This Is It

the moment i've been waiting for since December...

it's been a lot of things 'round here; lonely, hopeful, quiet, stressful, occasionally inspirational with bouts of blocks... there have been times where the missing-you was almost crippling. and there have been spells where it seemed like you've barely been gone a minute, much less for months. but this whole experience wasn't about me. it was about you.

and may i say, you've done wonderfully. remember those first few days? you were so scattered, having to navigate this sprawling new place to find your family and friends. your first few shifts were monstrously stressful. all those things which school hadn't prepared you for, the realization that their ways of doing things weren't quite the ways you'd known, that sink-or-swim feeling... but you powered through it and had it under your thumb in no time.

seemed like every night when we'd talk you'd be on your way to, or just home from, a Trader Joe's or Whole Foods, and your meals sounded outstanding. you have no idea how resonant it was that you were eating well and taking care of yourself, and you looked a-maz-ingly gorgeous, radiant, from such a great diet, and all the exercise implicit in your work. when you ran outside at your uncle's house to give me a hug, i could barely speak. the phonecall with mom, though nice, had to end. you were here. i was there. we were together and the universe made sense again.

i got to see for myself what i'd been missing. not LA, which has its niceness but isn't for me. but you elevating yourself, starting a career, working very hard, and maintaining your health like a pro. and Hollywood didn't phase you, which is the raddest part. you kept your eye on the prize, being the best OTA you can be.

everybody, your parents and i, my parents, our friends, we're all incredibly proud of you. it took a big tub o' guts (Brando-stylee) to do what you did. you moved to The Big City, worked your ass off, and made a nice chunk of change doing it. you didn't go broke, you didn't go crazy, (permanently), you didn't run off and become a Mooney or a Hippie or a Ho or any of the other Weirdos people always 'warn' you about California. you redefined Kashka. you've evolved and become more focused, and more wise, from this experience. i look forward to carrying the torch and walking with you toward achieving all of our dreams, individual and shared.

and tonight, you come Home. people been asking me all week "are you excited" and of course "yeah" i am, but it hasn't really hit until now. i'm a little choked up, to be honest. we made it. we survived three and a half months apart. but there was never any doubt we would. i don't think anybody won any bets against our resilience. it never even felt like we were being tested, other than having to wait a while to see each other. OPP? nah, you know me. (and i know you). it ain't our type. really it was just a temporary departure in our 8-year, but still budding, history; one that would only strengthen us, and remind us of all the reasons why we're still, and always be, In Love. 

Yours without end,

b

untitled

 just checking in for a sec to say LRV U and travel safely on yr way north. i'm psyched you're coming home soon, and the next couple days will be preparations for your return (like finish a couple projects, household chores, a few special treats, etc). you'll be busy having a blast. i doubt you'll have a spare sec to read whatever drivel's spilling here .so i'm giving myself the next few days off, too, so's i can take care of bidness.

 here's a San Fransisco treat for you. have a groooooovy time!

LRV, b

For Those of You Who Might Be Counting

 She's home in 6 days. You may have her in 8. 

to you, my lady, all i can say at the moment is that i know these next few days are gonna be hectic, but they're also going to be fun as hell. you're gonna love San Fransisco. ooooh! you're calling!

LRV, b

note: the artist here is the Pointer Sisters, not DJ Food.

A Damn Fine Reason to Be Happy

a week from today will be a lovely day indeed. seems impossible to think any day could be nicer than today, and not just because today it's gorgeous outside and creative productivity is unusually plentiful. but next week Tuesday, when you come home for the first time in almost four months, everything will be wonderful and back where it belongs and whole new spring leaves will turn. 

so as a celebration, my 3 favorite good day songs...

 just one look at you, and i know it's gonna be

LRV, b

Suckers, Liars, Get Me a Shovel

keeping up to date on current events can be frustrating. for a long time i was content to be willfully under-informed, so as to not have to deal with the stress of processing all the bullshit happening around me. but, in essence, that's being part of 'the problem'. complacency, as a community, is dangerous and the Powers That Be kinda count on that as their cushion between their nefarious doings and what they sell to us.

since you've been gone, i've gotten into the routine of reading the BBC News app on the phone in the morning, between snooze alarms. also, during smokes at work, i regularly check in with other trust-worthy and seemingly-objective news organizations Democracy Now and the Raw Story. i feel like these organizations report fairly in that criticism is rarely in their establishment's rhetoric*. it's not like tv news, largely punditry, where somebody introduces a story, makes some snarky comment, and then goes on a tirade about how they, (and we should?), feel about it. and before you know it, BAM! it's in people's heads that way. Obama wants to kill our grandparents. Muslims hate our freedom. Socialized medicine is communism. We'll be standing in bread lines by fall. (*this afternoon, though, i read Juan Gonzalez refer to the mid-western union battles as an "assault on labor", which didn't bode well for objectivity. this is also the reason i do not like Michael Moore's films. he's too into his own crusades). 

i do enjoy the Stewart and Colbert again, thanks to their internet generosity. cable company, be damned! and they pretty much rewrote the book on snarky news punditry, elevating it to absorb satire, wicked sarcasm, criticism and comedy. Stewart tries to seem bilaterally critical but it's fairly obvious how he hangs. Colbert, on the other hand, has the stones to go after anyone just for being in his studio, keeping his personal politics ambiguous behind the show's Bizzarro-Conservative bent. but this is Comedy Central, it's not supposed to be information. it's entertainment.

so, yeah. s's f'd the h up. i don't like what i see. i don't like war planes over a place where we're supposed to be supporting peace. i also don't like crazy-ass dictators killing their own people just to prove a point, but fight fire with fire and pretty soon the whole world is burning. this is why the Arab world doesn't like us. it's not because we have Freedom and Jesus. it's because we keep blowing their shit up, and doing dirty business making very nasty people very rich by raping their resources. That's the kind of freedom they don't like. that, and Britney Spears.

and really, I think Obama fucked up bigtime. didn't we all learn, when Bush II did it, that planes dropping bombs over a sovereign country is an Act of War and, by Constitutional definition, only Congress can declare war, not the President? Bush got a UN resolution, too, by the way, but never an official declaration despite launching a campaign into Iraq. French planes may have been the first to drop over Libya, but ours are there too. i really like President Obama but this is gonna hurt. (Ralph Nader, the only candidate other than Obama whom i ever supported whole-heartedly, alluded recently to covert operations in Pakistan and Yemen; basically saying they can't do "no boots on the ground" in Libya because they got their best boots in Pakistan and Yemen stirring up no good. he's also calling "war crimes" on Obama, which is Constitutionally true but just pains my heart to hear).

it will be interesting to see the Conservative backlash from this, too, because they were all behind Bush's wars and they'll probably scream bloody murder on this one. they'll be fully aware of the hypocritical shit on their faces but they'll sell their outrage anyway. i say if you're gonna impeach Obama and try him on war crimes then you better round up Bush and Cheney, too. Condoleeza, Hillary, the whole gang.what's good for the goose, you know?

all the critics, you can hang 'em, i'll hold the rope.

LRV, b

These Metal Fingers Be Holdin' (Hot Sh!t)

dinner is good things, korean barbecue beef with green bell peppers, asparagus, and basmati rice.

it might look like a monster movie but it's deeeelicious!

mm food!


LRV, b

new hobby

used to think the masks and bandanas were because they were bad. now i know. fumes are a bitch.

