Best Kitty Ever

Hey gang, here’s something that’s been putting a smile on my face this week. Enjoy.

 

MMJ & Erykah Badu Live

Holy shit. My Morning Jacket and Erykah Badu performing together? And Badu’s incredible “Tyrone,” of all songs? Holy shit. This is unstoppable. – Dominick

 

A Brief Thought on Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.”

Not a few times I’ve been in the presence of someone who pointed out how ironic it was that Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” was used by the right wing in the eighties as a sort of nationalist anthem; after all, the song is about protest, blue-collar suffering, and the dangers of unbridled national pride. The people that point out this irony seem to think that the joke is on conservatives, on Reagan and Mondale; how naive of them to use “Born in the U.S.A.” when a great deal of its lyrics directly oppose their own ideologies! But the more I think about it, the more I think that the joke is, in fact, on Springsteen. He wrote a song whose central message could be easily ignored, with a nationalist chorus the right could easily co-opt. He (heroically, some claim) juxtaposed America’s working class struggles (i.e. the verses) with America’s relentless spirit (i.e. the chorus) but ignored the fact that the choruses were catchier and more memorable than the verses and that this would upset the balance of this juxtaposition. Reagan and his campaign managers weren’t stupid; they knew what the song was about. They knew well enough that using the parts of the song that were in harmony with right-wing ideology was a more effective way of diffusing its power than simply ignoring it. So: is a protest song still great if everyone can easily ignore the fact that it’s a protest song? I mean, do you think Alabama’s gubernatorial candidates were using Neil Young’s “Southern Man” at campaign rallies? No, but I’m willing to bet good money they were using “Sweet Home Alabama” and waving to the crowd as Ronnie Van Zant told Young to go fuck himself. – Dominick

R.I.P. Gil Scott-Heron

Gil Scott-Heron, 1949-2011

“So if you see the vulture coming, / flying circles in your mind, / remember there is no escaping / for he will follow close behind. / Only promise me a battle: / a battle for your soul and mine.”

Download:
Gil Scott-Heron – Home is Where the Hatred Is [mp3]
Gil Scott-Heron – New York Is Killing Me [mp3]

Monotonix Farewell Tour Video

A couple months ago I was lucky enough to be at the Echoplex for what would be one of Monotonix‘s final shows. They announced toward the end of their set that this would be their final tour, that they had newborn babies and wives and could no longer spend so much time on the road. Though they didn’t say it, I also had the feeling that, physically, they could not keep it up much longer; these guys are in their thirties and forties and were punishing their bodies night after night with some of the most intense shows I’ve ever seen. While the audience was disappointed at the announcement, it was profoundly touching to see how supportive they were, how close they felt to the band not as musicians but as people. After the show their was a long line to hug the sweat-soaked drummer and congratulate him on having just had a son. Thankfully, a camera crew was present that night to film a little bit of the chaos that is a Monotonix show and I feel very grateful to have some sort of record that I was there and part of it. A couple weeks ago, they released the live video for one of the songs, which I’ve posted below. What you see in the video is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of energy and live antics, but it’s probably the best tribute we’ll have to the best live band I’ve ever seen. – Dominick

Kurt Vile’s “Puppet To The Man”

So of course the new tUnE-yArDs and Panda Bear albums are pretty great and everything, but the album that’s really held my attention for the past couple months is Kurt Vile‘s Smoke Ring for My Halo. There’s something really enchanting about the album’s almost paradoxical aesthetic: it’s beautiful and richly detailed but at the same time it comes off as so effortless it’s almost lazy. Think old REM meets the Modern Lovers. My favorite track off the album, “Puppet To The Man,” is posted below; I hope you enjoy the slacker groove and Vile’s wry sense of humor as much as I do. He’ll be at the Troubadour with Thurston Moore on July 28 and 29 if you’re interested. – Dominick

 
Download:
Kurt Vile – Puppet To The Man [mp3]

The Dismemberment Plan’s “The Other Side”

I know that I’m… let’s see… about ten years too late to be gushing about The Dismemberment Plan, but I don’t really care. I’ve listened to 2001′s Change more than any other album in the last six months and this song has, without exception, been its highlight. It’s absolutely relentless. Travis Morrison’s dystopic vocals ride Joe Easley’s incredible drum beat with a dangerous, manic intensity. Eric Axelson’s pulsing, descending bass line is the feeling of free fall stuck on loop. Jason Caddell’s guitar seems always on the verge of feedback, always threatening to push the song into the chaos it pleads for. Conceptually, it’s tight as a song can be; it’s a thrilling, almost terrifying experience. And one that I now consider essential listening. – Dominick

 

Kazai Rex at Silver Lake Jubilee!

