NYC Propaganda

[Todd Simmons]

RADIOHEAD BREAKDOWN PART 2

In September 2002 the group flew out for recording sessions in Los Angeles at the virtual insistence of
producer Nigel Godrich. "I remember us recording "Kid A" in a country house in the middle of nowhere
and Nigel would keep telling us "we should be doing this in L.A.. We could be eating sushi right now",
recalls Jonny. "and we'd be standing in some market square in Oxfordshire at midnight and there
weren't even any street lights! So we said, "Nigel, you can have it your way this time. But only for two
weeks."

"Nigel dragged us out to L.A.", adds Ed O' Brien, "because he'd done three records there -two with
Beck, one with Travis. We'd always been hesitant about working in Los Angeles because -let's face it-
Radiohead mixing in with the Hotel California mind-set doesn't sound like a potential marriage made in
heaven. But we quickly realized you can function out there without becoming tarnished by whatever
else going on there. It was the best recording experience we ever had. We finished one song each day
we were booked. We didn't over-scrutinize. We didn't get too cerebral. We trusted in ourselves, Nigel,
the studio and the songs and just let go, really."

Phil Selway concurs: "During the time-off from touring "Kid A" and "Amnesiac", Thom started
distributing these CD's with new songs -just a vocal, a guitar or piano. We'd listen to them, let the
songs seep in and -over time- ideas would develop about how to best develop them. This was the
opposite of "Kid A" which involved no preparation beforehand and enormous pressure in the studio.
Occasionally that can be stimulating but too often it becomes incredibly daunting. Two months of
pre-production meant we could work much faster in Los Angeles where we ended up recording a song
a day. On "Kid A" we were recording one track every one and a half months!"

Ed O' Brien again: "This time we captured our actual energy -an energy that's been missing since "The
Bends". Climate affects the way you make music and a lot of "The Bends" was re-recorded in the
sunshine during the summer of 94. This time, we had good weather and each day we'd leave the
studio at about 5.30 and drive up to Griffith Park Observatory for a walk and look around. Looking out
over L.A. reminded me of "Bladerunner": no green spaces, all grids, motorcars and sandy-coloured
buildings."

 

[Todd Simmons]

RADIOHEAD PART 3

These sunny promenades did little to lighten the menacing and depraved images percolating from
Thom Yorke's imagination into the lyrics he was coming out with on the sessions. The Brechtian "We
Suck Young Blood" was inspired by his trips through Hollywood. "It's got a sex thing about it -sex
being a form of currency in Hollywood. There's a malignant quality to it -a dark force devouring
everything in its path. It's an expression of that desperate urge to be somebody at any cost, even if it
means being preyed on and sucked dry by every scheming parasite in the world. You find examples of
this in the music industry and the porn industry but it could just as easily relate to the way the
extreme right seduce young people to enlist in their ranks. Fascism starts with the embittered 50 year
old sado-masochist who finds dysfunctional teenagers who he then works on for a couple of years until
they become transformed into homicidal little skinhead motherfuckers."

The album's final song "A Wolf At The Door" features a lovely set of chord changes courtesy of Jonny
who quickly noted his music was "too busy and too pretty so Thom basically started shouting on top of
it. "The ultra-paranoid, they're coming to take me away sentiments he expresses are "a basic
documentation of the nearest I ever came to having a complete nervous breakdown. It's about fear
-real or imagined- that still makes total sense."

And then there's "The Gloaming" -a rhythm track solely developed by Jonny and Colin that became
one of the album's key dispatches as far as its creator is concerned.

"The Gloaming" was going to be the album title" (according to Colin, the rest of Radiohead vetoed the
idea for "sounding too proggy")."It's the subtitle now. It refers to a general all-enveloping darkness
that's slowly taking over mankind: like some plague from the middle ages that seems to be on the
horizon again. In the middle ages, everyone was obsessed by people who were "possessed". The
same thing is happening now. The same sense of a malignant force ripping apart civilisation. Then
towards the end of the record I read a 'Murakami' book called "Wind-Up Bird Chronicles" and it all fell
into place in my head. That's what I was trying to say about the darkness that envelops people. They
don't know it's happening to them and they think they're doing the right thing but the rise of fascism
and ignorance are what they're really calling into play. And that to me is the real "thief". The thief is
someone who takes possession of one's soul in order to inhabit their body. And with the few politicians
I've encountered personally, I've always got the sense that there's fuck-all going on behind their
exteriors. If I met Blair, I wouldn't say anything. I'd just sit and watch him. I'd sit and watch his mouth
move and see the air flying around."

