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22 Jul 2006

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Three Legged Race / Eagles Of Hair Metal

Three Legged Race, Eagles Of Hair Metal @ Tonic | July 22 2006 The L train was down, and I was working on more useless internet crap, so we missed the Bushwick arts thing, but still got to catch Keith Fullerton Whitman as part of the Eagles Of Hair Metal (with Alan

Three Legged Race, Eagles Of Hair Metal @ Tonic | July 22 2006

The L train was down, and I was working on more useless internet crap, so
we missed the Bushwick arts thing, but still got to catch Keith Fullerton Whitman as part of the Eagles Of Hair Metal (with Alan Licht, Mike Berstein, Greg Kelley and Tamio Shiraishi). Didn’t stay for Prurient or Death Unit, but did see other act Three Legged Race compose pulses with what looked suspiciously like Mark’s inherited dictation machine. That made me want to try to do something with his dictation machine, which just today we were talking about putting on craigslist. Mark preferred Three-Legged Race, but I think I liked the Eagles better. He likes things more composed, and I guess I like things less so. Standing outside before the show, we saw maybe 5 rats in 30 seconds, flitting between an abandond lot and the underside of a parked car, and I kept on thinking TLR was the sound of those rats turned up and transposed a few octaves. If that holds, then Eagles of Hair Metal were their insides, fatty and sludgy, guts glugging back and forth during the short sprints. ‘Cept for Shiraishi’s little sax puffs, which sounded like when you blow up a balloon, hold it between your fingers, then let go.*

Noise shows sometimes make me uncomfortable, because even at regular shows when I say we’re on the list, the door guy/girl(!?) will still look at Mark and ask for his name, even if I made the approach. “I’m-with-him” vibe is so much stronger when you’re surrounded by hims.

* Or it’s the sound of KFW’s beard.

21 Jul 2006

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The Grates + Nylon

I did my first track review for Pitchfork this week. It’s on Thunderbirds Are Now!. I like them, really. I’m a featured contributor to Nylon magazine this month. I did an interview with the Grates, then was interviewed by someone for the blurb at the front. They asked

I did my first track review for Pitchfork this week. It’s on Thunderbirds Are Now!. I like them, really.

I’m a featured contributor to Nylon magazine this month. I did an interview with the Grates, then was interviewed by someone for the blurb at the front. They asked me what my favorite brand of jeans is (it was their denim issue) and I was so tempted to say Jincos or Sears Tuffskins.

I saw the Grates a couple weeks ago here at Mercury Lounge. I had interviewed Patience, their lead singer, over the phone while she was still in Australia. I was barely able to keep up with her, because she talks so quickly, changes subjects on a dime, and, well, has a really meaty Australian accent that didn’t sound so clear over my vonage phone. Plus, I was doing the interview at midnight EST, so it’d be easier for her. In person Patience is exactly the sameâ€” after the show there was a group of people talking to her, and they’d say three words to her before she’d get so distracted and excited about something else that she’d move on. It wasn’t rudeness, she’s just a little OCD. Nylon took their own photos of the band in Australia, and I thought it and my interview turned out well.

In my contributor’s bio, it says “Jessica Suarez always knew she wanted to be a music writer,” and it was so weird to read that on a glossy page that I turned my eyes away. Mark and I went to see Wayne Koestenbaum read (Brandon Stosuy told us about it), and during introductions he asked me what I do. I got flustered and said, “I’m just a music writer.” “What kind of music?” “Just indie rock.” Someday I’ll be comfortable with it.

Koestenbaum’s reading was awesome, by the way. I’m going to start telling people I’m him.

Also: Now that I’m all on new WordPress wheels, I’m going to update more. Seriously.

16 May 2006

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Good Morning America! Or Countdown until WAS are off the front page

It’s pretty boring to only talk about stories I’ve done, things I have coming out. Etc. Some of it will be okay, and other things will be better. Mostly, I’d like to talk about the moment when albums finally pop. Do other people have this? It goes

It’s pretty boring to only talk about stories I’ve done, things I have coming out. Etc. Some of it will be okay, and other things will be better.

