DELTRON 3030 RECOMMENDED – Karen O and the Kids – “Where the Wild Things Are”
![(Karen O and the Kids) Where the Wild Things Are [A]](http://www.intraffik.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Karen-O-and-the-Kids-Where-the-Wild-Things-Are-A.jpg "(Karen O and the Kids) Where the Wild Things Are [A]")
When I first saw the trailer for “Where the Wild Things Are” my initial reaction was that there was no way in hell I could bring my five year old niece and four year old nephew to see it. The three year old nephew was having a hard enough transition from diapers that I didn’t need the other two regressing and crapping themselves from sheer fear. My other thought was never had I heard a song match up so well with a trailer’s content. The Arcade Fire’s “Wake Up” was an inspired choice that hopefully will begin a trend of cutting trailers to new songs instead of regurgitating overused staples like “Salisbury Hill“, “Heat of the Moment, and “Under Pressure”.
Quit being so lazy, people.
“Wake Up” evoked such an emotion out of me that I was downright giddy with the prospect of a full Arcade Fire soundtrack for this movie. Sadly, all you can do is imagine. We’ll never know what could have been since The Arcade Fire instead chose to score Richard Kelly’s sure to fail “The Box“. Truth be told they never really had a chance at scoring WTWTA as Spike Jonze tapped his then girlfriend at the time, Karen O, to man the scoring duties. If you were dating Karen O would you cross her? I didn’t think so. Perhaps that is what makes her such an inspired choice. Yes, Karen O is an odd selection as she is just about the last person I’d let supervise small children but she knows it!. She makes up for whatever maternal instincts she is clearly void of by toning down her her rocker YYYs black widow alter ego and embraces her childlike whimsy. It translates well and never feels forced. Of course, having a bunch of kids belt out your choruses can only help you seem more motherly. Perhaps Britney Spears should look into that, but I’m guessing Child Services would frown upon some toddlers chanting “Womanizer” over and over again.
Besides the actual kids on the CD, Karen O’s band accompaniment, named “The Kids” is a pretty impressive gathering, comprised of her band mates from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs plus indie favorites Deerhunter’s Bradford Cox, Liars’ Aaron Hemphill, The Dead Weather’s Dean Fertita, and Jack Lawrence from The Raconteurs. Karen O’s version of Fisher Prices’ My First Indie Soundtrack assures you that all the kids who go see this will be the coolest ones on their block. I’ve already sent this to my brother in the hopes that his kids will respond favorably to it and it will replace their current infatuation, Lady GaGa. Otherwise, If things don’t change my nephew will be a pants pooping poker face crooning nursery schooler next year and I just can’t have that.
Note: On top of all of those Pitchfork approved artists the hipster quotient is raised by including a cover of Daniel Johnston’s “Worried Shoes”.
Highlights: “All is Love,” “Worried Shoes,” “Hideaway”
A Heartwarming Autobiographical Confession
A Heartwarming Autobiographical Confessional Story of Personal Growth and the Overcoming of Fierce Obstacles and Adversity against Overwhelming Odds on the Path to Artistic Glory and Fame beyond Imagining
The effective confessional autobiography is something few people can pull off convincingly. It’s a tricky tightrope to walk–do jokes diminish it? Does a tone of humility make it sound false? Is there too much self-importance in it to be effective? But whatever the consequence, which may involve people typing “fail” onto a computer somewhere, I think I’m gonna have to attempt a little bit of it. Because in a few days (at least a week ago, by the time this sees the light of computer screens across the internet), my first viola teacher will be 100 years old, and the reaching of an age one can, without grammar-fascist reprisal, type in numeral form (instead of spelling it out in words) is a pretty significant event.
The natural impulse in describing one’s childhood, I think, is probably to begin with a description of the hometown. But I’m discarding that straight away as being too Garrison Keillory. Suffice to say that I now live in Los Angeles, in an apartment with an infant shrieking from the next apartment over, and I used to live in Montana, where most of the shrieking was coming out of my chosen instrument. When I was ten years old, I was lucky enough to live in a place where the school system had a decent orchestra program. My ten-year-old brain immediately sensed that orchestral musicianship was the most obvious route to worldwide fame and riches beyond imagining, free cocktails at exclusive parties thrown by the cultural elite, and food that didn’t come from a microwave oven, so naturally I signed up. I had to choose an instrument, and after hearing Berlioz’s Harold in Italy, I decided to choose the ginger stepchild of the orchestra–the one that even the bassists and tuba players had jokes about. It wasn’t just that I was uncool enough to be in the orchestra; I picked arguably the uncoolest of all the instruments in it. Not even uncool enough to be cool: the viola sprints through uncool, races past cool, and arrives solidly back at uncool again.
