O JUNK YA’LLZ!!1 I’VE BEEN SOOOO BAKED 2DAY I ALMOST 4GOT TO PUT 2GETHER A MIX FOR 420. I’M LIKE THAT ADULTERER IN THE BIBLE STORY… LOVE TO GET STONED, KNOW WUT I’M SAYING?!?!?! NAH I’M JUST KIDDING.
N-E WAYZ, 420 IS MAH FAVORITE HOLIDAY AND I CELEBRATE IT EVERY YEAR B/C I FEEL IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE LEGALIZE THE GANJ. GRASS HELPS ME AND OTHER PPL FIND OUT THE TRUTH IN THINGS. AND U KNOW WHAT? MAN, I’LL TELL YOU WHAT THE REAL CRIME IS… IT’S WHEN OUR FASCIST GOVERNMENT TELL US… WAIT, MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT DERAILED. O WELL, LOL. BUT YEAH, AS I SAID EARLIER I MADE YA’LLZ A MIX TO BRING IN THE HOLIDAY RIGHT. ALSO, IF U WANT TO SMOKE GRASS BUT CAN’T ROLL A DEECE J, HERE’S HOW TO MAKE A GRAVITY BONG WITH HOUSEHOLD ITEMS. PEACE.
For this classroom activity, you will need:
- Kitchen mop bucket (preferably unused or at least thoroughly washed)
- a 2-liter bottle
- Sink faucet screen with nut (the lil’ doo-dad where the water comes out)
- Aluminum foil
- Knife or scissors
- Access to municipal tap water, yo
THIS IS 4 TOBACCO USE ONLY, THO, SO DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME WITH N-E THING ELSE *WIIINKZ NUDGE*
Fill bucket about 3/4 with water. Cut four small incisions at the bottom of the plastic bottle. Remove bottle cap, replace with sink screen and nut, and pad bottle nozzle tightly with aluminum foil (don’t want any of the tobackee smoke *wiiink* to get out). Fill screen with your favorite flavored tobacco. Push bottle toward bottom of bucket. Light tobacco and slowly pull bottle up out of water. Remove cap, put mouth on bottle nozzle then slowly start pushing bottle back down into bucket while inhaling. And viola! ENJOI YR. FINE AMERICAN GROWN TOBACCO PRODUCTS LOLZ.
IF YA’LLZ HAVE N-E ?’S U CAN HIT ME UP ON AIM MY SCREENNAME IS SMOAK420
If you do get busted by the po-lice for enjoyin’ the finer things in life, tell them that you got these gravity “tobacco” bong instructions from Gorilla Vs. Bear, ya know what I’m sayin’.
There’s something about Louisville that produces adventurous female songwriters who completely eschew traditional (i.e. bland) folk leanings for massive, beautiful soundscapes and experimental song structures. Perhaps it’s the high grade weed that passes through here, who knows. Last week, you were introduced to the graceful Cheyenne Mize, who collaborated with Will Oldham on his Among the Gold EP. I suppose you could classify her and other similar artists as part of the New Weird America camp. But Tara Jane O’Neil, who recently relocated to Portland, is not new and not easy to pinpoint. She’s a longstanding freak folk luminary whose resume stretches far and wide, and she would stomp Joanna Newsome’s annoying ass and beat her with her own harp without a second thought.
A quick history lesson for the uninitiated. At 20, TJO tamed the low end in the legendary Louisville math rock collective Rodan, and played on their one and only album Rusty. After Rodan’s deterioration, she drfited between the likes of Ida, Mirah, Naysayer, Retsin, Jackie O Motherfucker, and good ol’ Dave Pajo as Papa M. Rodan enthusiasts will hate me for saying such, but her solo work, in my opinion, has left the most shattering impression. And the forthcoming A Ways Away is one of her best. It’s a scorcher.
While some of her recent work has adopted a more intimate and traditional folk approach in the vein of latter Fairport Convention or Townes Van Zandt, A Ways Away is lush, weird, and engrossing. Psych folk is the closest reference point, as the spinning textures and ambient flourishes are reminiscent of some of The Incredible String Band’s best stuff. Yet, TJO is also entirely something else.
In a way, A Ways Away is a return to form and a maturation. The crafty utilization of space and syrupy slow tempo is reminiscent of early Low and, of course, Rodan and her first effort Peregrine. At the same time, TJO is fully owning her sound – writing concise songs while letting the drones and riffs wander in myriad directions. The result is a beautiful and accessible work that relishes in desolate sounds and bucolic late night wandering. If you were intrigued by Grouper’s Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill last year, A Ways Away will floor you. Respect to Grouper, of course, but TJO was doin’ this thing first and, as such, deserving of your attention.
