meltingdolls' Journals on Buzznet http://meltingdolls.buzznet.com/user/journal/ en-us <![CDATA[Music that spoke to me]]> http://meltingdolls.buzznet.com/user/journal/23664/


MUSIC THAT SPOKE TO ME:
today's band
KARATE




In high school, I had a cool college boyfriend who lead me blindly and with fervor into the world of beautiful music.  This was all back in the day of "AOL is the way to the internet" and right before Napster took it's ass kicking, mind altering place in the stage of my life, so getting exposure to solid bands was often a gamble. 

I spent a lot of time just letting amazon.com make recommendations, which is what happens when you work at a crap local steak house for $90 a night and don't have any bills to pay. I can thank them for telling me I'd like Built to Spill because I liked Low and Rainer Maria (newest album: crummy, by the way).

When you're young, you find music that happens to you like no other music after that can.  You go from thinking that the radio is a resource to seeing this entire underworld of mysterious songs and shows and people, and it's all amazing, and it's been there all along.  I went from listening to songs I liked to albums I loved. 




Karate was one of those first bands I drove around listening to, and I found their album in a stack today and listened to it again.  It doesn't grab me because it's emo now, but it does grab me depite the fact that it is.  Geoff Farina stole my heart in high school, and now he can steal yours.

Hold on to your navy blue hoodies.

From Karate- Karate

Mp3: Karate- Every Sister
Mp3: Karate- ---
Mp3: Karate- Bodies
]]> bands bunny mcintosh emo geoff farina indie karate music music that spoke to me the secret stars Buzznet meltingdolls 2006-05-21T08:50:00Z <![CDATA[The Streets]]> http://meltingdolls.buzznet.com/user/journal/23498/
The Streets have recently released some Mike Skinner director-style commentary on songs from his latest album The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living. I'm particularly fond of everything he does because he's so damn honest about himself.  Below is the commentary, but where would you be without the song? Ok, that's down there too. I also added another track (When You Wasn't Famous) for you to listen to in case you aren't fond of that track-- I like it, but I also realize that maybe having backing vocals that sound like they're straight off a RENT soundtrack isn't for everyone.

Download: Commentary- All Goes Out the Window
Mp3: The Streets- All Goes Out the Window
Mp3: The Streets- When You Wasn't Famous


Watch the naughty language if you're at work, though.
]]> Buzznet meltingdolls 2006-05-20T08:35:00Z <![CDATA[AND NOW FOR SOME INTERNATIONAL MUSIC]]> http://meltingdolls.buzznet.com/user/journal/23213/





I know if I ever shot a music video, it would be of me as four different people in similar outfits nodding smugly to my own lyrics. Righteous.]]> dance fireballs hip hop india indian punjabi quadruplets video Buzznet meltingdolls 2006-05-18T14:26:00Z <![CDATA[I AM EXPLODING WITH LOVE FOR THE CANDY BARS]]> http://meltingdolls.buzznet.com/user/journal/22911/

If you hear voices in your head really early in the morning, one of them probably sounds exactly like the lead singer of the Candy Bars. There's a sinister whispering ghost voice gasping for air and muttering phrases like "on cutting ti-gers in half and understanding narravation" that might happen every Tuesday at 4 a.m. in psychiatric wards across America.

But don't be afraid: their album is stunning in a way that I can't express, even if Daniel Martinez's dark voice reminds me of a little old lady dying in a nightmare. "Landscape" opens their album like a Wes Anderson movie intro, with a quirky harpsichord melody played over a plucked classical guitar. Martinez's vocals don't allow the kind of relaxation the song suggests; as romantic as it is in all the senses of the word, there are layers of sheer weirdness in how grim Martinez's heavy-metal vocal tone sounds. The band shows moments reminiscent of Sparklehorse at Mark Linkous' craziest, and of The Rachels at the instrumentalists' most subdued. "Violets" is recorded with the vocals more forward in the mix, giving On Cutting Ti-Gers in Half and Understanding Narravation a subtle dynamic.

And no... I don't know what's with the title, either. I would, however, be interested in the dicey ins and outs of cutting a tiger in half, if only it weren't 1) cruel and 2) illegal.  Although, were I in a jam I'd seriously consider it.

The members of this trio pound out some of the most lush, harmonious instrumentation, and it's almost too hard to break down and listen to one instrument at any time, which means I'm obsessed with this band. OBSESSED I TELL YOU. They create an incredible chamber music bulge - they jump from little picking guitars to huge swells of sounds. There are faint, sliding instruments that sound organic for one second and electronic the next. The instrumentation waxes and wanes so fast and with such complexity it's difficult to absorb it all. They command their songs and let them throb and develop, all while maintaining focused and clever pop melodies. 

There are points when Martinez's phrasing works a little too much as instrumentation and gets a bit lost, but On Cutting Ti-Gers in Half and Understanding Narravation is still one of the most well-produced, remarkable albums I've heard recently. But you don't have to take my word for it...

