Song of the day 3/31/2011

Hello children,

Obsessed pattern-spotters will have notice that I write Song of the Day for Thursdays, further they’ll have noticed that I haven’t done it for the last two weeks. To explain: the first week was deliberate so I didn’t interrupt the flow of SxSW updates with a post about some band from the 90s and I spent all of last week fully occupied with the “typing that I do for money”.

So, The Supersuckers. About fifteen years ago, there would run on late night television a rock TV show, I didn’t have MTV, this was my access to an hour a week of \m/RAWK\m/. Many of the videos on this show were no good: Poison, some dull grunge band that sounded like The Stone Temple Pilots, a German version of Poison etc. but there was the occasional gem, this was how I first heard Born With a Tail by The Supersuckers (and that was the video I was going to post – but having just re-watched it, I’ve decided it’s dodgy). Over the next few years I tracked down their records, during college I used “The Sacrilicious Sound of The Supersuckers” and “The Evil Powers of Rock and Roll” as the soundtrack to kick off a weekend, I remember finally being done with first year quantum mechanics and listening to their country record (Must’ve Been High), in my last year I learned enough of the C programing language to do some damage while listening to “The Smoke Of Hell” on repeat. They were an important band for me. Shortly after graduating and completely unexpectedly I found myself living in Seattle. Seattle! Where the fucking Supersuckers are! I would probably get to see them!

I did. They opened with this:

The Supersuckers – Heavy Heart (You Am I cover)

I still love the line “I miss you like sleep”.

Sadly, their last handful of records have been less inspiring and seeing Eddie Spaghetti’s solo show a few months ago was very disappointing: the OTT RAWK star charm didn’t work so well with just an acoustic guitar and the songs seemed crass and childish.

But when they were on form – they were unbeatable. I’m going to listen to How To Maximize Your Kill Count and pretend time can be stopped.

Song of the Day, 3/30/11

If I had been on top of things, I probably would have posted this video with enough time for you actually to go see this show. Davilla 666 is playing at the Funhouse! Right now!

They were a band a lot of people loved at SxSW this last year, but we didn't exactly make it out to see them. Much like tonight, how I am totally not leaving my apartment and instead am going to drink beer and dye my hair.



But I'm probably going to do it while listening to Davilla 666.

SoTD 3/29/11 - James Blake's The Wilhelm Scream

My first post to the blog and I'm late... You won't tell on me, will you?

Today it's the official James Blake video for "The Wilhelm Scream." I hadn't heard of him before we saw him at SXSW and I'm not sure I would have appreciated his artistry as much if I'd only heard recordings. When I listen to the song now I can remember how it felt to be at the show - the entire audience was entranced. I remember thinking to myself "I like this music! I should express it with movement in some way!" but nothing seemed right so I just sat still and watched and listened. I'm listening to it right now and it's still difficult to do anything other than absorb the sounds.

Song of the Day, 3/28/11

Okay, so technically the track I've had on repeat all day is This Island - but I couldn't really resist this clip from the Le Tigre movie that's coming out soon - Who Took the Bomp!

I saw it at SxSW - it's pretty perfect. It made me want to start rad feminist bands, made most of the theater cry! YEAH! LET'S START RAD FEMINIST BANDS!



One of the recurring themes in the film is the fear of erasure - the fear that their art, their music, their message, will be erased or covered up. That thought is what made a majority of the women in the theater start bawling, I think. Here is this band, that inspired tons of girls of my generation to go make good art, to be rad feminists, and - and - taught us that feminism, art, rock, all of the things we love can live on long after we're kids - and their greatest fear is that no one will remember them for their contribution.


It was sort of an interesting reflective moment - all of us took that band into our hearts our souls - in a place where they'll never be forgotten - and because of that, the idea that the music, the message, could just disappear had never actually occurred to us. Scary. Weird. Now I'm afraid of erasure too.


Okay, and as bonus - here's This Island. The song I've had on repeat all day.



STOP SMOKING THOSE CIGARETTES BABY NEXT TIME ITS YOUR TURN TO SAVE ME SPLASH SOME WATER ON YOUR LITTLE FACE YOU'RE A MESS YOU'RE A MESS YOU'RE A MESS

Song of the Day, 3/27/11

I know I've had millions of opportunities to see these guys in Seattle, and I've passed.... what a mistake. Seeing them at SxSW was a highlight.

Secret Shoppers

It's good to be home

Currently watching a hipster honkey tonk band. Wish I knew how to line dance. I totally want to start a band like this. Or murder their fiddle player.