LRV, b

What She Said

sorry i missed yesterday. my little art project consumed my afternoon and evening. and my tapes look rad. too bad they won't play. the reels won't turn. guess i used too much paint, and didn't block the toothy circles well enough. so now i have to record them ALL again. 3 of them. that's 4.5 hours of mixology. and god knows how many times i've had to/i will be go(ing) back to the beginning to start over until every transition is perfect. this ain't no build-a-playlist-and-walk-away bullshit. this is real-deal live person mixing... the likes of which i've always wanted to do but never had the means... until Traktor entered my life. on a related note, got my first bite on a possible wedding to DJ in May!



this is my Irish dedication to you, in honor of a "holiday" which is in my blood but not really my heart. (at least, not in the I Must Get Wasted Because It's St Patrick's Day way). even our little Jewish American Princess barmaid came to work dressed like a Irish Fairy Skeezer today, complete with green tutu and tiara. She got plenty of gawkers. i just rolled my eyes.

btw, also related, Prince tickets wound up being like $150. and i'm sure they're well over 300 now through brokers or scalpers. i still woulda done it if you wanted, but i don't feel so bad about missing it anymore.

but really what i want to say is That's What She Said. she = Sinead, and nothing compares to you, babygirl. I miss you

LRV, b

Finally, There's an Answer to This Question...

i know this one! it's SOON! like TWO WEEKS kinda soon! precious moments, indeed. of course, your Cali family will make your departure bittersweet, and i fully expect you to not want to leave San Fransisco after your visit (seriously, SF rules and three days ain't enough time, by far) but your parents and i, not to mention your legions of local fans, can't wait to have to back! getting goosebumps just thinkin' 'bout it.

and for anyone who thinks this song is cheesy, i say "you, sir or madam, can't recognize greatness" as the Three Degrees are freakin awesome. for all-female singing groups, i think they're as good, if not better, as the Supremes. The Supremes were on the cusp of the Motown wave, and we can never take their classics away from them, but all the "Baby Love"s and "Heat Wave"s in the world can never live up to the supreme lyrical surreality and total vocal control inherent in one "Collage". (plus, it's a natural head-nodder with spooky vibraphones, fuzz bass... all great things).



winter time is a razor blade that the devil made, it's the price we pay for the summertime..... fantastic.

LRV, b

Gone Writing...

gonna take the next few days off writing this blog to concentrate on College Application Essays. while this in no way reflects me taking days off loving or being devoted to you, i need time to concentrate on getting my shit together. i'll spare you the lamentations of how my job zaps me, daily, of motivation and inspiration. you'd think that that might light a fire under me to move mountains, NOW, but it does just the opposite. i hate to have my letters to you be even a temporary casualty because of this, (and i understand it's thin reasoning, at best), but this is simply an attempt to minimize distractions. my mixtape wave is almost done, and after that i have nothing immediately pressing, musically, so now is the time to get these essays written. i hope you understand.



will return on Monday,

LRV, b

Dolphins Into the Future

not to boast but i made music like this years ago. these guys are catching some serious press right now, too. an article in WIRE last year mentioned their near-impossible-to-find debut and follow-up, which have both just been reissued. mirror meaning: they're not so elusive to DL pirates anymore, so we're able to see what the fuss is about. and honestly, i like it but, a little part of me remembers all the hours i spent with the moog, theremin, and whales LPs making similar sounds and asks "where was all the press then?"

Swallowed by a Whale (aka: The Deep) by Donovan Quixote

maybe my titles aren't hip and weird enough. maybe it's because i never really pursue promoting anything. (most likely that).

or maybe it's because it's not a constant aesthetic, as if to say "to do it once is easy. to build a catalog with it takes endurance, patience, and innovation; lest the music becomes stale and redundant". this is what i like the most about Dolphins Into the Future. he/they? are exploring the possibilities in an extremely niche area; aquatic new age noise, superambient improv, yoga massage music. it doesn't get more esoteric than that. not to say The Mark of Quality is Obscurity, but you have to respect someone proudly flying their freak flag down their own path.

LRV, b

KAB + MxBx = LRV(b)

outside of family, there are two things that i love in this world: you, and Melt-Banana. if asked to choose, well.... let's just say i'd probably jump out of the boat if one of the three of us had to go to keep from sinking. the world would be fine without me, but couldn't suffer one without you(s). allow me to elaborate.

you and Melt-Banana share a few common traits:

1. You are Incredibly Unique. maybe i ain't been around the world but i can sure as hell say i've never met anyone like you. your magnetism is obvious, you draw all smiles. MB too. there's lots of spazzy music, lots of hardcore, lots of metal and noise... but Melt-Banana sounds like nothing else on Earth. INTENSITY! like it or not, your presence is felt wherever you are. you got That Thing (i know i better watch out). likewise, when Melt-Banana is playing, people notice. you can't shake it. (to me, that's a good thing).

2. Your Name is Rad. tattoo-worthy, i might add. if i had any guts i'd rep you both.

3. The Songs You Sing Don't Make a Lot of Sense but They're Fun Anyway. i swear if i had a dollar for every doodoo song you ever sang, i'd be a zillionaire. but scatology aside, you have a knack for mangling grammar and inventing verbiage, the likes of which would make Pootie-Tang sign his pennies. similarly, Melt-Banana's English is beyond broken. you'd think over how many years and how many tours of the US and Europe they'd pick up a grasp of the language they choose to sing in, right? even if it is willful wreckage, respect: "Who wants to be in panic / Bugs are all in pancakes / We are all ecstatic."

don't you know no good?




really the only big difference between you two is that Melt-Banana can be an acquired taste. you seem to connect instantly with people (although you may not think so). and pretty much everybody that knows you thinks you're Awesome. but not everybody can deal with Melt-Banana. they are loud, raucous, and deal in barely-controlled chaos. for some, that don't fly. for others, it's delightful!

basically, you're (both) a hell of a lot of fun to be around, and my life wouldn't be the same without you.

KAB + MxBx = LRV(b)

More Good Advice

dancey dance! snackey snack!but don't bitey bite!

LRV, b

Sound Advice

as i hung up the phone just a bit ago, this song came to mind. there i was: driving (a shifter car), talking on the phone, smoking. not a great combo. add to that pockets of heavy rain and hydroplaning cars and a crackup is damn near guaranteed. luckily, i caught myself and decided to exercise caution. because, as you know, rain is a gentle thing... but not when you're driving. words to live by. but i'm home for the evening now, so call me when you get back to LA.

LRV, b

I've got a Snake In My Mind

keeping it short and sweet since you're out of town and likely won't have a chance to catch up for a few days. hope you're having a great time in Vegas. can't wait to hear all about your adventures!!

two last on the soundtrack/movie tip, both from Downtown 81. first, Melle Mel



and now, DNA



....and it's not in my spine

LRV, b

Dogs F'd the Pope, No Fault of Mine

have a swinging time!

LRV, b

Observance, Z-rn

this has been in our Netflix cue for a while but i still haven't watched it. as mentioned earlier, Zorn had a lot to do with my introduction to film music. he's scored scores of films, and his Filmworks series of releases are among his most consistent. in the 80s his film output leaned more toward his cut-up, fast moving style; colliding genres into bits, defying conventional composition. but toward the mid 90s there seemed to be a change to more thoughtful, pensive pieces as the films he'd choose to score were focusing on aspects of modern Judaism: faith and tolerance, faith and sexuality, even a couple of profiles on Jewish film icons; Marie Menken and Maya Deren.



all of these pieces are performed with uncommon grace. they are, like the people in the films, intently searching for answers, questioning and quietly seeking their place in the world. Zorn (which means "anger" in German, btw) definitely has a spectacular stable of artists which he uses -some of the best at their instruments, in my opinion- and they handle his compositions beautifully. (most of his collaborators, incidentally, are also Jewish. lends an elevated understanding, no?)



strange that for all of the crazy, alchemical and downright confounding music Zorn is best known (and most often maligned) for, it's the understated eloquence of his film scores that resonate the strongest for me. i may not identify with the struggles and the faith depicted in these films but i am grateful to be exposed to them through this music.

too quick a convo last night. hope we have a li'l more tonight!