It’s important to note that you should stay very, very far away from alcohol whilst enjoying A Ways Away. It’s extremely somber and sorta creepy, notwithstanding that it’s absolutely gorgeous as well. Which reminds me, one of my best friends’ older brother had the pleasure of getting wasted with Tara at a Stereolab show in Louisville in 2002. I can’t even piece this scenario together. Stereolab played at one of the douchiest bars in town, Phoenix Hill Tavern (imagine “Parsec” amongst a sea of popped collars, ya know?). And here’s Sam, a total good times dude, taking whiskey shots with the distant TJO. I’ll have to ask him what they talked about next time I see him.
Ah, I follow tangents as they come, where was I? Oh yes, back to how and why A Ways Away rules. The tonality TJO employs on her clean electric guitar, with huge atmospheric reverberation added to great effect, is remarkable to listen to, and perfect for driving west during the storm. “Pearl Into Sand” is a beastly, rowdy drone instrumental that just handed my ass to me. This leads into the equally beastly “Beast, Go Along.” As beautiful as it is haunting, “Beast, Go Along” is the best representation of A Ways Away as a whole. Morricone-style riffs drift in and out, while light touches of steel guitar adds a slight cosmic American music slant – all of which ride delicately over thick, warm drones. It’s a delicious dirge that you can expect on my best of ‘09 list. While firmly cemented within the parameters of atmospheric folk, TJO’s A Ways Away reveals many facets that only get better with each listen.
A lot of general interest has piqued again for the fascinating genre-jumping Scottish songwriting duo known as The Vaselines. They are hands-down one of my personal favorite artists of all time, so I’m certainly excited, but also a bit disappointed (due to higher expectations that are explained later) with Enter the Vaselines.
The Vaselines lay everyone to waste. From 1987 to about 1990, Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee concocted a seamless amalgamation of shoegaze, psychedelic rock, punk ethos, fuzzed-out twee pop, and folk narrative (such as following the acid trip gone wrong on “The Day I Was a Horse”). Shit, there’s even a fiddle that pops out of nowhere on “Oliver Twisted.” Their range and good sense in pop songwriting would’ve made the Vaselines the shining star of the C86 crop, that is, if they were even invited to that party – which they probably weren’t (how did you sleep on that one, Alan McGee?).
I don’t say lightly that the Vaselines were brilliant, and there’s never been a clearer case of an artist’s artist I can think of. It seems only dudes in bands like The Vaselines, which explains why the were never known during their late ’80s heyday, and not widely recognized now either. But those who do know and love the Vaselines swear by them with religious fervor (as I do). Most appealing to me (and other fans I’m sure) is how the Vaselines were one mighty contradiction – a massive sound crafted by only two people, double entendre lyrics sung with coyness, gritty production and sloppy instrumentation coupled with truly soaring, gorgeous melodies – this duo was a real gem.
Perhaps this is why Sub Pop wants to curate another Vaselines retrospective. After reforming to play some choice music festivals last summer, it seems now is a great opportunity to reintroduce the band to the masses, re-excite the fan base that has built around the Vaselines very, very slowly over the past two decades, and show everyone how lame indie rock has become in the interim when directly compared to the Vaselines.
Enter The Vaselines is a double CD/triple LP collection of the Vaselines catalog, the first issuance of any Vaselines related music since the compilation The Way of The Vaselines: A Complete History dropped in 1992 (also by Sub Pop). The first disc contains all their recorded and mastered songs, which includes their one and only album Dum-Dum and the materials on their first two EPs. The second disc features live bootlegs and demos. Of the three demos featured, “Rosary Job” and “Red Poppy” are the only two songs on the entire 2CD/3LP set that were not already part of The Way of… disc. That’s what I was talking about earlier when I mentioned being slightly disappointed. Of course, that’s not Sub Pop’s fault at all, the Vaselines didn’t stick long enough to record a lot of material. However, if you’re only vaguely familiar with the group, or if this is your first time hearing them, Enter the Vaselines is a the certainly the best and easiest to find introduction. Actually, the term “introduction” isn’t fair because this is absolutely everything that (as far as we know) they’ve laid to tape. And every one of those songs is absolutely golden.
