I am officially throwing my weight behind Barack Obama.
In case you were wondering.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Newsflash: Jim DeRogatis Continues To Suck
The news that Chicago SunTimes music crit Jim DeRogatis "hated, hated, hated" Juno is actually good news. Because if you've read this blog for a while, you know all about my deep, abiding hatred of Jim DeRogatis. The man is actually the *exact opposite* of me in the taste department in every possible regard. Everything I like, he hates. Everything I hate, he likes. Every single fucking time, without fail.
Who is this Jim DeRogatis? Well, he's hysterically appointed himself as a World Class Expert on psychedelic music while actually liking only about five psychedelic records, and considers himself to be the top expert on Lester Bangs whilst himself possessing not a single iota of Bangs' poetic ability. He's edited a loathesome book dedicated to "debunking" the sacred cows of rock (ooh! Risky opinions! "Sgt. Pepper and Pet Sounds both suck!" Wow -- edgy!) and continues to publish a riotous weekly column in the SunTimes that I read as a kind of bellweather of what people in the world don't think.
But even beyond all that, he's been so ludicrously wrong so many times -- I especially loved the hardly-skinny-himself-by-any-criteria critic calling out Brian Wilson for being "fat" before ripping into "Smile" -- that its a wonder people take him seriously anymore, if, in fact, they actually do.
So if he'd liked Juno, I'd have to seriously wonder if there was something wrong with either the movie itself or my own perception of it.
But nope! All is well. Hated. Phew. Sanity resumes, all is well with the world.
(The funniest part of his article, which I'm not even gonna link to but you can read if you like: He knows that nobody really talks like Juno because he talks to the youth of America! Frequently! Yeah, dude, they're really gonna be themselves around a corpulent, badly-dressed critic from the local paper.)
Who is this Jim DeRogatis? Well, he's hysterically appointed himself as a World Class Expert on psychedelic music while actually liking only about five psychedelic records, and considers himself to be the top expert on Lester Bangs whilst himself possessing not a single iota of Bangs' poetic ability. He's edited a loathesome book dedicated to "debunking" the sacred cows of rock (ooh! Risky opinions! "Sgt. Pepper and Pet Sounds both suck!" Wow -- edgy!) and continues to publish a riotous weekly column in the SunTimes that I read as a kind of bellweather of what people in the world don't think.
But even beyond all that, he's been so ludicrously wrong so many times -- I especially loved the hardly-skinny-himself-by-any-criteria critic calling out Brian Wilson for being "fat" before ripping into "Smile" -- that its a wonder people take him seriously anymore, if, in fact, they actually do.
So if he'd liked Juno, I'd have to seriously wonder if there was something wrong with either the movie itself or my own perception of it.
But nope! All is well. Hated. Phew. Sanity resumes, all is well with the world.
(The funniest part of his article, which I'm not even gonna link to but you can read if you like: He knows that nobody really talks like Juno because he talks to the youth of America! Frequently! Yeah, dude, they're really gonna be themselves around a corpulent, badly-dressed critic from the local paper.)
Monday, January 28, 2008
Smooth. Frighteningly, awesomely SMOOTH.
Long-time readers and dear friends know how much I fucking love Yacht Rock, the Channel 101 web phenom detailing the rise and fall of 70s smooth music. When I say "love," though, I actually mean "obsessed:" I know pretty much every episode BY HEART, I went as Kenny Loggins for Hallowe'en two years ago and actually bought several Mike McDonald, Kenny Loggins and Chris Cross records, and if you know what a fucking music snob I am you know what a big deal that actually is.
The show's been sadly defunct since 2006, but last night at Cinespace on Hollywood Blvd. the Yacht Rock guys premiered a BRAND NEW EPISODE of the show (I won't spoil it for you -- its going online in the next few days, but let's just say fans of Kevin Bacon might be quite surprised). And -- thrill of thrills -- I actually got to MEET THE GUYS FROM THE SHOW. And by "meet" I actually mean "stalk." Trix and I wedged our way in and demanded photos be taken like the crazed fangeeks we are.