But whatever! At ten, my thumb-thick tortoiseshell glasses and favorite pink polo shirt were more than enough to ensure my place in the Pantheon of Uncool. No point in worrying about the subtle gradations. We’re talking about ART here, not reality-show stardom. So with my status affirmed as a social and musical pariah, I needed a teacher. (more…)
NOTES FROM VIVACE: (15) Days of Summer
The Upfront. Yes, I’m playing off of (500) Days of Summer,but we here at TRAffIK really liked that movie.
What’s going on here. Now TRAffIK did technically kill off summer with the following blog, but hey, I had a nice summer and wish to do my own summer exit. This blog is going to take a trip from Highland Park to the Sunset Strip and various other locations between these two music spots.
Aaron Beaumont. So my (15) Days of Summer launched with seeing my friend playing at Life on Wilshire. There was a nice group of supporters there, many being mutual friends of ours. This was my first time at Life on Wilshire. Life on Wilshire has a nice set-up that for some reason reminded me of the set-up at Cinespace, but a bit classier. His set included various friends joining him on stage such as Shane Alexander. This was the kick-off for his tour, which ends Oct 8th at Hotel Café.
SIRIA’S SEPTEMBER PLAYLIST
This is the last time I’ll say this. I’m so glad Summer is over.
Ok, I’m done, I promise.
Well, maybe just once more…
YAY!!!!!! Summer is over!!!!!!
Ok, now I’m really done. Really. Pinky swear. All done.
I’m not sure if Fall will be any better, as when I went to check my e-mail inbox I had 666 unread emails (yeah I know, and this email account isn’t even the account that gets spammed, newsletters, nor most of the Facebook/Myspace alerts).
On a brighter note, here is some wisdom that was subliminally imparted upon me this morning via a song playing on KCRW that I thought I’d enlighten you with (I don’t know the song name and won’t look it up, as I actually didn’t really enjoy the song all that much), “the road doesn’t move, you’re the one that moves.” All thanks to Jason Bentley and his efforts in making my morning eclectic.
Alright, September’s 2:05pm list…here we go.
The Who – ” So Sad About Us”
I actually can’t decide if I like this original or The Jam’s version better. I think I’m going to go listen to this song as soon as I’m done posting this.
Also, have you ever seen The Who cover “Heatwave”? This song is one of my favorites for bands to cover. The New Fidelity still do the best live cover of this as far as local bands go.
Sea Wolf (more…)
DELTRON 3030′S ONE FROM THE VAULT: Harry Nilsson – All Time Greatest Hits
While re watching Goodfellas on bluray I noticed that May 11th, 1980 was a particularly good day for Henry Hill’s car stereo.
“Jump into the Fire” by Harry Nilsson - At the beginning of the helicopter sequence.
“Memo from Turner” by The Rolling Stones - After Henry leaves Jimmy’s with the silencers.
“Magic Bus“ by The Who – When Henry almost has the car accident.
“Jump into the Fire” by Harry Nilsson - (2nd time played) Henry drives his brother home from the hospital.
“Monkey Man” by The Rolling Stones - (2nd time played) Henry drops off the guns at Karen’s mother’s house.
“What Is Life” by George Harrison - When Henry and Karen drive to his cocaine connection’s motel.
“Mannish Boy” by Muddy Waters - When Henry is at Sandy’s place mixing the coke.
My first thought after looking up the artist for “Jump Into the Fire” was “Who the f*ck is Harry Nilsson?” (more…)
DELTRON 3030 RECOMMENDED – DM Stith- Heavy Ghost
Never was there a more appropriately titled LP than David Michael Stith’s Heavy Ghost. Layers of swirling distant backing vocals and haunting keys combine to give this debut CD an eerie and ominous feeling. This is slightly offset by DM Stith’s falsetto that acts as a bridge between the spirit dimension and the real world. Kind of like that fat little midget lady in Poltergeist.
Recorded completely in bedrooms, churches, and kitchens, DM Stith has the ability to both be intimate and Macgyver-ish (one song features Sufjan Stevens playing a stapler, a pair of scissors, a rotary fan, and a Vermont quarter) but is at his finest when he simply sits dawn at the piano and eschews outside assistance as heard on quite possibly the most beautiful song I’ve listened to in 2009, “Braid of Voices”.
Highlights: “Braid of Voices”, “BMB”, “Pity Dance”