 

[Todd Simmons]

RADIOHEAD PART 4

"Hail To The Thief" is not without its moments of benign ecstasy "Sail To The Moon" is an exquisite
sonic dreamscape to rival the likes of "Street Spirit" and "Pyramid Song", and a tender-hearted salute
to Yorke's infant son. But then there's that belligerent techno bass line punching its way through
"Myxamatosis" causing Thom to wail peevishly on about his Drop The Dept experience of "watching
the politician as 'whirlwind of nothingness', just telling you what you want to hear in order to get your
signature and then forgetting you ever existed. That was a mind-blowing experience. All power
corrupts. The closer you get, the uglier it becomes. They're not even human beings. These people are
possessed."

Track 2 "Stand Up- Sit Down" also sets its control for the heart of darkness by inviting its listeners to
"step into the jaws of hell" at the song's outset. "It's actually a line from the book of Common Prayer",
Yorke retorts. "I just felt compelled to put it in a song". Still, "Thief's" apocalyptic imagery shouldn't
camouflage the sense of exhilaration the music summons forth over and over again. Ed O' Brien likes
to talk about "how Radiohead have finally found their swagger" with the live-in-the-studio recordings
that predominate "Thief" and Yorke is the first to agree. "The music sounds really positive to me. We
came off the "Kid A"/ "Amnesiac" experience and we'd all become really confident with the things we'd
learned and just wanted to carry on and enjoy it. And celebrate the way we were playing as a unit.
The music sounds extremely confident to me. There's a darkness to it but it's also really shiny and
bright."

Colin Greenwood remembers: "The running joke when we were making this record was that if we
recorded a track that stretched over 3mn 50 sec., we'd say "Oh fuck, we've buggered it then. It's gone
on too long." Of course, the irony is that the first single we're releasing is actually the longest song on
the record. ("There There"). It was all recorded live in Oxford. We all got excited at the end because
Nigel was trying to get Jonny to play like John McGeoch in Siouxsie And The Banshees. All the old farts
in the band were in seventh heaven."

The first sound you hear on the album is the first sound that was recorded at the first session at
Oceanway studios: Jonny plugging his guitar into an amplifier followed by a percussion track from a
nearby lap-top, all recorded live. "The sound of us plugging in and beginning again". The end result is
Radiohead's most powerful album to date, a musical mind-bomb that issues us all a very direct
wake-up call from our slumbers in the comfort zone and asks us to consider what life in the New
Millennium really has in store for us. And whilst it's true that "Hail To The Thief" is also the title of a
book about George Bush's dubious election victory in Florida, the world is full of other equally tricky
customers and Radiohead are shining their collective torch-light on all of them on this new album.

Colin Greenwood is more than happy with the results: "One of the best things about the record for me
are the words -the bleak humour and the clarity. I'm not worried about Americans possibly not buying
our records as a consequence of us being outspoken about certain issues. People need to focus on
bigger issues instead of whether George Bush is an idiot or not".

His younger brother concurs "We'd never name a record after one political event like Bush's election.
The record's bigger than that. Hopefully it will last longer than Bush unless he's getting a whole
dynasty together, which is always possible. One of the things Thom's singing about is whether or not
you choose to deal with what's happening. There are a lot of lines about escaping and avoiding issues,
about keeping your head down and waiting. Everybody feels like that from time to time as much as
they feel frustration about things they can't change. It's a confusing time right now but that doesn't
mean that we're issuing any kind of manifesto. It's more like we're summing up what it's like to be
around in 2003."
Thom Yorke of course has his own particular take on the new album's controversial contents: "We
don't have to stand on a soap-box and preach because hopefully we're channelling it through the new
record. We didn't start out to make a protest record at all. That would have been too shallow. As
usual, it was simply a case of absorbing what's going on around us. The title of the record goes so
much deeper than just being some anti-Bush propaganda. If we got into a situation where people start
burning our records, then bring it on. That's the whole point. The gloaming has begun. We're in the
darkness. This has happened before. Go read some history.

If we were threatened in any way for simply making a piece of art - that would be bad. Then it would
be time to move to somewhere obscure. Like the moon."

:inlove: :inlove: :inlove: :inlove:

 

[Todd Simmons]

ssshhhh...

sshhh...tickets for the beacon show go on sale tomorrow...