As an aside, I’d love some reader thoughts on this – groups like The Vaselines, Flipper, Meat Puppets, Sonic Youth, The Melvins, and The Raincoats were hugely influential for Kurt Cobain. So why is it that only douchebag bands are influenced by Nirvana (as cited by the bands themselves)? What is that? Not trying to over-generalize here, but you know what I’m sayin’…
Enter the Vaselines is available May 5, courtesy of Sub Pop. The Way of the Vaselines is also available courtesy of said label, and you can grip that right now.
Ovals & Emeralds, the new EP from Bibio, is full of disorienting growths of sublime field recordings, toy-chest noises, and coarse synths. On this follow-up to the superb Vignetting the Compost, Bibio’s signature creekside guitar is only present on two of the tracks, but here he has crafted his ambient work to equal perfection. The sun goes down on his usual idyllic pastoralism to bring out a bleaker landscape with a slightly menacing air to it like the meditations of Wolfgang Voigt. Amidst the wall of sound are faded music boxes and rich bonsai soundscapes that hypnotize you like a demented carnie at the circus gates.
Still no date for the limited edition vinyl, but Ovals & Emeralds is available for download. You should get on that, because this may be his swan song for Mush Records. It’s official now, Bibio is to be the newest artist on the Warp roster! I bestow my sincere blessings on this holy matrimony, as Wilkinson has certainly earned this invitation to the family. You can go to his Myspace to hear snippets of the upcoming Warp debut. From the preview, it sounds like an intense mash-up of Prefuse 73 and Iron & Wine, collapsing folk and glitch-hop into one. Below, for your viewing pleasure, is a video of Bibio performing “Oval Emerald Vertigo” from the new EP. Is that an MPC he’s banging it out on? Touché sir.
Ever since the unfortunate circumstances surrounding Microcastle’s premier, the folks of Deerhunter seem to have been keeping their progress shrouded from the public eye (can you blame them?). The absence of updates on their blog has left many geeks like myself to speculate on what they may be cooking up, but now we have our answer! Next month, Deerhunter are set to release their new EPRainwater Cassette Exchange on Kranky! This five-track offering was recorded at the Rare Book Room with with producer Nicolas Verhes.
We first heard the title track “Rainwater Cassette Exchange,” during their mind bending set at the Noise Pop Festival last month. The finished version is pleasantly effected and spacious, furthering Cox’s obsession with doo-wop and 60’s girl groups and bringing in lo-fi psych elements from their Unrequited Narcissist tape. These guys could’ve been the Xanadu house band. Also looking forward to hearing the studio versions of “Disappearing Ink” and “Famous Last Words” which seem to reinterpret teenage fascinations with Pavement and Stereolab. Given that Cox and the gang’s track record has allowed us to get super psyched about every release so far and never get let down, I highly doubt this is going to be any different. The CD and Vinyl are set to drop via digital download May 18th and will be available on CD and Vinyl June 8th on Kranky Records. The track listing for for Rainwater Cassette Exchange is as follows:
01. Rainwater Cassette Exchange
02. Disappearing Ink
03. Famous Last Words
04. Game of Diamonds
05. Circulation
My editor at LEO Weekly runs the label Karate Body Records, and they’re getting ready to drop a gorgeous vinyl 10″ by Bonnie Prince Billy called Among the Gold. Though fresh off the Beware publicity storm, the prolific and mercurial Oldham is never one to stay idle for too long. The six-song release is a collaboration with Cheyenne Mize of adventurous Louisville folk collective Arnett Hollow – and it’s an authentic historical jaunt.
Oldham and Mize dust off some antique torch ballads, dirges, and steamboat folk written between 1873 and 1915, and claim them all as their own. Though the music is undeniably the touch of Oldham, the melody and intimacy of old American standards and duets is perfectly preserved and documented with delicate prowess.
This is a limited edition record, so if you want one, head over to KBR pretty soon to grip your pre-order.
No doubt that regular readers are familiar with the satirical Billy Corgan Twitter gimmick. It’s really taken off in a ways that I could not have foreseen, and I have to assume that you all might be interested in an update. First, Corgan himself has acknowledged its existence.
Official statement from the Pumpkin King, found in paragraph six of his mission statement thesis:
I do plan on doing other things coming up though. I have notions to start 2 other bands and also release some more solo work. I would love to get into more details on those projects but I would like to secure the domain names first because I don’t want to have to fight to get them back later. It’s bad enough that I have someone posing as me on Twitter LOL…the general idea is the work of the other groups and solo may intertwine with the SP album as far as a release schedule would go. But I’m all ready ahead of myself there
Yes, it is bad enough.