"Hi! I'm Hollywood Steve! You've caught me entertaining a freaky bearded stalker."
Me and Fake Mike McDonald/show auteur/genius J.D. Ryznar, both sporting the Devil Eyes.
Trix and I with our "Get Your Dick Out Of Your Heart" Fake Oates t-shirts!
It was AWESOME. Total geek awesome. THIS is why I live in Los Angeles, folks.
The show's been sadly defunct since 2006, but last night at Cinespace on Hollywood Blvd. the Yacht Rock guys premiered a BRAND NEW EPISODE of the show (I won't spoil it for you -- its going online in the next few days, but let's just say fans of Kevin Bacon might be quite surprised). And -- thrill of thrills -- I actually got to MEET THE GUYS FROM THE SHOW. And by "meet" I actually mean "stalk." Trix and I wedged our way in and demanded photos be taken like the crazed fangeeks we are.
"Hi! I'm Hollywood Steve! You've caught me entertaining a freaky bearded stalker."
Me and Fake Mike McDonald/show auteur/genius J.D. Ryznar, both sporting the Devil Eyes.
Trix and I with our "Get Your Dick Out Of Your Heart" Fake Oates t-shirts!
It was AWESOME. Total geek awesome. THIS is why I live in Los Angeles, folks.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Okay, you want me to break your heart? DO you?
God -- this song. FIrst off you get the brilliance of the Roger Nichols / Paul Williams songwriting team, which if you ask me was virtually unbeatable in terms of perfect pop for a five-year stretch. Second, you get Karen's unbelievable, soul-stirring, tear-jerking voice -- really one of the most underrated set of pipes in the history of pop ('cause, you know, god forbid soft-pop ever catch a break, critically, right?). Third, you get that BRILLIANT harmony arrangement -- that swell when Richard comes in. Its really just perfect in so many ways.
Plus, I'm sorry, this might be inappropriate for various reasons, but is Karen not hot in this video? Wow.
This heartbreak was brought to you by Diet-Rite soda.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Warning: Heavy philosophical thoughts to follow.
I'll miss the playgrounds and the animals and digging up worms
I'll miss the comfort of my mother and the weight of the world
I'll miss my sister, miss my father, miss my dog and my home
Yeah, I'll miss the boredom and the freedom and the time spent alone
Those lyrics are by an LA band called MGMT, and when I heard them this morning in the car, I started inexplicably bawling. Which made me think quite heavily about a particular phenomenon I experience frequently -- a kind of overwhelming nostalgia that hits me periodically, usually when I'm sort of not at my happiest. Just about anything can trigger it, from lyrics like the above to hearing stuff from childhood I haven't heard in a while ("Free To Be...You And Me," for example, or, a few weeks ago, various songs from "Schoolhouse Rock" -- Kelly, I know you know what I mean, we've talked about this before!) to visiting places I used to visit as a child (I frickin' BAWLED when I found out they finally tore down, after all these years, my elementary school playground). And its powerful. Moreso than just regular depression, or plain ol "hey, I haven't heard this song in a while" nostalgia. It can kick my ass for weeks or months at a time, and makes me reach for stupid childhood stuff like old Sesame Street episodes or old songs I used to love.
I mean, if you analyze it in a negative way -- and I'm sure some of you are currently going holy shit, what a fucking pussy -- you could see it as the sad aging throes of a man that never fully grew up, or who never came to terms with adulthood or whatever. I mean, get over it, right? You're 37, you have a kid and a life and a job and just quit thinking about this stupid shit. Believe me, I've heard it before.
