Taken from XLR8R Magazine

Busted on XLR8R.com's best of 2006 list, talking about the worst... now how's that happen?

In other unrelated news, here's Evan Dando doing a cover of Oasis' "Live Forever"
[mp3] Evan Dando - Live Forever [/mp3]
*File available for 100 downloads only

Askeleton's "Work"

My dear friend Knol Tate has always been on top of his game as far as music theory and concepts. However, the real magic happens when he puts those ideas in to sound. Much like his previous band The Hidden Chord called back to Television, lots of Askeleton's work is reminiscent of that of Brian Eno's. Now, Knol if you're reading that I know you love Eno and don't let it go to your head. I'm not saying Askeleton traces that of sonics past - but it's perhaps an echo of childhood influences and latent compulsions mixed with admiration and longing to achieve those songs we all love from back when.
Maybe I started wrong or stopped too soon with simply the music references, because Knol is also quite an artist. He has a hand in doing much of the work that goes into his releases, from conception to recording, artwork including graphic and web design. The visual work can now be referred to as Banksy-esque, nevermind that Knol was doing this shit before beloved Banksy painted an elephant pink and caused a media circus complete with celebrities. Perhaps Askeleton AND Knol's visual art would be more popular if the Twin Cities (MN, where Knol lives) was a hotspot for vacationers but being that it's not just cold but freezing 6+ months out of the year, you probably know why traffic doesn't cruise through there too often. I should know, I actually lived survived three years there.
Anyway in this day and age nothing should stop us from finding out about great music and art in all corners of the world. So here you are... enjoy some Askeleton.

[mp3]Askeleton's "Work"[/mp3]
[mp3]Askeleton's "Pretty Thing"[/mp3]

Askeleton.net
Askeleton on MySpace

The Telescopes' "Celeste"

Yes but no but yeah but no but... I know it can be rather narcissistic to post this but it is a great song apart from its unfortunate name... And dude - how many songs are even named "Celeste" that isn't from Aida the Opera or Donovan's song that has no mention of the title whatsoever. (Donovan wrote the song in 1966, had a daughter named Astrella Celeste in 1979, and the man himself shares my birth date - his in 1946.)
[Insert Twilight Zone Theme song here.]
Oh yes, about this brilliant song... Here's a great post by The White Noise Revisited about this song/band.

Anyway today some light narcissism is rather appropriate because I just might have lost my myspace.com profile. It was hacked earlier, I noticed because of a "NEW PICS POSTED!!" bulletin that was posted by me - only I didn't post it. So I changed my password, and my email - but I might've been too late because now it does not recognize my logins - old or new. Either way, it hasn't changed aesthetically so maybe I wasn't fully hacked (?) or maybe they're twiddling their thumbs and waiting to get me when it hurts. It might be a good thing: Losing a platform for that sort of addictive, time-wasting, vanity-type deal.



[mp3] Telescopes - Celeste [/mp3]
[Lyrics]
Thanks to Danny James for finding this track for me. The Celeste EP by Telescopes is hard to come by...
*mp3 only available for first 100 downloads.

A not-too-helpful Telescopes website
Telescopes on MySpace

By the way I'm giving Dr. Dro a run for his money.
Oh, and happy new year!

First off, I must say hello to one and all. I know that the big C does most of the blogging on this little forum, but I felt it was time that one of us other "contributors" do just that. Since there's been no word what our gracious host was up to last night I thought I might chime in. Now everyone knows to do New Year's right you need to stay the hell away from bars and such unless you are dying to see one of the Hilton sisters, but that didn't stop Spaceland from booking the mighty Chavez and special guest Baby Dee. To say the club was empty early on would be an understatement. By the time Baby Dee, who should be your new favorite transvestite singer, took the stage it seemed that no one was going to enjoy the night festivities, but as Baby Dee charmed us all with her excellent accordion and harp skills the club filled nicely. Baby Dee was excellent in an almost indescribable way. Picture Antony with a vicious sense of humor and a really bad whig. As she finished her set with an encore including her fascination with mormon underwear most of the crowd was singing along.
After Baby Dee Solid Todd of Sea Level Records, which is where you should by your long playing albums if you are at all near the Echo Park area, spun a few records that primed the audience for what was too come. Many were delighted that Todd clearly was enjoying the new Jarvis Cocker singer "Running the World", which with full discretion I pointed out to him was on a bonus seven inch that he didn't know was in the record jacket's other sleeve.
Near 11:45 Chavez took the stage. Many were concerned that they may forget about the countdown, but since this was Chavez's first LA performance in about 10 years that fact was pushed to the side. As a rule reunion shows are terrible. The thing that made the group so special has usually been extinguished by years of side projects, appalling drug use, or the dreaded beer belly. Luckily for all, in the world of asterisks on batting championships and track meet records Chavez never officially brook up. They just took a break. Now they might not have been recording their Chinese Democracy this whole time, but I hate reunion shows and you should too. Yes, I went to Kiss at the forum for the first re-make up shows. And it was funny for the first ten minutes, but you know after that it sucked. The Slint reunion was pretty dynamic, but it still felt off. This night was entirely different. They ripped through almost all of the hits. Hits being the songs you have no idea what they're called, but by the time your automatic air drumming or guitar skills kicked in you were transported back to the days when you were in your mom's mini van perfecting your appreciation of boon's wine or how to clear the bong. With all that being said, they did the count down, most drank champagne, they continued on and gave one of the best performances I have ever seen in my life. And I am not over stating. If Chavez never took a knee to pursue other projects they would be headlining your local enor-mo-dome by now.

Happy New Year from Regina Spektor.

Bon 2007!