Mostly, I’d like to talk about the moment when albums finally pop. Do other people have this? It goes where you listen to an album for however long-on headphones, in your room, at your computer, then one day the music and lyrics and artist turn 3D like the pages of a pop up book and you can get closer to the album, know its shapes and colors. I’m not talking about, say, listening to a love song and being in love and recognising that in the song. Maybe I don’t know what I’m talking about, because I’m pretty green at this whole writing-about-music-thing. But anyway it’s a great moment, and this year’s moments have been with Man Man, Danielson and Sufjan Stevens. I guess that isn’t a lot for being through almost half the year, but it’s a slow process.

27 Mar 2006

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Recent little bits / Alden Penner

Calexico interview on Pitchfork. I wish I could still use the prefix ‘hometown heroes’ because I love that. Tucson represent. A lil’ Goldfrapp review and a lil’ profile of The Appleseed Cast for Spin’s band of the day. I was sick and missed all of No Fun Fest, which

Calexico interview on Pitchfork. I wish I could still use the prefix ‘hometown heroes’ because I love that. Tucson represent.

A lil’ Goldfrapp review and a lil’ profile of The Appleseed Cast for Spin’s band of the day.

I was sick and missed all of No Fun Fest, which was very disappointing. The weekend before I saw Islands, then, the next night and the night after that I saw Alden and Adam. It’s funny because Alden is the third of the Unicorns who did not move on to Islands.

The difference in the way Nick and J’aime, and Alden approach being in a band, or making music was so huge. Alden played in Bushwick with Adam, a violinst who used to play in Arcade Fire. Neither used their last names, nor advertised their former bands. Alden and Adam didn’t bring CDs, merch, any of that stuff except for a few CD-Rs of a show someone had recorded for them, which they gave away for free.

Both shows I saw (the one at Bushwick’s Goodbye Blue Monday, a great wonderful venue/curiosity shop/cafe and 123 No Rio, an activist workspace on the Lower East Side) were for donation only, and each show had about 20 people in the audience, at most. There were no vocals, just Alden on guitar and Adam’s violin, which he layered with the use of an effects pedal.

I talked to Alden for a bit, and though he was nice, he has changed a lot since I met him back in Tucson. It’s probably a combination of his exit from the Unicorns, plus my entry into the music writing world, which I know he loathes. It was still good to see him, and good to see him play especially.

Stuff on my desk that I’m excited about: The Knife, The Fuck-Off Machete (not related), Planning To Rock, Ghengis Tron, Beirut, Human Television, The Gossip.

11 Mar 2006

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Islands-Metric / Webster Hall

Looking for Big Hassle’s Sophie in Webster Hall’s balcony– Me: Hello, are you from Big Hassle? Girls: No, we’re from Canada. And so 80% of the night went. I love the Canadian invasion, by the way–Islands are joyful, AIDS Wolf fascinating, Wolf Parade tilt the room.

Looking for Big Hassle’s Sophie in Webster Hall’s balcony–

Me: Hello, are you from Big Hassle?
Girls: No, we’re from Canada.

And so 80% of the night went. I love the Canadian invasion, by the way–Islands are joyful, AIDS Wolf fascinating, Wolf Parade tilt the room. Feist has a pretty voice. Metric are the best show(wo)men of the group, I think, and even if you took down the faux-star lighting and bursts behind them it’d be easy to see dynamics. More dynamic is that I turned my all access pass into faux pas by walking into Metric’s dressing room right as lead singer Emily Haines was changing into a white dress for the show. Embarrassing for all involved.

Islands I’ve written about a lot, and will continue to write about more, so I’ll save it. During the show I thought about how far away I was, though it was easier for me to see from the balcony, and how every Islands show was probably going to be getting further and further away from the band. Later, walking into the right dressing room, I did get a minute to talk to Nick, who still looked a little tired though a lot healthier than he did at the Knitting Factory show. Jaime too, looked happy and healthy, as did the rest of the band. I’m happy for them too, and hope all goes well for their 4/4 release, even if it does mean being balconies away.

Mark has his piece on what it was like teaching an 826 Chicago workshop up on the Printculture website today.