However. If I was to analyze it, I'd say what the overwhelming nostalgia is for is not childhood per se but the feelings associated with childhood -- innocence, safety, lack of feeling like the entire world is bearing down upon you, etc. When's the last time you felt truly safe like you did when you were a kid? When you knew your mom and dad were taking care of you and nothing could ever happen to you (which, of course, when you grow up you realize was just an illusion and you coulda gotten killed crossing the street or from malaria or something)? When's the last time you just kind of innocently stopped to appreciate how beautiful a sky was, or how fun, to quote 60s innocence-rockers the Free Design, kites are to fly? I mean, WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT YOUR BILLS OR OTHER SHIT YOU NEED TO TAKE CARE OF?
It has been a long goddamn time for me. And it strikes me more and more that I miss it. Just that feeling of non-worry. Like hey, life could be like this for a while. It isn't going to abruptly change. I'm safe. I'm okay.
I suppose part of this overwhelming feeling that overtakes me periodically is that my life has been fucking filled to bursting with DRASTIC LIFE CHANGES, right? Divorces, moves, job-changes, births, deaths, god knows what. That's what happens when you're a grownup -- you realize that nothing is permanent, no routine is forever, nothing is safe, nothing is secure. This is loss of innocence, and its part and parcel of being an adult. But man, I have been through it possibly more than some people, and not in the most positive way always, y'know? (I mean, I haven't had a *really close loved one die or kill themselves* or anything, so I'm lucky -- but still.)
And part of it is that you have a vision for how your life will go when you're a kid, and its pretty traditional, right? You're gonna get married. Settle down. Have a kid or two. Stay in one place your whole life like your parents (maybe) did, and everything's pretty constant. Except that's not how it goes anymore in this day and age, is it? That's certainly not how my life turned out -- that feeling of permanence, that feeling of security -- its really not there for me, and hasn't been since, well, I left home. Ever since then I've been in constant flux, and I'm not at all sure I like it. It's exciting but its also overwhelming.
I'm guessing all of the above creates that feeling of nostalgia. But for me its really pronounced -- and most often, its music that triggers it. Almost like people with synesthesia talk about music producing colors, but for me music produces THAT WEIRD FEELING, and I tend to gravitate towards music that produces it even though in many ways it overwhelms me and makes me sad. And it isn't music that's necessarily sad IN AND OF ITSELF. And it isn't just OLD music or RETRO music either. New stuff can do it too. Hard to explain.
Eh, so anyways, I can't imagine I'm alone. I've posted "Free To Be...You And Me" on YouTube before on my blog, and it got some pretty strong reactions.
But, ah, hell, here it is again.
If you're my age -- THIRTY-FREAKIN'-SEVEN -- I bet it does something to you besides make you retch these days.
I'll miss the comfort of my mother and the weight of the world
I'll miss my sister, miss my father, miss my dog and my home
Yeah, I'll miss the boredom and the freedom and the time spent alone
Those lyrics are by an LA band called MGMT, and when I heard them this morning in the car, I started inexplicably bawling. Which made me think quite heavily about a particular phenomenon I experience frequently -- a kind of overwhelming nostalgia that hits me periodically, usually when I'm sort of not at my happiest. Just about anything can trigger it, from lyrics like the above to hearing stuff from childhood I haven't heard in a while ("Free To Be...You And Me," for example, or, a few weeks ago, various songs from "Schoolhouse Rock" -- Kelly, I know you know what I mean, we've talked about this before!) to visiting places I used to visit as a child (I frickin' BAWLED when I found out they finally tore down, after all these years, my elementary school playground). And its powerful. Moreso than just regular depression, or plain ol "hey, I haven't heard this song in a while" nostalgia. It can kick my ass for weeks or months at a time, and makes me reach for stupid childhood stuff like old Sesame Street episodes or old songs I used to love.
I mean, if you analyze it in a negative way -- and I'm sure some of you are currently going holy shit, what a fucking pussy -- you could see it as the sad aging throes of a man that never fully grew up, or who never came to terms with adulthood or whatever. I mean, get over it, right? You're 37, you have a kid and a life and a job and just quit thinking about this stupid shit. Believe me, I've heard it before.