It’s hard to glean exactly how he feels about it, though. I mean, he does finish the sentence with a hearty lol (in ALL CAPS). So perhaps he has a sense of humor after all. Or… it could also be the type of lawl that’s more along the lines of “heh heh… cute. Kill him.” That remains to be seen, but I’ve gone on and removed my mailing address from this blog.
At the very least, of course, I’m thankful that fake Billy is still around to discuss his drama (today Billy is bummed because Dave Grohl won’t drum with him, claiming he doesn’t play in one-man bands… not to mention he also sat on his bucket hat by accident).
A lot of people get the jokes and are as entertained by these web 2.0 antics as I am. However, I’m quite dismayed at how many people still really think they’re talking to Billy – despite the fact that the bio line reads “completely satirical,” despite the fact that the profile picture is an image of Lord Voldemort from the Harry Potter series, despite the completely insane things said on there, despite Billy’s own acknowledgement that the account is indeed a fake. That’s insane, ya’ll.
And now radio stations are reading the Corgan Twitter!
Marco is a DJ for Star 98.7 in Los Angeles, as well as the beloved KEXP, which of course, I listen to all the time for them hott Lykke Li remixxxes lolz.
notmarcocollins@Billy_Corgan Wondering what you think about The Silversun Pickups? Damn, their new CD sound familiar… Billy_Corgan@notmarcocollins I have no idea who they are. I really only listen to Taproot and my music, save for all the drummers next weekend 987LA Hey fellow tweeters, It’s @notmarcocollins. At 11:50am, I’m gonna play the new Silversun Pickups & read a tweet I got from @Billy_corgan!
I didn’t hear it myself, but its announcement was confirmed:
ltldollclaudia@Billy_CorganSome jackass on the radio quoted the wish remark today, saying” Listen to what Billy tweeted. Wow, how deep.” LOL ltldollclaudia@Billy_CorganHe doesn’t know it’s satire, apparently. What a Johnny Douche.
And of course, there’s the fans as well. Wishful thinking, I assume, is the catalyst for the cognitive dissonance. I hope I’m not being too big of a jerk by messing with these people.
Stoked this bro shared his MySpace with me:
Edwardgug@Billy_Corganyo billy! my favorite album of yours is your solo album Billy_Corgan@Edwardgug Really? Shit, I don’t even likeTheFutureEmbrace.
Edwardgug@Billy_Corganwhy not man? its one of your best I think! Still one of my favorite records! Im a musician too myspace.com/edwarduglielmino
Billy instructing people how to properly parent:
Barbie1492@Billy_Corgan You rock Billy!!! My 5 yr old daughter and I love ya. You are our favorite. Billy_Corgan@Barbie1492 Your 5 year old shouldn’t be listening to my music. Don’t you know that I cuss?!
This has to be my favorite conversation. Here Billy demonstrates prose similar to what’s found in his poetry book Blinking With Fists. At least this dude’s trying to do his homework, though:
kylespringford@Billy_CorganLoved Blinking With Fists, are you thinking about releasing another poetry book in the future? Billy_Corgan@kylespringfordDoes a bear wear a funny hat? Does the Pope shit in the woods? kylespringford@SmashingPumpkinis @Billy_Corgan fake?
At first I thought I was a little harsh, but after some consideration, I think Corgan really feels this way:
jaqroy@Billy_Corganhi billy i was at your show november 15th at the wang! great show, loved everything! your music changed my life! Billy_Corgan@jaqroy Thanks for the support, but the existence of Smashing Pumpkins does not rely on whether you all come to our shows or not.
Not much more to add – this entry sorta wrote itself. Stay tuned for more news and merriment as it develops. It’s worth sharing a few of my favorite exchanges from people that do get it, just to keep things balanced…
eillumination@Billy_Corgan I didn’t even know you wore pants anymore. I’ve only seen you in dresses, skirts, and sun-god costumes lately.
Billy_Corgan: Fuck you guys. Tila Tequila is an amazing young woman whom I respect a lot. Pants-Off Dance-Off is an incredible, groundbreaking show, too. FloppyNono@billy_corganbut did u get hed? Billy_Corgan@FloppyNonoOh, indeed I did. Her specific pleasures we lovingly call “Tequila Sunrise.” But you didn’t hear that from me *WINK*
I HEART YOU BILLY CORGAN! Here’s my “Heart You” Mix, brah.