LRV, b


PS: i want to go on record as saying that Trembling Before G-d is one of the heaviest albums of all time. not for being loud and thrashy but for devastatingly dark and affecting, (and with only two instruments: organ and clarinet). makes riff-and-shred sound like sandbox crying.

Two espressos, separate cups

thinking of recent soundtracks, there's only one that immediately springs to mind; the Limits of Control by Jim Jarmusch. granted, this is based on personal taste but i think it's one of the best compiled soundtracks in ages. comprised mainly of tracks by drone-rock masters Boris, amp-worshippers Sunn O))), and Jarmusch's own band, Bad Rabbit, it lends a very stoic film even more weight yet isn't all doom and gloom, as we've come to expect from "stoner rock". Boris, especially, seem to be in rather 'sunny' moods. Jarmusch always has chosen his music well. John Lurie scored two early films, Neil Young improvised solo guitar while watching Dead Man, the RZA did Ghost Dog, and his compilation for Broken Flowers is what introduced me, and undoubtedly many others, to Mulatu Astatke.

but specifically to Limits of Control, the choices work well on several levels:

1) there isn't a ton of dialogue in the movie, and what little dialogue there is is often cryptic instructions, cyclical conversations, and subtly humorous riddles. the music reflects a lot of these qualities in that it is, for the most part, drone- and repetition-based. themes are revisited often, yet not in such a way that the music becomes monotonous or predictable.

2) also much like the dialogue, there is a sense of something below the surface that the filmmaker would rather not reveal to the audience directly. to do so would crumble the film's mystique. the music, likewise, is full of gradually revealing textures; crescendoes which seem endless. catharsis is never quite reached, which keeps the suspense taught.

3) for such a languidly-paced movie, the perpetually-building nature of the music fits perfectly. visually, moreso than any other Jarmusch movie, there is a lot of open space and attention to architecture. the music reflects this in its vast, monolithic structuring.

4) the music provides a unique paradox concerning the lead character and his journey. on the one hand, the music, like the protagonist, is mighty and stoic. it moves at its own pace, not in any hurry to reach some answer or some validation. instead, it/he practices a sort of sonic tai chi; moving slowly, yet with purpose. on the other hand, the music is loud and absorbing. the protagonist is silently intense, saying very little. i get the sense that the music we hear is his brain in motion, his psyche's projection.

the film takes place in Spain (although it's never quite said), and there are several wonderful Spanish recordings and songs that kind of act as puzzle pieces in the movie. they carry just as much weight as the rock groups, too. it's certainly not lite fare. this is Carmen Linares, singing a song called "El Que Se Tenga Por Grande" (rough translation: "he who has greatness", which is a part of one of the recurring riddles.... "If you think yourself great man, then go to the cemetery. there you will see what the world really is, a handful of dirt.")



for a couple weeks, shortly after you left, i'd put this movie on nightly as i laid down to bed. not that it's a sleep-inducer (although, again, it moves rather slowly) but because of the music, the visuals, and the unassuming dialogue. i probably watched it two or three times, in chunks over a few nights. (i also watched Stranger Than Paradise at least once fully).

i miss you, and can't wait to watch movies with you again soon.

LRV, b

Song of My Heart's Composing

sorry about the ads

confession: most of my favorite film music was introduced to me by other artists. for example, early in my research of John Zorn i came across his tribute to Ennio Morricone. through that, and familiarity with The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, (my mother's favorite movie), i began to absolutely absorb Morricone. (Zorn also turned me on to John Barry --James Bond, A Shot in the Dark--, Serge Gainsbourg, Burt Bacharach, and T. Rex through three respective tribute compilations). i probably would not have taken Henry Mancini so seriously were it not for Fantomas's album The Director's Cut, which featured two Mancini covers. of course, the Fantomas versions are very much in their vein, but the strength of the material (always) begs further investigation.



before these, all i knew of Mancini were "Baby Elephant Walk" and "The Pink Panther", both extremely high on the cheddar scale. but i absolutely love the playful twists of the main melodic theme throughout the score to Charade, and the opening sequence of Experiment In Terror, the film, are three incredibly dark, deep and resonant picked-string tones, which then lead into this song. i'm fairly certain the instrument carrying the walking line in the 'theme' is a baritone guitar and not a bass. they recur throughout the film every now and again, as if the tones themselves are an element/harbinger of danger. i swear i could watch the opening 60 seconds of this movie for hours on a loop.

and i can't tell you how cool it is that you love these songs as much as i do. it's not everyday you can rap with a young woman about Mancini soundtracks, let alone a young woman who will readily sing a few lines when she finds them appropriate. it's just one of the many reasons i love you like a cat loves naps.

i have some exciting news today. will wait to tell you later. happiness!

LRV, b

Best Movie Songs (Screw the Oscars)

did you see the little montage they did during the Oscar broadcast about Best Song? of course, it focused mainly on recent winners; the hokey dreck that's passed off as 'inspirational'. even the President's Choice was abruptly edited! i say Balls to all of that, though. it's one of the biggest throw-away categories, in my opinion, because rarely are good choices made. with the exceptions of Eminem and Three 6 Mafia, they're always safe, always saccharine. and even the aforementioned rap artists, their inclusion seems both "willfully defiant" and expected. does that make sense? it's like Let's Give These Underdogs the Award Because We Want It To Seem Like We're Tuned-In To Pop Culture... yet still, Randy Newman has received 20 nominations.

film music is very important to me, as you know. looking now at a list of Best Song Winners and nominees, i can truly say i can only stand behind a few:

"Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" (by Burt Bacharach and Hal David) from Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid
"Take My Breath Away", written by Giorgio Moroder and performed by Berlin, Top Gun, (the production seals the deal)
and "Shaft" by Issac Hayes

safe? not really... those first two might sound cheesified but given the context of the movies they were in ("Raindrops" in a cowboy picture, and "Breath Away" in a testosterone fueled jock movie, to which "Danger Zone" was a better fit) i think these songs are just as daring as any. and "Shaft" is simply badass.

but Best Soundtrack should also be considered. it sickens me that Trent Reznor won for basically having a boy's choir sing Radiohead's "Creep", and tinkering longingly on a piano. could i nominate something better? yes. Clint Mansell, who did Black Swan, did a wonderful job of weaving Tchaikovsky throughout his own narrative score and was robbed of a nomination. hell of a lot better interplay between source and product than Reznor's self-indulgent bullshit.

here's a short list of notable Best Original Score winners:

The Omen, Jerry Goldsmith, 1976
Purple Rain, Prince (Best Original Song Score), 1984
'Round Midnight, Herbie Hancock, 1986
The Godfather, Part II, Nino Rota, 1974
and Butch Cassidy, Burt Bacharach, 1969

it should be noted that they may have given Ennio Morricone a lifetime achievement award a few years ago, presented by an inebriated Clint Eastwood, but the Almighty Academy never graced him with an actual Oscar. nominated only three times, although having scored hundreds of films, he was beaten by good company (Moroder, Hancock, and somebody i don't know).

so here i will pay tribute to Il Maestro, with a hat trick of three of my favorite songs.



couldn't find the song by itself, so enjoy the trailer!




and one for for good luck, a film and score which are severely underrated


should we do film music all week? i think so!