Mp3: Candy Bars- Landscape
Mp3: Candy Bars- Violets
Mp3: Candy Bars- Enough to Choke a Cold Air



]]> bands candy bars daniel martinez indie rock music on cutting ti-gers in half and understanding narravation pop tampa Buzznet meltingdolls 2006-05-17T09:10:00Z <![CDATA[Dangerous Questions- Casiotone for the Painfully Alone]]> http://meltingdolls.buzznet.com/user/journal/22298/ Happy Saturday, America. It's beautiful out in Athens, and yet I'm inside on the computer uploading music like mad.

I do it for you, my darlings, because I care.

I've come to bring you: another interview from the 13 Dangerous Questions I sent out.  I talked to Owen Ashworth, the clever  do-it-all-yourself front man from the band Casiotone For The Painfully Alone.  The name says it all, but here is some music for your longing ears.

Mp3: Casiotone for the Painfully Alone- New Year's Kiss


And now! The interview:

Who is your band and where did you come from?  

Casiotone for the Painfully Alone.  I come from San Francisco but I live in Chicago.

If a thousand house cats attacked you at once, do you think you could defend yourself from them?  

 Fuck yes.  I am practically Dr Doolittle with the conflict management.

What kind of soap do you use?  

I tried to make some cardamom oatmeal soap but I did it wrong and it turned out to be highly dangerous to touch.  Now I use lavender stuff.

What makes you self-conscious?  

Wild-ass teenagers on public transportation.

Where are you?

 I am in Berlin, in the office of a record store.  I just bought a Konono No. 1 CD and one of those instant tranquility transistor radio looking things.  Last night I played in Hamburg with Yound People and it was wikkid.

What kinds of impressive music geek equipment do you use?  

 I flew to Europe with two mixers, three delay units, a sampler, and a mess of keyboards.  The most impressive music geek equipment I own is my brain.

What's a question that you wished you'd get asked more in interviews?  

"'Roberta C.' is the saddest song I've ever heard.  I cry and cry every time I listen to it.  Is it a true story?  Is it about suicide?  Is that an Otis Redding or a Toots & The Maytals quote at the end?  Is the name of the song some sort of Roberto Clemente reference?"

Answer it then.  

 "None of your business"

Why do you play music? 

Because I have great ideas all day long.  And because film is too expensive.
]]> bands casio casiotone for the painfully alone chicago etiquette four track indie keyboards music san fransisco Buzznet meltingdolls 2006-05-13T11:18:00Z <![CDATA[News that isn't news...]]> http://meltingdolls.buzznet.com/user/journal/22313/

The question that everyone is asking is this:  "DID ASHLEY SIMPSON GET A NOSE JOB?"

Her reply was “Maybe. Who knows!” Yes totally! Who knows if you endured horribly painful surgery where they broke your nose in 46 different places and your face swelled up like the Michelin Man for two weeks? Hard to say!  I can't remember! Hey, didn't I used to look like a falcon?




Nose job? Who cares? DOES NO ONE NOTICE THAT ASHLEY SIMPON APPARENTLY USED TO BE A SPANISH WOMAN?

In other plastic surgery news...

 

To Wong Foo, thanks for everything...

]]> ashley simpson christina agulera dancing lip synch music plastic surgery pop Buzznet meltingdolls 2006-05-12T13:45:00Z <![CDATA[Dangerous Questions-- Snowglobe Interview]]> http://meltingdolls.buzznet.com/user/journal/22188/

Last week I decided to send a slew of questions to a slew of bands to see what kind of Magnum PI style insights I could drag out of people.

I sent 13 Dangerous Questions out to each band.  Brad Postlethwaite
from Snowglobe responded with the same kind of endearing candor that his driving, darling pop songs offer.  But first: some music.


Mp3: Snowglobe- At Times A Nightmare


9. What's a question that you wished you'd get asked more in interviews?

I haven't done too many interviews, and I think I always come across as sounding pompous when I try to be serious. I like reading about people's philosophies on things. Maybe a question about that. “What's important to you?” or something like that.

9 ½. Answer it then.

Terrible. Maybe the philosophy thing wasn't such a good idea. now I'm definitely going to sound pompous. Bear with me while I take my self too seriously and blabber for a bit.
Music is important to me, but not most of the stuff that goes along with it. The connection between artist and audience is a special thing, and it's incredible to create something (a record) and watch how people respond to it. The marketing industry is kind of weird, though. It's like this invisible thing that everyone pretends doesn't exist. People wonder why so much crap makes it into the mainstream...it's because (in the mainstream and popular indie world) marketing and image is more important than the music. And everyone's doing it, so it's the standard. You have to approach it from a marketing minded perspective, or you lose to the other 10,000 artists who are keeping up with the latest trends better than you are. Artists spend years paying for radio/publicity, touring, mailing out glossy photos, rubbing shoulders, and schmoozing with important people, all in order to portray a larger than life image of themselves, which they hope catches on. And if/when it does, the artist(s) act like it all just happened of its own accord because they're that good. Ridiculous. Of course it all seem so magical, if you ignore the marketing work that goes behind it.  I guess that's the point though. I don't know, I just like the music and would rather not think about all of the other crap. The best records seem to happen when you're not thinking about what style you are, or what you need to look/sound like, etc. Whew! sorry about that.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Their album "Oxytocin" will be released on July 18th. ]]> indie memphis oxytocin pop snowglobe Buzznet meltingdolls 2006-05-12T12:13:00Z <![CDATA[J something something something Dimenna the Third]]> http://meltingdolls.buzznet.com/user/journal/21919/
It gets dicey when one of the most sincere, interesting people you've ever met happens to be a musician and you happen to write about music. 