 

[Todd Simmons]

NO DEAL

Could'nt even get CLOSE to gettin
tickets for the Beacon Theatre $2.00
show.People had been in line for
3 days.
Those people cannot possibly have jobs.
Oh,well.
If you get stuck with a ticket
I'd be happy to help you out.
:inlove:

 

[Todd Simmons]

STEELY DAN VS. THE SEX PISTOLS

In August the JONES BEACH AMPITHEATRE will
have a week in which THE SEX PISTOLS
play the night before STEELY DAN.
Two classic 70s acts that could'nt be much different.Except in their mutual cynicism,that is.
I would love to get a room out there and
stay a couple nights in order to see both shows.
But,alas,I'll be out of town.I'd reccommend
that you try to do it if you can.I've seen them
both and they were both a lot of fun.
Great summer concerts,to be sure.
:inlove:

 

[Todd Simmons]

MALKMUS OPENS FOR RADIOHEAD

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks Opening for Radiohead
June 1, 2003 10:47 AM
Stephen Malkmus has confirmed on the News section of his website,
www.stephenmalkmus.com, that he and his band, The Jicks, will be
opening for Radiohead's North American tour. He writes:

the other hot jicks news is we will be doing some big
shows with radiohead august 12-sept 5. those boys
know how to cook on stage so it should be a blast.
and they are super popular. i havent done any big
gigs like that in the us since lollapalooza. hope ive
learned something...

NOT TO BE MISSED!
:inlove:

 

[Todd Simmons]

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY ON "THE THIEF"

Entertainment Weekly becomes
one of the first mainstream-American
publications to review HTTT.
They give i an A-.
Whatever that means.


FOCUSED GROUP The graceful ''Thief'' proves Radiohead
aren't the incorrigible weirdos their last two CDs made them out
to be


Radiohead's sixth album opens with the amplified
thump of a cable being rammed into the jack of an
electric guitar, followed immediately by a barely audible
voice noting ''That's a nice way to start.'' Could there
be a more perfect kickoff for a record that supposedly
heralds Radiohead's return to old-fashioned rock?
Except the disc does no such thing. The band has
described Hail to the Thief as a throwback to the
guitars-and-songs format of 1995's ''The Bends,'' but a
back-to-back listen of the two CDs renders that notion
absurd. ''The Bends'' captures an enormously talented
alt-pop quartet playing traditional songs with traditional
instruments. Despite a stronger emphasis on guitars
and acoustic drums, ''Thief'' (out June 10) sounds -- on
the surface, at least -- pretty similar to Radiohead's
last two albums, ''Kid A'' (2000) and ''Amnesiac''
(2001). Back are the skittering digital blips
(''Backdrifts'' and ''Sit Down. Stand Up,'' for instance);
the extended, slow-moving song structures (''We Suck
Young Blood'' and the adjacent ''The Gloaming''
meander tunelessly for nearly nine combined minutes);
and ear-tweaking studio tricks cooked up by the band
and longtime producer Nigel Godrich (at one point, it
actually sounds like somebody's shooting off a cheesy
sci-fi laser gun).

But while references to ''The Bends'' are misleading,
the band does seem to have recaptured some of the
spirit of that era. Maybe what they're trying to express
is that they're finally feeling comfortable just being
Radiohead again, allowing more focus on writing songs
-- icily elegant compositions that move and build on
themselves and carry you along with them, not just
out-there textures and effects. A lot of credit goes to
frontman Thom Yorke, whose coolly serpentine voice is
once again front and center, giving ''Thief'' an
emotional and melodic anchor absent from recent
albums. ''Where I End and You Begin,'' for example,
features a syncopated guitar-and-drum groove and
spacey keyboard washes, but Yorke's sweet, clear
melody keeps the tune grounded. First single ''There
There'' boasts the sort of gorgeous, gliding Yorke vocal
seldom heard since the bridge on ''Paranoid Android.''
And ''Scatterbrain'' is as simple, bare, and affectively
graceful as Radiohead get, with Yorke crooning
plaintively over bass, fingerpicked guitar, and a
rim-shot drumbeat.