LRV, b

LRV

whoa-ooh-oh,

b

sometimes i hate techmology

something's messed up with the laptop. yesterday it was trouble with the new external hard drive. new one seems to be working fine. still the issue of box-says-it's-500-GB-but-system-reads-450... i suppose it's industry standard to rape the consumer. anyway, it works fine so i guess i'll eat the 50GB i, theoretically, am "missing".

but now i can't hear any sound on the internet, nor from Windows Media Player. my music making software seems to be okay. i can hear those (thank god) but i wonder what the issue is elsewhere. i watched Hulu til i fell asleep again last night, but that normally never creates a problem. just another thing i'll have to fix at some point....

with that in mind, the greatest piece "never" played:



LRV, b

kin

Demdike Stare are one of the best electro-nostalgia groups around. the duo, archivist and a sample hound, mine their extensive collections -mostly library soundtracks, VHS and other ephemera- for tidbits with which to build new pieces. (a process VERY close to my heart, as you know). they've been on my radar for a little while, mostly thanks to Boomkat.com, and as i've been learning this DJ software, this record has come in very useful for transitions and finding good backing beats. Demdike Stare is of a similar 'hauntological' cloth as Belbury Poly and our beloved Broadcast collaborators, the Focus Group, yet they operate in a much more mysterious (and terribly prolific) cloak. definitely one to keep a close eye on.




still feelin crappitty. def hulu bedtime soon

LRV, b

(Hi. Hi.)

adulthood has opened me up to REM. when i was a teenager, it was all thrash and hip-hop and not a lot in between. i had no interest in softer rock musics, save for Jane's Addiction, and certainly little tolerance for REM. "Shiny Happy People", are you kidding? they got a pass very briefly because "Stand" was used as the opening theme song to a tv show i liked a lot, Get a Life, starring Chris Elliot as a 40 year old paper boy. the show didn't last long, under two seasons, and if i remember correctly Chris began dying at the end of every show close to the end of its run..... anyway, so REM was okay with me for that. the song they did with KRS-ONE, notsomuch. nice try, though.



in my 20s, the band i was in got compared a lot to REM, and other groups i didn't (and still don't) enjoy. the similarity wasn't lost on me but i was having fun playing bass and keyboards so i got over it.

and now, because i've been in XM Radio hell for the last few years on this job, REM has grown on me. the whiny British bands of the 80s are too sad and i just don't feel their pain. REM at least liked to have fun once in a while, play games. when they lost their religion, (oh no!), that song was WAY too played but now, in the wake of what the last and current generation of pop bands and idols and icons has slopped out... REM's sounding damn good.


this one goes out to your patient from earlier today


so did you ask me to write earlier? oh yeah. cool and sunny

LRV, b

You're Damn Right, Nothing!

today is the day. if i don't talk to you tonight, i hope it's because you're there.

LRV, b

the sounds of....

educational!







LRV, b

Tres Mas

one hour on bike = totally mashed muscles. feel the burrrrrrrrrn! my goal is to make my ride (i have no idea how far i went) like nothing. maybe be able to get to the beach and back (without dying) by the end of summer. something like that.

your Yo La date is only a couple days away. here are more suggestions from some very trusted sources:

Mr. Tough (Lincoln)


I Heard You Looking (Ronnie)

Ron asked me to include this twice, which i won't. a few days of three songs by the same artist everyday is redundant enough....

How to Make a Baby Elephant Float (Steven Katulak)


muy bien!

LRV, b

Yo La Tengo Primer, Part Two

lots of great suggestions from friends for you to consider. here are Tammis's favorites.

Nowhere Near


Little Eyes


Nothing But You and Me


feeling weird today. was probably the huge bowl of ice cream, late night, right before falling asleep. knew it wasn't a really good idea but damn was it delicious. so listen, enjoy your Sunday housecleaning, and i'll talk to you later!

LRV, b

I Got It!

an idea!

Yo La Tengo are coming your way next week. you are in for a treat of you go. i know weeknights are tough for you but you won't regret it. they put on a great show. i will admit, i am not terribly familiar with their catalog (which is extensive, spanning three decades). so i have an idea to help you study up. i'm'a ask around, see what songs people dig, and post them here. by Wednesday, you should have a good background. here are my first three.

Today is the Day


Autumn Sweater


False Alarm (live in Atlanta, Jan 28, 2011)



if you're super lucky they'll play Nuclear War, and sure you'll hear at least one from And Then Nothing... you will definitely witness plenty of low-slung guitar freakouts, and lots of real pretty singing. they'll probably take some requests, so gather a few in your mind.

and, as i've just discovered, THIS WILL HAPPEN

will you be the lucky lady?

LRV, b

T minus 37ish

impromptu haiku

city of angels
has kept my light long enough
you are its quiet halo
poopin on yourself.

my visit was all
warmth and loving family,
adventures in cars.

waiting for you now
is a little easier,
having a few fresh kisses
to soothe the hunger.

so i figure if you stay two extra weeks, that should bring you home in about 37 days. (of course, if you travel a bit after, the number will increase. bummer for me, but funner for you. bay area, baby!) my only Damn I Shoulda regret is not thinking to head up Mulholland Drive. (i don't mind having missed the Twin Peaks Exhibition, which was only on for two days. those were totally rad family days.) and i would've loved to see your aunt's house, because i hear it's awesome, but it didn't happen. those things will be there the next time we visit, so it's all good. perhaps i shoulda made more of an effort with cameras, rather than just snapping on my phone when opportunities arose, (not many when you're driving constantly), but the memories are gonna stay strong. i can tell.

one of my put-backs at Amoeba that i kinda wish i'd hung on to was something that kinda caught me off guard, a soundtrack by Sean Lennon for a movie called Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead (not to be confused with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, starring Gary Oldman and Tim Roth) which the sleeve actually said "made on his home computer". usually i don't go for electronic music on vinyl (with very few exceptions) but now, after looking at this trailer, i'm hearing what doesn't sound at all like bedroom music, but really a really solid score to this weird little indie movie. Miho Hatori and Kool Keith make appearances on the soundtrack, which are nice bonuses. AND, ready for this? it's available to stream on Netflix! it's in our queue!



this is right up your alley, babygirl. dare i say it should have better exposure because of the recent vampire craze, a la Twilight... hoping Netflix recommends this to viewers of that kinda stuff. why? because Sean Lennon is John and Yoko rolled into one. you just don't get any cooler than that.

unless you're you. miss you, again.

