On Stereolab / Once again, again with the interviews
typed for your pleasure on 9 March 2006, at 11.47 pmSdtrk: ‘Vodiak’ by Stereolab
So I was out and about today, and I had no idea that Stereolab had a new release out! That shit slipped beneath my radar, completely and utterly.
I love that title
Apparently, it’s not really a new full-length, it’s a compilation of recent singles. So far, I’ve only listened to half of it, and it almost pains me to say it, but… Stereolab just doesn’t stimulate me as much as they used to. In fact, their previous release, Margerine eclipse, remains rather unmemorable to me as well, as it just didn’t have a lot of stand-out tracks. I completely dug the EP that came right before it, Instant 0 in the universe, but ever since the Dots and loops era, where they’d begin a song, get halfway through it, and then completely switch melodies, they’ve been inching down a preference slope for me. Not to say that that’s what I don’t like — New order used to do that all the time, which was one of the qualities that drew me to them — but I’d say it’s something else…
Personally, I think the reason for the dew being off the lily these days is due to their lack of Farfisa-centred Motorik-based songs. Compare Mars audiac quintet to Cobra and phases group… and it’s almost like two different bands. Yes, I realise that if you’re running a band for fifteen (!!) years, your sound is obviously going to change, but for a person like me who swears by consistency, it’s a wee bit unsettling. For instance, the only albums by The Jesus and Mary chain that I own are Psycho candy, Barbed wire kisses, and Honey’s dead, and that’s cos they all pretty much sound alike. Hell, I was disconcerted when Broadcast started relying less on samples on everything post-Work and non work.
This is why whenever a band I like breaks up or otherwise quits, there’s the initial heartbreak, but eventually I’m okay with their decision, cos oftentimes it crystallises them forever at their peak (i.e, Joy division, the Smiths), as opposed to flogging their particular horse into mucilage (i.e post-Technique New order, post-NATO Laibach).
They’re in town this Sunday, and I have to say that I’m altogether not too gung-ho on seeing them. Plus it’s on a Sunday eve. I hate it when bands do that. I have to work the next morning, you know. Goddamned rock stars.
I’ll still buy Stereolab’s releases, but it’s just not the same anymore, as I’ll keep hoping for them to do a 180, and make another Transient random noise-bursts. Even if it’s only temporary, I’ll be a happy lad..
Looks like another passel of interviews about being an iDollator is nigh! Are nigh! Whatever. That troublemakin’ lass Elena Dorfman wrote me from out of the blue today, saying that someone from Details magazine would have words with me concerning the Missus, which was really a surprise, as I haven’t seen an issue of Details on the racks since the mid-Nineties. Also, there’s some bloke from a Finnish youth and culture magazine called Image hoping for an article as well. The Finnish mag I have no problem with, but I’ll have to be cautious with the Details fellow, as that’s, y’know, published in the States. Obviously, I don’t want a repeat of the Pandagon colostomy bag explosion, or worse. I’ll keep you posted…
Gods, can’t these people wait until Sidore-chan’s site is back up (still pending)?
As an aside, I simply must share with you a line from Elena’s Email that struck me: ‘It’s a marvelous day here in the Bay Area; lots of sunshine and big, fluffy clouds. Makes a girl feel like jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge. Know what I mean?’
Ha! Feckin’ brilliant
Random similar posts, for more timewasting:
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March 10th, 2006 at 6.45 am
“Makes a girl feel like jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge”
Ha!
March 10th, 2006 at 7.55 am
Amazing, no? Very J.D Salinger. 🙂
March 11th, 2006 at 6.43 am
Glad to hear from Elena again! Er, I mean, you heard from her ;-P
Actually, you can add another… I have been in touch with a fellow named Yiannis, based in the U.K., who is putting together a photo-journalist maggie-thingy, and is doing an articule about siliconies. I emailed him and he expressed interest, especially in my comment about Lily being a “sanity-saver”
Uh-oh… :-O
But wait! There’s more! As a kind of test, iIpointed him toward the Lily pics on TDF and asked him to pick some for his “vision” and was pleased to see that he picked all natural light, “G-Rated” ones, so am suspecting he is legit, and sincere.
Then I wrote him an essay on the “sanity-saving” comment along with views about “normal folk” vis-a-vis iDollators, which he expressed interest in also, and he asked for a 700 page excerpt from Lily’s book as well!
Sooo… I sent him the whole 7,000 page first chapter, which he tunred over to his editor, and they are now hard at work putting things together:-D
I’ll keep you posted 😉
‘Bout time I said Hi to Elena as well 🙂
Take care you all 😉
PBS & Lily
March 11th, 2006 at 9.32 am
PBS & Lily –
Ah, fantastic! Looks like the Media Pendulum has swung round again for both of us!
I’ll have to ICQ you this week-end, for an In-Depth Passing On of Notes, Information and Random Scuttlebutt. 😉
And that’s really good news on your book! Rock on, sir! I’d throw up the devil horns emoticon, but HaloScan just thinks it’s broken HTML. 🙂
You two take care!