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!

Beverly Hills, 90210

Much to my flatmate's dismay, I have discovered the SOAP Network. I only watch old episodes of Beverly Hills, 90210 on it. And only if it's good... (which means I deleted "Walsh Family Christmas" before even pressing play.) To my delight my DVR (Digital Video Recorder, or TiVo if you will) happened to tape my favorite episode of Beverly Hills, 90210 -

Plot Summary for "Beverly Hills, 90210" My Desperate Valentine (1991)
Emily refuses to accept the fact that Brandon no longer wants to see her. She slashes her own tires and pretends that her parents are out of town so that Brandon will invite her to stay over. She sneaks into his bedroom and tries to seduce him. After he makes it clear that he is not interested, she begins to make crank phone calls. Andrea discovers that Emily is the person who has been sending menacing letters to the school paper. Emily shows up at Brandon's house and douses the gang's homecoming float with gasoline. Brenda and Dylan find her sitting on the float with a lighter, but Brenda is able to calm her. Emily agrees to seek help. Brenda and Dylan attend cultural events because she fears they spend too much time making out. [Source]

- It's been so long since I've seen this episode that I was convinced that the ended up torching the float... but she chickened out, dumb biatch! Man, for the most fatal attraction type episode they were going to have - they could have taken it up a notch. I still remain that 90210 was really good before Shannen Doherty's character, Brenda Walsh, left. Of course I relate to her - she was the only brunette, her eyes were crooked and no one really liked her, duh! I can't believe they tried to get Tiffani Amber Theissen to replace her bitchiness! I also feel the same way about Charmed - can't believe they tried to get Rose McGowan to replace her bitchiness witchiness! I mean, what are we left with these days? Desperate Housewives? Dude I'm not 45 and live in the suburbs. Degrassi Jr. High? I didn't like Jr. High when I was in it - I don't want to watch it on TV. Seventh Heaven? Ungh, forget it! And what are we going to do now that Aaron Spelling is deceased? Anyone picking up what I'm putting down?
You know that I first remember the whole blazer + t-shirt + jeans hipster/indie thing happening and getting popularized on 90210? It hasn't gone away since.
Just thank god that some of the fashion from other shows hasn't stuck. Yish!

In the spirit of things, I took this Quizilla test:

Which Original 90210 Character Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Told you I could relate to Brenda! Remember when Shannen got into a fight with Paris Hilton? And Tara Reid (twice)? You know who I'm siding with! Anyway, I think my TV watching is regressing because I've also been watching a lot of "The N" for... oh I'll save that for next time! Toodles!

What was on those 90210 soundtracks?
Beverly Hills 90210: The Soundtrack
Beverly Hills 90210: The College Years
Beverly Hills 90210: Songs From The Peach Pit

Scissor Sisters' "Don't Feel Like Dancing" vs. Leif Garrett's "I Was Made For Dancing"

We were at The Roosevelt Hotel last Saturday night to hang with our friend Liza who has come to visit us from the desert land called Mesa, AZ. We all ended up by the pool (you know how I roll) and this guy who was making tasteless jokes, giving us candy, buying us drinks turned out to be none other than 70s pin up boy Leif Garrett. [Pictured at left with my flatmate - to compare the hair to the hat color at Leif's behest.] I didn't know who he was until I was stumbling away from the hotel hanging onto J.Wo laughing out loud, and after Tasha asked us how it was having Leif Garrett buy us drinks, screaming, "Leif Garrett?! Hahahahaha! THAT was Leif Garrett?!" then turning and asking "Who the fuck is Leif Garrett?"
He's none other than #46 on The 100 Most Unsexiest Men in the World! That's who... I guess to someone out there, (J.Wo's Aunt perhaps?) it's the equivalent of having a drunken night of picture taking and bad puns with W. Axl Rose?

Pictures here:
J.Wo w/ Johnny Depp's star
before: J.Wo & Leif
after: J.Wo laughing her ass off, part 4
Tasha & Jeff
Tasha, Jeff & me courtesy of the poison haze of alcohol

Upon leaving The Roosevelt, I spent the rest of the night and morning barfing - party girl style, of course. Glamourous! Either way, certain persons of the entourage found it neccessary to find out what Mr. Garrett was famous for. Was his 1978 hit inspiration for Scissor Sister's 2006 single? Judge for yourself:

[mp3]Leif Garrett - I Was Made For Dancing[/mp3]
[mp3]Scissor Sisters - Don't Feel Like Dancing[/mp3]

*Downloads only available to first 100 people.