good gracious, asses (bodacious)

1. listening assignments [7.3]

boy kill boy - suzie - i really feel like a sellout for just about every reason i can think of. from the name (rock kills kid, anyone?) to the genre (trendy hipswaying dancerock) to the fact that it was a featured download on iTunes last week. that being said, the melody completely owns, the singer intentionally rolls an "r" at the beginning of verse two (amazing!), and they opened for echo and the bunnymen in norfolk last week. they deserve some cred for that.

the constantines - soon enough - this toe-tapping ditty was pilfered from the free mp3's on SubPop records' website. organs swirl, tremoloed guitars, semi-raspy indie rock vox.

the velvet teen - a captive audience - this one took me a few listens, but it's a song i listen to on repeat some days. beautiful instrumentation, vocals are a little beck-like, a little elvis costello-ish. chords...strings...they brings...melody.

the fire theft - it's over - one of my favorite bands. make another record, damn you. nate mendel's (foo fighters) bass line is the sex. jeremy enigk is an indie legend. every few months, this becomes my favorite album again.

songs are links.
links are chain.

2. angeles

i'm finally teaching myself how to use garageband on my new mac. behold the fruits of my labor. i lack the patience to sit down and record an entire new song track by track, but i obviously enjoy sitting down and recording live takes of cover songs, don't i? elliott smith is a name you probably know and love, but if you don't, all i have to say is that it took me way, way, way too long to really give it a listen (because i thought it was emotional bleeding heart crying depressing sad bastard acoustic crap...shows you the power of a first impression) and then it was too late. i really wish i could have been the fan i am now while he was still alive. fascinating and inspiring. capable of immense joy and profound statements on life. multi-instrumentalist, composer, writer. this is one of my favorites...

[angeles]

3. lovedrug july 8th

yes, i keep saying it because i love this band, i'm giddy that we're opening, and our good friends the rebel yell will be making a triumphant comeback at this show. 6pm the peppermint beach club on atlantic ave in virginia beach. [directions]. we're bringing back a very old pre-editorial we song and looking forward to rocking the rock out of the whole rockness of it all.

4.