Generally I avoid writing about people I'm friends with like the black bloody lung- hacking plague, but alas, I'm doing it now on behalf of the lovely J Dimenna.
It's not because he's an adorable creature with a group of hilarious bandmates, but because his album doesn't need excusing, nor can my little words sum up how beautiful his songs are. 

In any case, they're on tour right now, and you'd be wise to find him in your town.  His album Awkward Buildings was recently released, and his songs are quiet landscapes that have been crafted by someone most comfortable making music. 

Mp3: J Dimenna- To Meet You

And here is a tour schedule:

 
May 10 2006 8:00P
Lenny's Bar Atlanta, GA
May 11 2006 8:00P
Georgia Theater Athens, GA
May 18 2006 8:00P
Willamantic Street Festival Willamantic, CT
May 19 2006 8:00P
The Nest Bridgeport, CT
May 25 2006 8:00P
SUB ROSA - Cousin Larry's Danbury, CT
May 31 2006 9:30P
Jezebel Songwriter Showcase - Laila Lounge Brooklyn, NY
Jul 9 2006 9:30P
Westville Pub Asheville, NC
Aug 12 2006 2:00P
BRIDGEPORT ABOVE GROUND BRIDGEPORT, CT
]]> ashville awkward buildings bands brooklyn indie rock j dimenna ny Buzznet meltingdolls 2006-05-10T18:53:00Z <![CDATA[Think About Life- it's emotional distress time!]]> http://meltingdolls.buzznet.com/user/journal/21348/
Think About Life are promoted to “have been causing panic on dance floors and concert halls alike,” which when I first read, made me want to vomit on the dance floor because of the grandiosity of that statement: I thought panic was reserved for extreme emotional stress, like when someone kidnaps your baby or kicks over a scale model of the U.S.S. Nashville that you‘ve been working on since 1987.  Once listening to the record and feeling on the verge of an anxiety attack while doing so, I understand how, if I were in a dimly lit room in the middle of the night with a bunch of crazey-eyed youths, I might feel legitimate panic because of their experimental dance album.

But not necessarily in a bad way.

 Think About Life brings out the FUN side of your stress related mental disorders and handicaps by giving you  quick, choppy rhythms and shaken up, forceful vocals.
Their debut self titled album opens with “Paul Cries,” which is a barely-listenable semi melodic throb of a looped keyboard that’s under the heavy influence of distortion.  The drums machines come in and then the shouting and similarly distorted shout singing of Martin Cesar (the man behind Dishwasher and formerly Donkey Heart).   “Bastian and the Boar” continues with a slam of danceable noise that contains so many rhythmic elements that it fails to keep up with it’s own time.   They slow their tempo and moan and scream to “Money,” but their inclinations to more faster faster take over-- it becomes more melodic (and kind of beautiful), if a little tedious. 


Think About Life is like watching a kindergartener go for broke while trying to dance. They didn’t make this album to entertain anyone but themselves, but there is something magical and unpretentious abut the kind of insane energy they collectively dump onto these tracks. They play and layer without reservation, and, while it’s almost tough to manage, it’s worth trying grasp, and it’s defiantly worth dancing to.   Their work seems like an inside joke, but it might be one you want to get in on.

Also-- their album art is really great. It has kind of a Paperrad feel.
]]> Buzznet meltingdolls 2006-05-07T11:11:02Z <![CDATA[It's time for the song of the week]]> http://meltingdolls.buzznet.com/user/journal/21315/ I get obsessed with little moments.

Sometimes they can be musical pieces from any point in history, which might explain why last year at this time I was BLASTING "Mr. Blue Sky" by ELO out of every rolled down car door window I drove in.

Today I am obsessed "The Cat's Pajamas."  The song is written by former Belle & Sebastian lady Isobel Campbell in 2003, but it gets me.  There's something menacing about how adorable the song is. It's the musical equivalent of being drugged up in a mental hospital, but with really pretty nurses...

 Isobel Campbell- The Cat's Pajamas.]]> belle and sebastian indie isobel campbell mp3 music the cat's pajamas Buzznet meltingdolls 2006-05-07T09:37:00Z