LRV, b

63 Days in the Void, and Finally...

holy crap. it's on. i've spent the last two months chronicling an emotional vigilance through the void of your absence. every day counted, every word poised to find you smiling, (most) every song chosen for the specific reason of making you feel special each and every day. (even the weird ones). the missing-you would have been almost unbearable if not for the therapy of these transmissions and your lovely voice over the phone. i don't know how they did it in the olden days. (still, judging by most movies, nobody ever got those letters or knew they were received. there's always some confusion; some missed connection....) anyway, people say these four little words daily to co-workers they can barely tolerate, but they rarely mean as much as they do right now. this entire blog has lead up to this point, and these words. you ready? babygirl,

i'll see you tomorrow

LRV, b

62) There's a Girl Out There with Love In Her Eyes

and in just a little over 48 hours, i'll be holding her again. (it's you!) how could tomorrow follow today? it just happens. think i'll take my chances on that big jet plane.... i'm less frightened about that than i've been in the past. at least, that's what i'm telling myself. we'll see how i am when i'm in the thick of it. (it's not as hard, hard, hard as it seems). your folks being on the same flight is a big help. i can't lose my shit in front of your dad. gotta keep it together. in the end, the experience itself will be worth enduring a little fear/discomfort getting there. (the way back will be no picnic, but for lots of reasons; not just having to be at the airport so early, a couple hours before the children of the sun begin to wake). getting a little choked up listening to this song, feeling the growing anticipation, nerves, anxiousness and anxiety... and above all, the unfathomably emotional catharsis of getting to see you, finally. i may literally explode. bring a poncho.



LRV, b

61) You're the Kind of Girl That Fits In with My World

[This post was deleted for being too revealing. This is not a place for self-suffered projections of insecurity. It is an homage to love and longing. I apologize for any disturbance to any readers who may have caught it. Consider the floater flushed.]

That being said, Ms. Lady, I will give you anything, everything, if you want things.





LRV 4EVR, b

60) You're Gonna See My Shadow, Soon, Around You

almost forgot to write today! Deerhoof was awesome, as you know. we've talked about all that already. today's kinda blah. rainy cool and gray. i've gotten myself into a deconstruction process with a song that needed revitalizing. it's coming along okay but it's presenting an odd set of challenges... time suspension, continuity, does-this-really-work, etc. i'm trying to mold it toward the way i've been playing it on guitar for Karola's dance projects, free and open, but keep the pop aspects in tact too. i've always felt the recorded version lacked a little in surprise. hopefully, if i can pull it off, (or at least meet the idea half way), the new end result will be something a lot more intriguing.

apologies. i haven't put any thought into what i might post today and i'm kinda holding out on a couple songs until right before leaving. plus i've been listening to nothing but Deerhoof and readers of this page (lurkers, voyeurs) are probably sick of hearing about them by now. so what's the first thing that pops in to my head? honestly, it was I'm Gonna Booglarize You Baby (and i will, rest assured) but this is more appropriate for the bittersweet anticipation of our wonderful reunion.




LRV, b

59) I've Got a Woman Waitin' for Me, That's Gonna Make This Trip Worthwhile

okay so it's a LOT more than 25 Miles, and i won't be walking, but i'm getting closer everyday! not too much to say today. am psyched for Deerhoof tonight. feels kinda groovy that you saw them there, and now i'm seeing them here (well, upstate)... like things are beginning to come full circle. like, just a couple weeks ago you were only a few feet away from them and i will be just as close tonight. almost feels like they're unknowingly carrying your spirit with them. hell, in the last 59 days i haven't been anywhere near anyone who's been anywhere near you... does that make sense? it does in my brain. harmony harmony harmony!

LRV you too much, b

58) the Countdown Begins

finally! in less than a week, i'll be able to see your smiling face again... not on the computer or on the phone but real live and pretty in person. for the last 58 days, this is as much as i've seen of you:

(dragging my fingers across your face, bubba-ing your lips, smearing your glasses, imaginarily picking your nose, and i kinda gotta poke you in the eye to set an alarm, on another screen)





even on the skype all i get's your melon; which is lovely, don't get me wrong, but it's all pixely and delayed and it just don't measure up to the real thing. these next 6 days are gonna fly by. and i'm sure the six we'll spend together won't feel like enough (because it isn't). it will be extraordinary, filled with forever memories. (forev-mories). with that in mind,



do you think she's in love with the dog wearing sunglasses? i do. otherwise, this video just doesn't make any sense.... in the best ways possible.

LRV, b

57) One Last

one last for good luck



next run.... anticipation!

LRV, b

56) I'm Feelin' Free...

got criminally profiled today. was stopped for my expired tags. soon as that polices got behind me, i tried to casually avoid/move away from him, but he got me. i got my license and reg out for him and explained that i'm a pizza man and on my meager wages it's been difficult to repair the things that kept the car from passing inspection. the cop, i guess, appreciated my candor. what was weird, though, is that as he was running my license, one of his buddies appeared. you know how pigs do, they see a sow stopped somebody and they wanna get a piece too. so as the dude who stopped me returned to my car, with only a warning ticket, the other dude went around the other side and started eyeballing the shit inside my car. yep, my flour-y work shirts, loose cassettes, a couple empty cig packs, my groceries. intense, right?

but then he shouted "what's in the baggie in your center console?", which the guy who stopped me repeated. it was funny, like the second guy thought he'd just discovered a ticking bomb or something. he actually stood back and got his hands at the ready, above his cuffs and gun. i was like, "it's a button. i keep a spare button for my jacket in the car in case i lose one." i handed it to the first officer and he inspected it, took a little look-see around my car too, and warned me that most of his colleagues aren't as nice as him. (no kidding, really? his buddy was ready to aggressively arrest me over a button!) so yeah, more shit i can't afford. and now it's crucial. i can't afford to get caught again with expired tags, or maybe an elbow patch on the dash!

guess they figured "he's got a beard. he must be up to no good." yeah. i'm a button trafficker!

i thought i could maybe find a Madlib track about something like this, but nobody's posted Crime by Quasimoto, and i've already done Quas and Madvillain... and the stick-up story on the Kweli collaboration (Keep the Engine Runnin') is nowhere near as good as Happy Home which should flow nicely into tomorrow's final Invasion post....



some day we'll make a happy home together, again. eight days til i see you!!!!


LRV, b

55) Masala

day 5 of Madlib Invasion, Beat Konducta in India promo montage. again, it's one you know but probably haven't seen/heard in a couple years.



not a lot to say about today other than i LRV you. i'm proud of you for your donation this afternoon. you truly are a caring individual and the world's a better place with you in it.

LRV, b

54) Keeping Hip-Hop Fresh, One Month at a Time

last year, Madlib released a mixtape (almost) every month. don't know why the last couple installments were parlayed, but #11, Low Budget Hi Fi, has just been released including a bonus disc of new beats called Beat Konducta Around the World. the #11 mix itself seems to be all sorts of collaborations, new and old, all in the hip-hop vein. judging by what i know of the Beat Konducta series, my guess is that the Around the World mix may be site-specific, like this song...



sounds a lot like Dilla, am i right? it's nothing terribly flashy, or head-spinning like much of his beat/collage work can be (see Madvillain, Quasimoto, et al.) but even when Madlib is just spinning wheels he's way ahead of most other producers, in my mind. he's never played in to the over-production-equals-better-music mindset (Kanye), preferring to keep it simple. and even his flurry of ideas come across as a stream of consciousness adventure as opposed to a vain, forced restlessness, (Kanye again). on the other side, most producers who pride themselves on their minimalist approach (most club-ready dancefloor guys), i feel, condescend their listeners by giving them cold, numb beats and elementary synth work over which they shout about how bad and how rich and how virile they are. it only leaves me thinking, "one reason you got so much money is you probably don't spend a dime on quality beats." because if they did (Three 6 Mafia, Rick Ross*, most of the shit on the radio) they'd find out quickly that they can't hang with it. they need to keep that shit ghetto, for their machismo and the illusion of skill. unfortunately, those are the people that make waves and headlines, and money. true artists are relegated to the fringes.

there's a nostalgia in this track that's palpable for someone, like myself, who's never even visited the area (which will change soon!). who among these pop producers can deliver something so potent? not to say that crunked-up, high rolling, ass shaking, coke sniffing rap isn't potent, (*i do like "Blowin' Money Fast", the Larry Hoover track) but it offers no subtleties, no complexities, and ZERO warmth. its effectiveness is only surface. Madlib's volumes of quality and quantity are infinitely deeper, and can be really intimidating sometimes. it's nice to hear a track that's inspiring and attainable, even if it is (perhaps) an afterthought on a supplemental mix cd from an album that will be out of print before you exhale.

in today's hip hop climate Madlib is a rare bird, indeed.