The album was recorded quickly, assembled in a
fraction of the time it took to concoct the
self-consciously arty ''Kid A'' and ''Amnesiac.'' The
willful inaccessibility of those hit-and-miss records felt
like something of an attempt to deflate
impossible-to-live-up-to expectations following the
colossal success of ''OK Computer.'' (Hey, if people
didn't like it, well, they just didn't get it.) And if that
meant making weird music took precedence over
making great music, then so be it.

''Thief'' also has plenty of weird, but there's
considerably more great. Like all Radiohead albums,
it's a slow grower, a densely packed collection of rapidly
mutating sounds and surfaces that takes a while to
comprehend. Though it drags a bit halfway through, the
record starts strong and finishes even stronger. Opener
''2 + 2 = 5'' begins with a simple vocal line, kicks into a
surging guitar chorus, and eventually spirals
seamlessly into the manic electronics of the next track,
''Sit Down. Stand Up.'' Later on, ''A Punchup at a
Wedding'' showcases a killer bass groove, and
''Myxomatosis'' is a thrilling prog-funk nightmare that
spins an obscure rabbit disease into what appears to
be an elaborate metaphor for pop star alienation.

But the real highlight is the closer, ''A Wolf at the
Door,'' a soaring paranoid fantasy that captures
Radiohead at their spookiest and most beautiful (and
somehow makes the slapstick image of a custard in
the face seem truly terrifying). Any time the final track
on a band's latest album is this good, how can the
group not be headed down the right path? Here's to the
future, then.
:inlove:

 

[Todd Simmons]

Some of you urged me to
list the concerts I've seen
since I am incessantly blabbing
about music and shows and blah blah blah.
So I did that on page 6.But
Now that I've seen the Godfather Of Soul,
JAMES BROWN(last week at Batery Park)
I HAD to re-post it to include him.
So here it goes:

DAVID BOWIE
NIRVANA
NEIL YOUNG and CRAZY HORSE
NEIL YOUNG(solo)
NEIL WITH BOOKER T AND THE M.G.S
ROBERT PLANT
THE PIXIES
ALICE IN CHAINS
B.B. KING
MILES DAVIS
THE WHO
PETE TOWNSEND(solo)
THE ROLLING STONES
JANES'ADDICTION
AL DIMEOLA
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE
THE BEE GEES
GUIDED BY VOICES
RADIOHEAD
TOM WAITS
STEVIE RAY VAUGHN
INXS
JOHN LEE HOOKER
PUBLIC ENEMY
THE BEASTIE BOYS
THE COWBOY JUNKIES
PATTI SMITH
THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS
THE FIXX
THE PRETENDERS
VIOLENT FEMMES
PEARL JAM
PRIMUS
THE GRATEFUL DEAD
CRACKER
THE SEX PISTOLS
OZZY OSBOURNE
THE SCORPIONS
VAN HALEN
ELLIOTT SMITH
BOB DYLAN
STING
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E-STREET BAND
SONIC YOUTH
PORTISHEAD
MORCHEEBA
MOBY
IRON MAIDEN
BILLY SQUIRE
NINE INCH NAILS
RY COODER
SOUL COUGHING
THE FOO FIGHTERS
TOM JONES
ISAAC HAYES
MUDHONEY
R.E.M.
THE WHITE STRIPES
INTERPOL
YEAH,YEAH,YEAHS
LIARS
U2
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS
FRANK BLACK
ICE CUBE
ICE-T
THE BREEDERS
JOE COCKER
CYPRESS HILL
TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS
THE DOOBIE BROTHERS
STEELY DAN
JAMES ANGELL
LOW POP SUICIDE
P.I.L.
FEAR
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES
YMA SUMAC
SLEATER-KINNEY
PETER GABRIEL
SUPERCHUNK
A TRIBE CALLED QUEST
PARLIMENT/FUNKADELIC
SIOUXIE AND THE BANSHEES
JOE WALSH
THE BUTTHOLE SURFERS
AFGHAN WHIGS
THE DISPOABLE HEROES OF HIPHOPRICY
GIRLS AGAINST BOYS
THE DANDY WARHOLS
SANTANA
FUGAZI
SMASHING PUMKINS
MORPHINE
JOHNNY CASH
GUNS N ROSES
ZZ TOP
THE FLAMING LIPS
THE THE
SUGAR
NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS
LOS LOBOS
FISHBONE
PAT BENETAR
BOB MOULD
FOREIGNER
JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION
THE JERRY GARCIA BAND
MADONNA
JON BRION
GRANT LEE BUFFALO
PINK FLOYD
ROGER WATERS
JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP
YO LA TENGO
ELVIS COSTELLO
JOE JACKSON
IGGY POP
STEPHEN MALKMUS
WYNTON MARSALIS
DON HENLEY
QUASI
JOHN FOGERTY
URGE OVERKILL
THE SUGARCUBES
24/7 SPYZ
JOURNEY
MARYS'DANISH
THE RAMONES
SPIRITUALIZED
POND
HEATMISER
BERLIN
TALK TALK
TRACY CHAPMAN
THE MELVINS
YES
PLACIDO DOMINGO
THE MEAT PUPPETS
TIN MACHINE
GREEN DAY
HENRY ROLLINS
THELONIOUS MONSTER
LIVING COLOR
BUSTA RHYMES
DURAN DURAN
RANCID
RED KROSS
THE MOONEY SUZUKI
PRINCE AND THE REVOLUTION
DORFMEISTER(of KRUDER AND DORFMEISTER)
PAVEMENT
BECK
BJORK
And JAMES BROWN!