Check it out! We’re on the poster:

We’re super excited about this. Crystal Antlers, the Black Apples, Jail Weddings, Races, the Finches… we’re going to be keeping some might fine company at the Jubilee. We play Sunday at 1PM.

Recording With Kazai Rex!

So I decided to join the rest of the gang while they’re recording background vocals for the upcoming album. And hey, why not blog about it.

This is Long Legs!

This is Long Legs! Danny points up a lot when he sings this song. Also, I got to helm the computer and help the gang record group vocals for the bridge! Yes, it was fun, and it sounds pretty great. This picture is all I can show, though, for now.

And then, it was time to work on Feed the Hungry. This is Austin! He plays ukulele alllll over the Feed the Hungry track, he showed off some of what he plays on video.

More videos after the jump…

Thom Yorke Dancing to Kate Bush

So while I’ve been over here celebrating the release of a new album by Radiohead (The Only Band That Matters), someone took the time to cut together the video from their new single, “Lotus Flower” (see the original here) with the music of Kate Bush’s “Wuthering Heights.” The result? Awesome and/or hilarious. Thom Yorke dancing to anything is great. – Dominick

 

KZR Live: “Know the Answers”

Check out this live video of the song “Know the Answers” from our Juggling Snakes album release show last year at Unknown Theater. Austin did a shit ton of work on it and it looks amazing. “Know the Answers” will be on our upcoming full-length, which should be out sometime in late spring. – Dominick

 

Dominick’s Live Five: Feb. 2011

It’s been awhile since I’ve done my live five, but I hope to start making a routine of it again. The winter concert lull is reaching its end and we’ve got some great bands coming to town. However, the best show of the month is made of up entirely local bands. Our good friends The Body Parts (who we hear are only inches away from releasing their first record) have put together an amazing bill at the Mountain Bar on the twenty-fourth. It is not to be missed. – Dominick

2/11 – Futura @ Eagle Rock Center for the Arts
Featuring Asura, Teebs, and Austin Peralta.
http://www.centerartseaglerock.org/
http://www.myspace.com/iamasura

2/23 – Yo La Tengo @ El Rey Theatre
http://www.yolatengo.com/
http://www.theelrey.com/

2/24 – The Body Parts, Masks, So Many Wizards @ Mountain Bar
http://www.myspace.com/thebodyparts
http://www.somanywizards.com/
http://www.themountainbar.com/

2/25 – Sebadoh @ Echoplex
http://www.sebadoh.com/
http://www.attheecho.com/

2/26 – Sic Alps @ Echoplex
http://www.sicalps.com/
http://www.attheecho.com/

Just Plain Adorable

This is just adorable. – Danny

 

Good Thing on the Internet

I found this on someone’s OKCupid profile. It’s a comedy act, but there is no denying that keytar solo. – Danny

 

Emperor X’s “Go Captain…”

Emperor X is the stage name of Los Angeles musician Chad Matheny. He’s also a friend of Kazai Rex and can be heard singing on parts one and two of “This is the House” on Juggling Snakes. A few months back, Danny and I went out to Pehrspace to catch him live with Moses Campbell and The Finches. It was an incredible show and, for me, its highest moment came during this song, “Go Captain and Pinlighter.” His glasses long since cast aside and sweat dripping down his face, Matheny sang into a microphone suspended from a line of duct tape, several of his biggest fans down on their knees around his feet, the whole room lit by a distant lamp whose light shifted along with the reverent audience. I recently obtained the song (from the album The Blythe Archives Vol. 2, which you can find at his website, www.emperorx.net) and I’ve been playing it non-stop. I don’t know why, but every time I hear it, I feel like my heart is breaking. But still I can’t stop. That’s about as much as I can endorse anything. – Dominick

 
Download:
Emperor X – Go Captain and Pinlighter [mp3]