LRV, b

53) Oh My Aching Hands

from raking in grands and breaking in mic stands...



brought the kitchen up from nothing this morning, pretty much single-handedly. we'd gotten slammed last night, and of course the late night crew didn't do anything to help. (apparently, prep work is not in their job description. bullshit.) sure i had a little help, but not a lot. i don't wanna rat anyone out but it really grinds me that people treat me like i'm their boy, and since we're cool then they can laze around. at the same time, though, i'm not paid enough to really care. if they want me to manage, to light fires under asses to work more than chill, then they can step up my pay. otherwise, yes it sucks to be one of the only employees who actually cares that everything gets done, and very little, if anything, is left over for the next shift apart from their usual tasks. i'm not about to complain about having a long list of work to do, nor am i gonna ride anyone's ass to pick up the pace or lend me a hand with my list. that isn't my style. but it is annoying how much nothing these kids get away with when they're with me, or un-managed in general. because if we all worked so casually, the place would crumble. urgh.

loved seeing you last night. you look great. i don't get to tell you that very often these days. we should probably do that more often, no?

LRV, b

53) Blacker than the Landlord's Soul

(must've run aaaaaaalllll day!)

needs no introduction, one of the most bizarre and engaging videos i know of; the "making of" doc on the DVD is awesome too. i apologize for the brevity as of late. you usually catch me before i have the chance to write. and it feels strange to reiterate what we've talked about, just to have something to show here. guess that's why the music is so integral. if there's not much going on in life, and i don't wanna bore you with intimate details of how the writing's going, then we can always talk about the music. but this song you know and love too, so ain't much to say other than "don't. give. in . on. me"!




LRV, b

52) Brazil, in time

there's a documentary we really need to see called Brazilintime, which is, as you can guess, about Brazilian music, (tropicalia, beat culture, et al). apparently, Madlib features heavily in it. and this album, Jackson Conti's Sujinho (which we now own on wax, btw), is recorded around the time of the movie. story goes: Madlib and the filmmaker went to Brazil to dig for records and to see if this guy, Ivan Conti, from a group called Azymuth, would be interested in doing some tracks with Madlib (aka: Otis Jackson Jr. hence: Jackson Conti).



i guess what happened is they went into a studio (either in Brazil or perhaps back in LA, i don't remember) and Conti just played for a day straight and they recorded everything. then Madlib took those recordings and made Sujinho, which features mostly 'covers' of Brazilian classics along with new Madlib compositions.

here's the trailer to the movie (unfortunately not available thru Netflix). you'll notice much of the Stones Throw Crew in there; Egon, J-Rocc, Madlib...



hope you're able to get in to see Deerhoof tonite!

LRV, b

50. Madlib Invasion, part 1

hard to believe it's been this long and no Madlib has come up yet. not even during LA week. but fear not, there's plenty to go around and for the next week, nothing but the Beat Konducta for you. first is a favorite from the Yesterday's New Quintet family tree, Early Dawn by percussionist Malik Flavors (aka: Madlib).



i love when the drums finally lock in and the song enters. the restlessness becomes a cascading rhythm, and various synths play loosely around a simple structure. it's a sublime chaos, and i often have a difficult time following it when i put it on a mixtape because it stands out so much. but this is Madlib week, so it shouldn't be too tough to find a successor.

so glad you didn't have to deal with your least favorite patient today. it's like the weekend starts early (but you still have to work)! do you know what your Saturday Adventure is going to be yet? may i suggest something involving animals, a zoo perhaps? maybe find a couple beagles, put on a lab coat, punch 'em in the face? the world is your oyster, and you're its pearl.

LRV, b

49) I Know You Want To

quick shot today, music writing's going well. this came up in a shuffle earlier, and i had a new dawn with it. i dig why it wasn't on Return of the Ankh. that album's slow jammy. this wouldn't've fit. killer track tho, and great video.

shit. i just noticed the video wouldn't load without an advertisement, and it took forever. it was Jump Up In the Air and Stay There from Badu/Li'l Wayne... the Wayne cover article on Rolling Stone right now is a good read, btw.

anyway you can watch it here if you so desire. tomorrow, the Madlib Invasion begins....

LRV, b

48) Sweet & Dandy

not the greatest transfer, but still nice to watch. i honestly think that if a person can't get into Toots & The Maytals then they're made of stone. at least the three classics -Pressure Drop, Sweet & Dandy, Monkey Man- should be in every good-time playlist, everywhere and forever. if it doesn't brighten your spirits instantly, then you're just a miserable sod. i'd wager your resistant patient would explode if you played this music for her. she couldn't handle such an honest and infectious display of joy.



it is you, babygirl. oh yeah....

LRV, b

47) Like This

LRV you like a weird little fish,

b

46) Off to a Great Start

you: you are magnificent. you are gracious and gorgeous. you are. you are ambitious and your accomplishments are already beginning to shape your Future You. congratulations on making your dreams come to life.

we have new neighbors. the handyman came by today to fix a couple things and as i saw him out i met the couple who would be/are moving in upstairs. a very quick hello. a little later on, after arriving back home from running errands, i noticed a congregation of punk rockers on our porch, all of them smoking, and a moving truck. i was caught up in a phone conversation for a while, sitting in the car. i noticed they were fond of your mailbox magnet (the clown, "hey kids, wanna see my butt puppet?). i still haven't gotten nor approached a formal hello.... and now i'm in the office, in headphones for a while... so if they do come a'knockin' then i probably won't notice and they'll probably think i'm a dick. i can hear them laughing right now, actually, on a pause between songs. yawns.

but there is good news. great news, actually. 2011 has been really surprising so far, in terms of music releases. there are three excellent stand-outs already. Deerhoof vs. Evil is one. this group i just found out about Æthenor, featuring a member of my beloved Sunn O))), dropped an album called En Form For Blå, (no idea how to pronounce any of it) which is EPIC drone ambient doom metal experimental meditations. it's fucking awesome. the album art is rad too. check it out

and there's also a new Sonic Youth album, a soundtrack to a movie called Simon Werner au Disparu. it's all instrumental, dark, moody, and it absolutely ROCKS like only the Youth do.



i like that they've released it on their SYR label. both Thurston and Lee have their own indie labels but this one is strictly for the band to release their experimental works. Simon Werner au Disparu is easily the most straight-forward of any of the SYR records so far, but it retains a heavy dose of their exploratory side. rather than simply release only the material that was used as cues in the film, the band returned to the studio to cut and mix all of the elements together, creating an album that's as much sound collage as it is soundtrack as it is instrumental rock. and it works just as well in small doses, like one track at a time rather than It Must Be An Album Experience. the song above is the longest jam on the record, and it's the final track. it's also refreshing to know that this isn't some archival release like it's been on a shelf for a few years (like we waited a while for the last soundtrack they did for SYR, and it sucked). the music was recorded in February 2010 and edited in September. it feels fresh, it really does.

just like your purple t-shirt. FRESH industries!