:inlove:

 

[Todd Simmons]

FIELD DAY OR FIASCO?

FIELD DAY has turned into an absolute fiasco.
These people in Riverhead Long Island don't
think that a MASSIVE concert,consisting of bands
with pretty civilized fan-bases would be
in their best interest.Are you kidding me?
Has this little out-post been recession-proof?
It has no use for 60,000 potential customers?
They are not paying attention,my friends.
What health and safety issues have not ALREADY
been dealt with by these seemingly progressive promoters?They were smart enough to assemble
a very forward-thinking batch of contemporary
acts that would rather THINK than fight.
RIVERHEAD sounds an awful lot like Mayberry,USA.
So,now they've moved it to Jersey.
:inlove:

 

[Todd Simmons]

RIVERHEAD DECLINES

Field Day Moved to Giants Stadium
June 4, 2003 03:40 PM
The latest:

The Riverhead Town Supervisor Robert Kozakiewicz
announced this morning that a two-day rock concert scheduled
for this weekend in Calverton would not happen. Soon after,
Ticketmaster was advertising on its web site that the event had
been scaled down to a one-day show and would be held at
Giants Stadium Saturday.

A Giants Stadium spokesperson said that although negotions
have taken place, no deal has been reached. The change of venue
was not confirmed by the concert's promoters.

Ticketmaster's web site said the new show would include
Radiohead and the Beastie Boys, but did not make clear how
many of the 35 other bands originally booked for the show
would be part of the 12-hour concert. Tickets for the show were
to go on sale at 5 p.m. through Ticketmaster.com., according to
the ticket web site.

Tickets for the Calverton show will not be honored at Giants
Stadium and people who initially purchased their tickets with a
credit card online or by phone will receive an automatic refund
on their credit card, according to Ticketmaster. Those who
purchased them in other ways must return their tickets at the
point of purchase for a refund.

Promoters today were hustling to find a new venue after the
Suffolk officials declared that the concert would not be allowed
on the East End as had been proposed. "In the interest of the
health, safety and welfare of the residents of the Town of
Riverhead and the public, I believe that the event should be
cancelled," Kozakiewicz said in a prepared statement.

Christopher Kent, a lawyer for the for the Field Day Festival
promoters, said earlier in the day that a new location in the New
York City metropolitan area for the concert was being sought
and that a decision would be announced today. He said refunds
will be given to ticket-holders who request them.

Stating that at a new venue the concert, which was to feature
headline acts such as the Beastie Boys, Radiohead, and Beck,
would be a "different type of event," Kent had said that the
Meadowlands Sports Complex in New Jersey was one site
under consideration. He added that there would be no camping
at the concert's new location.

"The Field Day Festival lives," he said.

Yesterday, the concert promoters filed suit in Federal District
Court in Islip seeking a restraining order and injunction to
prevent Suffolk County from canceling the event. Kent said the
suit will likely be changed to seek monetary damages now that
the concert has been called off at the Calverton site.

Kent said the promoters were still trying to determine how
much money they will lose because of the cancellation. "They're
still punching the calculator," he said...they've spent over $3
million."

The concert was thrown into doubt last week when Suffolk
County denied the promoter a mass gathering permit, citing a
lack of adequate police protection. Two weeks ago, the Suffolk
County police declined to participate in the event, citing a
concern over the concert traffic plan and a lack of time for the
county attorney to sign a contract with the town.