Man or Astro-man? sounded like The Ventures after being anally probed by aliens and promptly dumped behind a Radio Shack.In fact, the band claims to be from outer space but rumor has it they surfed out of the same Auburn, Alabama scene as the Immortal Lee County Killers and The Quadrajets.
Dropping science on top of surf guitars, MoAM toured the country with a wagonload of retro tech including theremins and even a homemade tesla coil which remarkably never resulted in a Spinal Tap moment of spontaneous combustion.The band also built its own supercomputer called Eeviac which is reputed to be the most powerful supercomputer ever used on stage by a rock band.
What Remains Inside a Black Hole was an Aussie import on Au-Go-Go Records which compiled many of the band’s early 7” singles.The live version of “Eric Estrotica” was originally included on Man or Astro-man? Vs. Europa while “Adios Johnny Bravo” – complete with Brady Bunch samples – was incarnated in wax on Possession by Remote Control. Estrus later released a domestic facsimile, Beyond the Black Hole, which included many but not all of the tracks on the Au-Go-Go release.
Bands with a schtick are sometimes entertaining, sometimes annoying.In the realm of entertainment, MoAM’s live shows rank at the head of the class.Certainly well above the toilet antics of GWAR though not quite as retro as The Mummies.For a little teaser check out this snippet from the YooTubes:
A couple of posts ago, I said that Louisville was not hoppin’ in the awesome show department so far this year, and they needed to step up their game (like the Cards should have two weeks ago, but that’s another story). And what do ya know, all ages art space Skull Alley decided to step the fuck up! Democracy in action, ya’llz. This makes up for the recently announced, totally bummer Forecastle lineup (two nights of Widespread Panic is two too many nights, ya heard?).
Russian Circles, Sweet Cobra, Lichens, Mountain Asleep
Skull Alley (1017 E. Broadway)
Thursday, April 30
7 p.m. – $10
All Ages
And the rest of the tour:
WED APR 22 – Grand Rapids MI, Mix Tape Cafe
THU APR 23 – Indianapolis IN, Radio Radio
FRI APR 24 – Detroit MI, Magic Stick
SAT APR 25 – Cleveland OH, Grog Shop
SUN APR 26 – Baltimore MD, The Ottobar
MON APR 27 – Hoboken NJ, Maxwell’s
TUE APR 28 – Philadelphia PA, First Unitarian Church
WED APR 29 – Pittsburgh PA, Smiling Moose
THU APR 30 – Louisville KY, Skull Alley
FRI MAY 1 – Chicago IL, The Bottom Lounge
SAT MAY 2 – Milwaukee WI, Cactus Club
SUN MAY 3 – Minneapolis MN, Triple Rock
Two things sucked about this night, but neither had to do with the bands.
First, my camera revolted against me – freezing, erasing files on its own volition, etc. This caused me to lose my video of Ariel Pink’s pre-show banter and the Vivian Girls tossing a tambourine into the crowd to play along (only to have the recipient completely unable to keep a beat). Sad on the inside. However, my friend Talena Sanders saved. the. fucking. day. by not only ponying up her camera, but also parting the seas of American Apparel to get right up in front and snap some cool shots. Many, many thanks to her.
Secondly, the venue, Al’s Bar on Lexington’s near north side, is a tough place to see a show. The bar itself is really cool, but resembles more of a neighborhood haunt than a music venue. That makes sense, as Al’s was conceived as a smaller scale billiard hall, restaurant, and bar – one that just happened to start hosting live music. As such, the acoustics are a little muffled and, more unfortunately, they do not have a stage. Whereas Lightning Bolt can pull off playing on the floor, it’s hard to expect every other band to do the same (though Ariel and the Vivs were rather awesome on the floor). I applaud Al’s for being able to host all ages shows, something Lexington has needed for a while, but wish that they would build a stage now that they boast a regular concert calendar. Nothing fancy, maybe just two drum risers pushed together. That would help a lot. If you’re not three or less persons from the performer, you can’t see anything.
Okay, now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about the actual Ariel Pink/Vivian Girls co-headline show and how much it ruled.
Vivian Girls hit the stage around 9:45 p.m. and ripped immediately into “Wild Eyes.” I wasn’t sure what to expect with them live. I like the record – a bit overhyped, but good nonetheless. I think everyone in our group and I were really impressed with the Vivs – for a number of reasons, but primarily by hearing the eponymous record brilliantly translated in a live setting. They are just as noisy and upbeat in person as on record. As alluded to earlier, they know how to have fun with the crowd, passing out tambourines and letting audience members play along. Drummer Ali Koehler is absolutely motorik in her drumming, and bassist “Kickball” Katy sings through a reverberated distortion box on the harmonies. It sounds quite unusual (hence, refreshing).