LRV, b

45) Halfway Home!

according to my calculations (and we all know how good i am at math) somewhere between today and tomorrow is your Halfway Mark! you're on the home stretch! i am incredibly proud of your progress and how well you're taking care of yourself. soon i'll give you the biggest hug and squeeze you've ever gotten. i fully expect to wear my fingers to the bone from all the head scratching, etc....

today's song is the only "half" song i can think of; it's a little somber, but it's real pretty. Jim O'Rourke is one of the most underrated musicians of the 20th and 21 centuries. he's shaped albums for Stereolab, Wilco, Melt-Banana, Sonic Youth; worked with damn near everybody who matters. this comes from Ronnie's favorite JOR record, "Halfway to a Threeway".



but my favorite O'Rourke album is "I'm Happy, and I'm Singing, and a 1 2 3 4" which we have on vinyl, but it's in a frame hanging on the wall over my laptop in the office. it means THAT much to me (kinda like that Broadcast LP which i may never open). don't tell Ikue Mori (whom Jim has worked with through Zorn several times), but it's my fave 'electronica' album of all time, with Mori's "Garden" a close second. here's the second track (the second of three, making it the halfway mark and therefore appropriate) called "And I'm Singing".


(why the photo is a bloody Mel, i have no clue)

here's what it should look like

anyways, congratulations on all the fine work you're doing, and all the great things still to come!

LRV, b

44) and still counting....

part of me wants to stop counting. it's like when you keep looking at the clock at work. time drags unbearably when you're diligently monitoring it.... maybe tomorrow will be different.... anyway,

it's cold outside. the snow/hail/sleet mutation that fell earlier today has the strange, icy and grainy consistency of corn meal. it's like our yard is partially covered in errant scraps of styrofoam packing material. we had somewhat of a mild week, and now we're paying for it. but it could be a lot worse. at least we're not flooded out of our homes, and the birds aren't falling out of the sky (yet).

hope your hike was grooovy. i saw this today and thought you might enjoy it. the description is: The eight hippest hipsters in Silverlake strive to live their art, enlighten the masses and pay the rent.

Hipster Shore - watch more funny videos

heard the club Echoplex mentioned (where Deerhoof will be playing next week!)? you probably ran in to a few of these types recently, hmmm? this little skit feels more like a social commentary than it does comedy. i didn't really laugh at it, but i feel where it's coming from. i'll bet you do too.

so, i'm gonna save Yo La Tengo week for later, (speaking of hipness, they're like gods) closer to their arrival in your area. ok? for tonight, i want to send you this:



LRV, b

43 and nearing the light

(sorta). feeling of few words today. absolutely thrashed from two split doubles in a row, and the veritable Pizza-pocalypse that is MegaSlice. they asked me to work again tomorrow night (would be the third consecutive split double, kind of like the work equivalent of a groin pull: boring, slow store for 6 hours, balls to the wall new store for 6 hours) but i declined and offered my services for Sunday morning, which will be the reverse groin pull. but the money will come in handy. i'll probably leave the MegaSlice paycheck at home, un-cashed, and use it to play catch up when i return. (if i return.) just stopping by the house to change shoes, write to you, and gather a couple supplies. am going to C&E's for drinks and some much-needed unwinding. in honor of them, here's their special tune:



LRV, b

42 ) What's Hipper than Sarcasm? Pbshshsh... Me, Doye!

hey have you heard of this really rad totally new band called The Black Keys that i've discovered just now, way before anyone else has ever heard of them? man, once everybody hears these guys they're gonna be all

Wow Thanks Bill for Hearing About This Crazy Good Music and Telling Us About It Like It's Been Your Precious Little Secret Forever But Now It's Loose and Can't Be Contained So You Might as Well Tell Everybody Who'll Listen That You've Seen Them a Dozen Times and Own Every Tour Shirt and Seven-Inch Single and They're All Stained and Worn Out Because You Love Them So Much But Nobody Else Ever Knew Until Now and We All Can Thank You for Finally Sharing It With Us Even Though You Privately Resent Its New-Found Popularity.

yep. that's gonna happen. people are gonna say that and i'm'a be like You're Welcome, Bitches. soak it in. eat it up. just like y'all eat up the Always Sunny and the Modern Family now. all thanks to meeeeeeeee.

so anyway, this is My Favorite Black Keys song and if anybody else tries to claim it then they suck and i said it first. cuz i'm ground floor with these cats. booyakasha!



hey maybe tomorrow i'll tell y'all about this super underground, ultra-esoteric new duo call HALL & OATES that's gonna own your asses in a hot minute. you heard it here first!!

LRV, b

41 Days and i still haven't clipped my toenails

is that gross? they're not like talons (yet) but they're a little wolfman-y. i can't find the damn clippers anywhere, and i never remember to pick one up when i'm at a pharmacy or the grocery. this would be the perfect occasion for a Nine Inch Nails song, but i don't like them. the soundtrack to "The Social Network" was totally forgettable and i'm convinced he won because the Globes try to be "hip" more than anything. ((and i still can't get over "Black Swan" not winning best picture. "The Social Network" was abysmally loathsome. "Black Swan" had art, it had drama, it had momentum, it had performances you couldn't ignore. "The Social Network" was devoid of charm, populated by assholes and dickwads, acted with all the flare and dynamic as a stale saltine, and the only reason i stayed in the theater is because my brother-in-law bought the tickets. enough ranting.))

anyway, been listening to Group Home quite a bit lately. little did i know, back in the day when i used to constantly bang this Gang Starr tape, that
The Nutcracker, who is my age and only 16 when he cut this track, was in this thing called Group Home. here's that track, which holds probably the only hip-hop reference to Scrooge McDuck, and definitely the only one to rhyme McDuck with "suck my nuts".



ain't that dope? one of DJ Premiere's best beats, imho. so Sirius XM old school rap station plays Group Home every now and again, but they usually play either "Supa Star" or "Livin' Proof". i've downloaded their only (?) record but only kept those two tracks. well today, i heard another. again, the Primo beat is fresh and these two kids just level it. most "youngster" rap is either too safe or too over-ambitious, (Li'l Bow Bow, Shaheim the Rugged Child), and the swagger always feels more tacked-on than real. none of that happens with Group Home, though, apart from the occasional lyrical misfire. but for the most part, these kids are sharp and they made one lean, mean record. enjoy "Suspended in Time".



missed talking with you on your lunch... hopefully we can make it up later.

LRV, b

Forty Days Gone

gotta be quick today. hope your day eased up on you a little. i am cooking and cleaning and about to go do laundry, and bring some soup to our friends. you are wonderful and i miss your face. this song i like very much, but it only exists on YouTube.