Since then, town officials and the event promoter scrambled to
convince other law enforcement agencies to provide the
approximately 200 additional officers need to control traffic and
the expected crowd of 50,000.

Last night, facing a possible court injunction filed by Suffolk
County, the town board voted to table a resolution on their own
special events permit, effectively denying the application since
another meeting is not scheduled for this week.

This morning, Kozakiewicz and other town board members
blamed Suffolk County for the event's failure, saying the county
police department's failure to participate effectively killed the
concert. "I really don't know what the politics were, but yes, I do
think politics did play a role," Kozakiewicz said.

County officials have said Riverhead Town and the promoter
approached the county too late to adequately plan the event.

In a letter sent Tuesday to Robert Maimoni, a county health
official, Lt. Col. James Schepperly of the state police explained
that "our experience has been that several months lead-time is
minimally necessary to develop comprehensive concert plans."
The state police were first approached in March, a town official
said.

A lack of adequate law enforcement was the reason the Suffolk
County health department denied a mass gathering permit for
the concert last week. Two weeks ago, Suffolk County police
declined to participate, citing concerns about the promoter's
traffic plan and a lack of time for the county attorney to sign a
deal with Riverhead town.

The Field Day concert was to occur at the former Grumman
property, on part of the 2,900 acres of town-owned land that has
been targeted for economic development. The town had hoped
that this rock festival and another scheduled for August would
put Riverhead on the map and lure future clients to the site.

The festival, Bonnaroo NE, is slated to last three days and
feature acts including Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and The Dead.

"Its a separate issue altogether. What happened today has no
(relationship) to the August event," Suffolk Police
Commissioner John Gallagher said.

Gallagher added that while road access to the Calverton site will
also be a problem in August, planning has already started.
"We'll do our darndest," Gallagher said, in order that the
planning will be done before Bonaroo.
:inlove:

 

[Todd Simmons]

BEACON THEATRE TONIGHT(aka..Please Help)

Now, if you're sitting on a ticket for
the RADIOHEAD concert at the Beacon theatre tonight
and you believe in your heart that I'd enjoy it
more than you would, than please feel free to pass it along.I will be very impressed with your magnaminous gesture and good will.In fact, I will become a very big fan of yours and probably spread the word about your decent nature and generosity.
I have tried to attain tix through all of the traditional outlets but have,alas,fallen short.
Please help me see this show.
:inlove:

 

[Todd Simmons]

Tighter than a drum

There was just no getting me in to that show.
If you were one of the lucky ones that DID
find a way in could you let me know how it was?
I've heard a rumour that they played THREE encores.
They are headlining the new ONE-DAY
Field Day on Saturday night.
:inlove:

 

[Todd Simmons]

NEW FIELD DAY INFO

Well,they've finally figured out the deal
with moving the show to N.J.


Here's the Field Day update:

Saturday, June 7
Giants Stadium

BUY TICKETS http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/000036C30295B562

Stage #1

Radiohead 10:20 PM
Beastie Boys 8:25 PM
Beck 6:55 PM
Blur 5:35 PM
Underworld 4:00 PM
Spiritualized 2:55 PM
Beth Orton 1:55 PM
Liz Phair 1:00 PM


Stage #2

Particle 7:40 PM
Elliott Smith 6:20 PM
Bright Eyes 5:05 PM
My Morning Jacket 3:50 PM
Thursday 2:40 PM
Gemma Hayes 1:45 PM
22-20s 12:50 PM
Ours 12:00 PM
____________________
looks like a bunch of bands
were either bumped or opted out.Too bad.
Although the stage one line-up looks pretty sweet.
:inlove:

 

[Todd Simmons]