Most interesting to me, though, was how much fun they were having. Perhaps it’s the sometimes monotonous vocals, or perhaps it’s the “zomg these doodz are from Brooklyn so hip lol” vibe that our lovely blogosphere propagates, but I expected them to be rather unapproachable shoegazers. Not so – the Vivs were all smiles, chatty with the crowd, and exuded rad times and rocking out. Their set ended with a blazing Thurston Moore style feedback and guitar destruction storm, with the Girls switching instruments halfway through the jam to end on a very loud note. In short, Vivian Girls are a very good live band and totally worth seeing.
My theory concerning the crowd makeup was proven shortly after the Vivian Girls ended their set. A noticable portion of the crowd was definitely there for the Girls, and folks began clearing out. Fine with me, it was too warm in there anyway and indie rock dorks harsh my mellow. Moreover, the vibe improves when everyone is unequivocally there for the performing act and nothing else. What I mean to say is this – when I saw Oneida live a few years ago, they were touring with Magnolia Electric Company. The MagElectCo played first to a packed house, and then everyone left (save for 30 people or so) before Oneida hit the first note. Later, I talked to Fat Bobby from the band about this, and more or less apologized for people being lame. He said something that makes a lot of sense – I’m paraphrasing of course, but his attitude was roughly “I would rather be in front of a smaller crowd that came out to see us play than being in front of a sell out crowd that may or may not be listening.” So with that said, the Ariel Pink crowd was more intimate, and more intense.
Ariel declared two decrees before beginning the rockshow. He first stated “let’s hurry up and get this show over with, I gotta take a piss.” He then changed clothes on stage, sporting a glittery, beaded, psychedelically colored blouse that a cool grandma would wear and slipped on tighty whiteys over his trousers. Afterward, he instructed the crowd: “move closer, I’m cold… BUT DON’T TOUCH ME!” This set the paradigm for the next hour.
I saw Ariel Pink once before, when he was opening the pre-Feels Animal Collective tour, but since I was working the show I didn’t get to really enjoy him. They played as a duo (I believe) at that time and I was told by a few people that Ariel Pink was “unlistenable.” Maybe that was true, but I think a lot of that crowd wasn’t familiar with Ariel Pink and were unaware that both his records and live show consists of a lot of deranged sonic bullshit. There’s nothing to “get” with Ariel Pink, which I think confuses a lot of people. You either think he’s fun, kooky, and cool – or you don’t. I certainly fall in the former. I think the same could be said for everyone at Monday night’s show. They knew what they were getting into.
Ariel Pink sounds fantastic as a full band, which includes members of Beachwood Sparks and Lilys. The band is able to strike a smart balance between recreating the sounds of the recorded Ariel Pink with translating the music live, featuring enough variance and tempo alterations to make it interesting. As a matter of fact, some songs were translated so well and so clearly restructured that I had trouble recognizing a lot of the setlist (and I have most of Ariel’s released material, though the dude has something like 50+ tapes of music). The band kept the music steady while Ariel traversed around the “stage,” getting loaded and talking shit. It was awesome. Ariel Pink is truly a divining rod of all that is sinister and delightfully askew.
Ariel Pink’s live show, of course, will not convert anyone who isn’t already down with his art, his image, and his mystique. However, the full band addition really accents the most brilliant moments of Ariel’s songwriting, and the acerbic sarcasm from Ariel peppered betwixt songs is not only entertaining, but kinda endearing as well. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti has a very unusual and amazing stage show, and my expectations were 100% fulfilled. If you think his records are fun, kooky, and cool, the new Ariel Pink live show is totally recommended.
And shit yes, he played my favorite – “Are You Gonna Look After My Boys?” I was so pumped and wanted to scream “and after my baby so she don’t run off with my soul!” But of course, I was recording and couldn’t. Enjoy the color saturated video – I think it matches the timbre of the music. Synaesthesia, bro.
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti Odditties Sodomies Vol. 1 is out now on Vinyl International (it’s limited edition, and if you like “Omen” below, you need to jump on that). Vivian Girls’ eponymous record is available on… um, not sure of the label, brb. Back… yes, it’s on In the Red. Their website is aces, as well.