LRV, b

39) We Shall Overcome (the rain)

it rained on our parade today. kinda watered it down,too. (pun not intended.) the flyers around the neighborhood stated the parade would start at 11am but by the time your dad and i got there, around 1145, it still hadn't begun. we walked down to Jester's Cafe, got a couple cups of coffee, and posted up out front, under a tree.

wasn't long til we ran in to this guy. (this is his pose for you, btw.) seems like the two days i'm guaranteed to see him are Halloween and MLK Day. like two or three years in a row i've seen him on those days. he says he's doing well, still lives at the Carolina and still doesn't have an email address or a mobile phone. Byron came by, ("Byyyyroooon, my man") begging for food, but nobody gave. Sean then told me a story of how he first met Byron about 20 years ago when they were both "locked up" for a spell. a couple with kids that we know but i always forget their names walked past and i said hello and Sean made some comment about how i know all the white women with babies around here, huh? i'm like how does one constitute them all? starting trouble, as always....
...the reason i bring this up is because then this happened. the conversation was

something like this: "do i know you?i think i know you." "do you go to the theater at all?" "no not really." "ever been locked up?" "Excuse me?" "i think i knew your brother.i probably corrupted his mind." "he lives in South Carolina." "oh yeah, cool"... turns out they did know each other, sorta. eventually, he wound up in the parade. somebody he knew was walking, he went out to say hey, and just kinda kept going....

there weren't any steppers this year. none. a couple of marching bands braved the rain (which was fairly lite) and chilly breeze, but no dancers at all. and none of the ATVs or bikers did any tricks. your dad noticed a group of horses getting riled up from the noise of being directly behind the constantly revving ATVs. i imagined the exhaust fumes weren't any picnic either.

i had some video of a junior high marching band routine but our phones take video in a weird format so i can't watch or upload it. they were the best act of the parade, though. and i noticed a lot more passing-candy-out this year than the usual hurl-it-at-the-crowd. (still plenty hurling though.) kids were still clamoring to pick the candy out of the puddles by the sidewalks, but it was more like first-go-first-grab and the rest of the kids wait for another round. cold, wet candy? that's alright, you go ahead.

hey... remember this? i'm pretty sure this is 2005. you took this for your photo class. i love the smeared wheels.

what about this, maybe 2007 or 8.

your dad and i have been to like 4 or 5 of these consecutively, and we missed you. remember one year you danced with the Church's Chicken, and another year Wynter met us there? Sean made a remark like "damn, makin your woman work on Martin Luther King Day. that's cold." then i told him where you were and what you were doing and he was really impressed. "all right, Kashka! movin up that ladder!" and the couple who i can't name asked where you were too, and wish you luck.

hope your MLK Day is treating you right. as requested:



LRV, b

38) Trish Keenan, In Memoriam

Trish Keenan - vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, of Broadcast, 1968-2011.




at a loss today. it wouldn't do justice to recount our night in Chapel Hill, seeing Broadcast, (Oct 16, 2009, to be exact) because the meat of that story is the chaos we created after the show. i will say, though, that their set was incredible and couldn't have come at a more vital time. they were experimenting with a new sound, and a new approach to live music. their album Broadcast and the Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults of the Radio Age was, by far, my favorite album of 2009 and it meant the world to me to see that pathos in action. and they were such sweet, approachable people, Trish and Jim. we talked their ears off and got shmammered; kept being threatened by security... don't smoke inside, don't drink outside.... i really appreciated their candor and tolerance of us. the book that Trish recommended to you, The Easy Way to Quit Smoking sits prominently, still, on our bookcase. we should probably read it. i remember her getting a little giggly when saying "fag" to mean "cigarette", having briefly forgotten the American connotation. you and she talked for a while, huh?! TR and i were all gear and tech talk with Jim, but you and Trish were all smiles and laughter. what a great night.




this video below is a similar set to what we saw. i don't recall if it's the same film (although i remember it was by Julian House, who runs the Ghost Box label, and did a lot of album covers for Broadcast and Stereolab) and this music seems a little more harsh and droney than what we experienced. what we heard was a lot closer to the music above than this. but it's here because it's the closest we can get to reliving that experience, visually.




there have been musicians that i admire who've passed during my lifetime. somehow losing Ms. Keenan cuts deeper than, say, Dimebag Darrell. sure i loved Pantera (still do in many ways) and the way Dime was taken from us still is haunting. yet Broadcast was really on the cusp of something new and wonderful. and now the only glimpses into what their future may have sounded like will carry the unfortunately bittersweet weight of posthumous-ness.

gorillavsbear.net has posted a mixtape given by Trish to a friend of hers, shortly before Broadcast embarked on what would be its final tour. i am currently downloading and haven't heard it yet, but with a title like Trish's Mind Bending Motorway Mix, it's gotta be good. you can download it here (link will take you to Rapidshare, choose the slower, free, download option.

miss you, babygirl. wish i could sing "what i saw" with you. soon soon...

LRV, b

37) Space is the Place

how was the planetarium? were you singing this in your galaxy? (i would be!)


(yes the video is incredibly cheesy but it was the best version of the song i could find.)

love the idea of your Saturday Morning Date with yourself, to discover things about the city you're in. the planetarium, the pier... sounds like a lot of fun! got anything special in mind for Our Saturday??

LRV, b

3600 Miles Away, Right Next to You

i got to thinking today. (weird, right?) this 'long-distance' relationship thing isn't so bad. geographically, we're on opposite sides of the country but i still feel as close to you as i can be without physically standing next to you. people always whine that long distance relationships "never work" or are "doomed", probably because they have trust issues. they either don't trust their partner or they don't trust themselves to stay virtuous during the separate times. in those situations, distance is just the scapegoat. but i say Balls to all that. even if i wasn't keeping vigil with this blogozine i'd be finding other ways to keep you in the forefront of my thoughts and daily loves.

life is pretty mundane right now and it hasn't been easy to stay inspired and to maintain health and wellness without someone to be inspired by, and to keep well, every day. you have no idea how vital you are to my art and creativity, though i know you feel as if it separates us from time to time. these have been long, dark wintry days for sure. yet i keep fires burning for you. sometimes i miss you so much i just wanna burn half of downtown to the ground, 'cuz it might provide a fraction of the warmth i feel from being the person you love.

maybe what makes this time apart easier to digest is that we know there's an end. at some point, we will reunite (and not just for a quick visit). this isn't a permanent thing. it's not like you're off to war. it's only a few more weeks. i can't wait to have you back. LA's been too lucky for too long, having you.

so to further lament about life being drab right now, a lovely drab number about a life not so exciting, by a woman who could barely sing.

LRV, b

35 Is He

that is, until Feb 1st, when Big Boi turns 36.

nothing too new to report. totally regular day. nothing out of the ordinary or particularly interesting about it. my work pants tore when i got caught on a cooler door handle. ripped right over the right pocket. oh well. guess i'll just have to start wearing those other black jeans that you hate. now i'm down to two pairs of not-work pants, and one pair work pants. still, i may keep the torn ones around and try to get to one of our seamstress friends sometime soon.

Tickets for Big Boi/Cee-Lo go on sale on Saturday, Jan 15, at 10am. this is the link.

make sure you're on that like stink on a pig. better yet, like pretty on your whole self. mm-hmm. here's a little motivation:



now i don't feel so bad about not going to Moogfest. we was gonna get another chance! hello, please!


LRV, b

34 What's Going on in L.A.?

for your next music run you asked me for bands that are playing in your area sometime soon. well, holy shit. how about this...

the Melvins are playing every Friday night in January at Club Spaceland.

yes, this is more my fare than yours, but i urge you to check it out... for me. they are awesome live, and if you stay away from the pit you should have a blast. this coming Friday they're doing the entire Houdini record, and in two weeks they're doing Stoner Witch. i would be there every week, if i could.





as of right now, Club Spaceland has no February listing other than their Friday night house band, which will be Har Mar Superstar. meh.

my next recommendation is Deerhoof @ the Echo, Sat. Jan 29

this should be a lot of fun, too. they are incredibly elastic and prolific. we really only know one record, and i would imagine you'd be lucky to hear much from it, but their latest album Deerhoof vs. Evil comes out this month, i think. from the couple songs i've heard, it's pretty freakin good. here, try one!



this is really all i could find, except for that one which i just texteded you about! wanna go?

LRV, b