frontmen is around my height. He's little. He's the higher tone. He's the funkiest of the bunch.

I had to mention a point about why Hot Chip is good and why Vampire Weekend is annoying. My immediacy... sorry that my post is elementary.

Considering Hot Chip's, "One Pure Thought." The song is Zulu. Afreakan. These guys clearly have roots in music. Not fad. Even starts off with guitars rather than groove. But the music isn't simple. You're drawn in by the changes and the fun hooks. Traditional Hot Chip. I feel like I'm talking about Barbie or something. It's got a groove. And I can really get down to it. But seriously - I think it's in a harmony within the song. They do a little chanting riff comprised of "I won't be on my way, I won't be on my way," and then lay octaves above with a melody that trails down. It's so pretty and it's a smart blend. Intriguing.

And jokes. There's a thing about sense of humor that really connects me to things. Seems strange to put it into music though. Right? Music is just our emotional tone. Literally. But! If you can put some wit and a wink into a song and still pull it off, it represents genius. You're not telling a poo joke just for a laugh. It's poo with point.

That's Hot Chip. They're music is regular dance. But IDM as it is intelligent. But their brand of IDM features no krinking juxtapositions to MAKE you feel IDM'd. That's the wink. It's just dance funky but the cliche is so dead-on that their excellence in technique makes it go to "the next level." Voila, C'est IDM. Whatever.

Give the same to Vampire Weekend, and it's a bunch of snotty kids who enjoy their dad's African section in his Hi-Fi collection. Their youth is their novelty not their craft. Nothing changes in the music. It's note for note practically.

Yes. I am playing on my own simile. It is trite? No. It is complete.

Their publicity kit states, "Will make you 40% happier." Or something like that. Definitely the 40%. My work's music librarian was saying, "Yeah. And that's it."

Exactly.

"I'm only going to Heaven if it feels like Hell. I'm only going to Heaven if it tastes like caramel."

I love Hot Chip.



While we're here, take a moment for this, Planning To Rock.