However. If I was to analyze it, I'd say what the overwhelming nostalgia is for is not childhood per se but the feelings associated with childhood -- innocence, safety, lack of feeling like the entire world is bearing down upon you, etc. When's the last time you felt truly safe like you did when you were a kid? When you knew your mom and dad were taking care of you and nothing could ever happen to you (which, of course, when you grow up you realize was just an illusion and you coulda gotten killed crossing the street or from malaria or something)? When's the last time you just kind of innocently stopped to appreciate how beautiful a sky was, or how fun, to quote 60s innocence-rockers the Free Design, kites are to fly? I mean, WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT YOUR BILLS OR OTHER SHIT YOU NEED TO TAKE CARE OF?
It has been a long goddamn time for me. And it strikes me more and more that I miss it. Just that feeling of non-worry. Like hey, life could be like this for a while. It isn't going to abruptly change. I'm safe. I'm okay.
I suppose part of this overwhelming feeling that overtakes me periodically is that my life has been fucking filled to bursting with DRASTIC LIFE CHANGES, right? Divorces, moves, job-changes, births, deaths, god knows what. That's what happens when you're a grownup -- you realize that nothing is permanent, no routine is forever, nothing is safe, nothing is secure. This is loss of innocence, and its part and parcel of being an adult. But man, I have been through it possibly more than some people, and not in the most positive way always, y'know? (I mean, I haven't had a *really close loved one die or kill themselves* or anything, so I'm lucky -- but still.)
And part of it is that you have a vision for how your life will go when you're a kid, and its pretty traditional, right? You're gonna get married. Settle down. Have a kid or two. Stay in one place your whole life like your parents (maybe) did, and everything's pretty constant. Except that's not how it goes anymore in this day and age, is it? That's certainly not how my life turned out -- that feeling of permanence, that feeling of security -- its really not there for me, and hasn't been since, well, I left home. Ever since then I've been in constant flux, and I'm not at all sure I like it. It's exciting but its also overwhelming.
I'm guessing all of the above creates that feeling of nostalgia. But for me its really pronounced -- and most often, its music that triggers it. Almost like people with synesthesia talk about music producing colors, but for me music produces THAT WEIRD FEELING, and I tend to gravitate towards music that produces it even though in many ways it overwhelms me and makes me sad. And it isn't music that's necessarily sad IN AND OF ITSELF. And it isn't just OLD music or RETRO music either. New stuff can do it too. Hard to explain.
Eh, so anyways, I can't imagine I'm alone. I've posted "Free To Be...You And Me" on YouTube before on my blog, and it got some pretty strong reactions.
But, ah, hell, here it is again.
If you're my age -- THIRTY-FREAKIN'-SEVEN -- I bet it does something to you besides make you retch these days.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
My new band!
So this the band I just joined, Silver Phial. The band is based around Patrick Cleary and Cheryl Caddick, two extremely awesome singer/songwriters who are as obsessed with the sort of psych-country-"canyon-rock"-sound as I am. Patrick is a fucking DEAD RINGER for Gram Parsons, and Cheryl sings like a fucking angel. I'm playing keys and adding a third part to their already lovely harmony blend, and our first practice last Sunday kicked so much ass we were all grinning like mad fools.
Perhaps its too early to say, but I'm all aflush with my predictive abilities re: the Cody Oscar nom -- I PREDICT GREAT THINGS.
Perhaps its too early to say, but I'm all aflush with my predictive abilities re: the Cody Oscar nom -- I PREDICT GREAT THINGS.
Congratu-fucking-lations
...to Deebs for the Oscar nom.
I can say with great pride that I was the first person to predict it, precisely one second after I read the script. I knew. I just knew.
Good on ya, Deebs. You know you rock.
I can say with great pride that I was the first person to predict it, precisely one second after I read the script. I knew. I just knew.
Good on ya, Deebs. You know you rock.
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