10 Mar 2006

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Wolf Eyes, Pig Destroyer, Man Man

Oh, hello. A few updates: My review of Man Man’s Six Demon Bag is up on PopMatters right now. Interview with the band for Pitchfork coming soon. I had brunch with Man Man a couple weeks ago, then interviewed them last week. I think they’re probably one of

Oh, hello. A few updates:

My review of Man Man’s Six Demon Bag is up on PopMatters right now. Interview with the band for Pitchfork coming soon. I had brunch with Man Man a couple weeks ago, then interviewed them last week. I think they’re probably one of my favorite interviews ever.

I saw Pig Destroyer and Wolf Eyes last week with Brandon Stosuy and Chris Weingarten, two dudes with beards. Pig Destroyer played first, with sound/noise artist Jessica Rylan and another female noise musician, though I don’t know her name. The most interesting thing about watching them play was the sort of masculine poses they formed over their boxes and amps. Her partner, especially, was on her knees, curled over an amp, running a mic over its surface and pushing against it to manipulate its sound. It was so dominant and tough. The second most interesting thing was watching longhairs try to mosh while taking digital photos for their blogs. What’s happened to metal?

A lil’ thing I wrote about the We Are Scientists Bowery show was quoted on their news page, which also linked back to my blog. Scroll down and read all the comments I’ve been getting from their young and tender fan base. They’re really funny.

Finally, everyone should read my friend Bizzy’s great article on mustache documentarian Jay Della Valle as well as bearded Brandon Stosuy’s interview with Xiu Xiu on NYFA Interactive.

1 Mar 2006

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FAQ's on the relationship between Kanye West and me

Wow, you love this. Here are some answers to some questions I’ve been getting. Q: Kanye? Really? A: Yes Q: Won’t he be mad that you put his AIM name on your blog? A: He doesn’t care.His AIM name’s been public knowledge. Q: This is

Wow, you love this. Here are some answers to some questions I’ve been getting.

Q: Kanye? Really?
A: Yes

Q: Won’t he be mad that you put his AIM name on your blog?
A: He doesn’t care.His AIM name’s been public knowledge.

Q: This is fake. Kanye doesn’t really know what LOL means.
A: Kanye is 733t.

Q: Have you IMed him since then?
A: Yes.

Q: How do you address him?
A: “What up, family?”

25 Feb 2006

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kanye west interview

jessica at CMJ: kanye jessica at CMJ: mr. west, don’t mean to be disrespectful! kanyewestgood: lol thanks for the respect but im just like u kanyewestgood: except im a guy kanyewestgood: haha jessica at CMJ: ha! This is for real. Pretty hard-hitting stuff, right? In other news, I’m

jessica at CMJ: kanye
jessica at CMJ: mr. west, don’t mean to be disrespectful!
kanyewestgood: lol thanks for the respect but im just like u
kanyewestgood: except im a guy
kanyewestgood: haha
jessica at CMJ: ha!

This is for real. Pretty hard-hitting stuff, right? In other news, I’m just like Kanye West, except I’m a girl.

31 Jan 2006

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Pazz and Jop

I have four comments published in the Village Voice’s Pazz and Jop critics’ poll. Among music writers I think this is kind of a cool little a-ha! thing, while people outside that world probably don’t care. Chris(topher R. Weingarten) has eight in while Nick Sylvester easily has

I have four comments published in the Village Voice’s Pazz and Jop critics’ poll. Among music writers I think this is kind of a cool little a-ha! thing, while people outside that world probably don’t care. Chris(topher R. Weingarten) has eight in while Nick Sylvester easily has about 10. I’m pretty happy with my four, although I’m fairly sure either I or someone else messed up a word in the lyrics to “Hate It Or Love It,” which was part of one of my comments.

25 Jan 2006

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Books I didn't finish

Books at my desk at CMJ waiting to be returned to the New York Public Library after being partially read: Image Music Text – Roland Barthes Writing And Difference – Jacques Derrida some Lester Bangs book Illuminations – Walter Benjamin Also, just turned in my Liars review to PopMatters. I’m not feeling

Books at my desk at CMJ waiting to be returned to the New York Public Library after being partially read:

Image Music Text – Roland Barthes
Writing And Difference – Jacques Derrida
some Lester Bangs book
Illuminations – Walter Benjamin

Also, just turned in my Liars review to PopMatters. I’m not feeling great about it, but one of my New Year’s Resolutions was to let some things go, because in the past I’ve held on to writing for so long, never satisfied with it.