JONNY GREENWOOD ON THE SOUND

I've heard it said that RH guitarist/pianist/synth whiz
JONNY GREENWOOD learned to play guitar while
listening to PIXIES records.A delightful notion,indeed.
This is what HE has to say on other,PIXIES
related matters.
__________________________
QUESTION:
Kid A was a total change of direction for the band. Was everyone committed to this new direction? How did Jonny feel about focussing more on keyboards than guitar?
ANSWER:
I don't remember much time playing keyboards. It was more an obsession with sound, speakers, the whole artifice of recording. I see it like this: a voice into a microphone onto a tape, onto your CD, through your speakers is all as illusory and fake as any synthesizer - it doesn't put THOM in your front room - but one is perceived as 'real' the other, somehow 'unreal'. I'm straying from the point. What was the point ? Well, it's the same with guitars versus samplers. It was just freeing to discard the notion of accoustic sounds being truer. The inverted snobbery amongst some people even extends to keyboards. Mellotrons are 'truer' than Synths, apparently. But remember that hearing a band rehearse will never be the same coming from two speakers. That's fine. Of course, you want your music still to sound beatiful, or to somehow make you react. It's not about just spuring tradition, or rationalizing rubbish because it's 'different'. SO we'll still fill tapes with violins and guitars as much as anything else. Whatever sounds cool. Whatever isn't boring. Whatever is addictive.And ANYWAY There's nothing like a guitar for physically making music - like a drumkit for making rhythms - so I don't get bored playing the thing. I've been telling people, glibly, that there's so little guitar on the new stuff because there are only five PIXIES albums, and there are other sounds out there. They hit at their instruments in striving to not be boring - whilst avoiding muso drudgery. Remember the advert The PIXIES placed to get KIM DEAL (the only applicant):"Band into HUSKER DU and PETER,PAUL and MARY seeks bass player. No Chops."
________________
:inlove:

 

[Todd Simmons]

BECK INJURY UPDATE

The last second cancellation
of BECKS' set at Field Day left
thousands of music fans disappointed
on Saturday.All that the crowd was told
was that BECK had somehow been injured
and would not be able to perform.In
place of his scheduled set,they went
straight to the BEASTIE BOYS.
The official report is now out from
BECKS' camp.

:::::: 06.08.03: Field Day Info - Updated ::::::
While watching BLUR from the side of the stage Beck
was accidentally slammed in the ribs by a local
working stage hand. The festival medical crew were
very concerned that there may be a broken rib, an
injury that could puncture Beck's lung if he were to
perform. The medics ordered immediate X rays at a
nearby hospital. Fortunately there was nothing broken
but Beck was in considerable pain and discomfort. He
tried to go back and do something acoustically but the
complicated logistics of the festival made it
impossible. He sends his sincere apologies to his fans
and hopes that despite the weather and his absence
they managed to have a fun day at the show.
_____________
My guess is that BECK was pretty bummed
about missing his set.Hopefully he made it
back to GIANTS STADIUM,at least,for RADIOHEADS'
closing set.My friend Dena said they were
amazing.
It rained all day out there,finally letting up a little for the BEASTIE BOYS and stopping altogether
for RADIOHEAD.
:inlove:

 

[Todd Simmons]

STEELY DAN VS. METTALICA

Aside from HAIL TO THE THIEF which has
finally been released "officially" there are
a couple other new records of note out today.
STEELY DAN: EVERYTHING MUST GO
and
METTALICA: ST.ANGER
Here come your summer tunes,children.
:inlove:

 

[Todd Simmons]

GHOSTS

Went out to Fort Greene last night
to see Ibsens' GHOSTS at BAM.
It was in the Bam Harvey theatre
(where we saw WOYCEK featuring
the music of TOM WAITS)
which is a really old,decaying place
and really cool for weird theatre.
This production was directed by
the Swedish director(best known for films such
as The Seventh Seal and Persona)
and living legend,
INGMAR BERGMAN.It was a masterful production
especially when you take into account
that BERGMAN is now 85 years old.
Another modern classic about families,lies,betrayal
and temptation.A psychodrama.Performed in Swedish
and translated into English on complimentary
headsets(which DID take some getting used to).
A scandal when it was first performed in the 1800's,
it's themes are still quite relevant today.
If what he says is true,than this will be the LAST play
that INGMAR BERGMAN(also a legend in film)will ever
direct.The Wife and I felt rather honored to be in the audience
last night to witness the swan song of this
great artist.
Now through saturday at
THE BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC.
:inlove:

 

[Todd Simmons]

THE 21st MERMAID PARADE

It must be almost summer if we're talkin about the annual MERMAID PARADE in glorious Coney Island.I will not be entering this years parade but I'll be on the sidelines with a Nathans' and a cold one.Then off to the CYCLONE!!!!!!




21ST ANNIVERSARY MERMAID PARADE
SATURDAY, JUNE 21st, 2003
LOOK AT THE LIST OF 2002 PRIZE WINNERS HERE!
Look at a gallery of images from the 2001 parade here.


We are proud to announce the 21st Anniversary MERMAID PARADE which will take place on Saturday, June 21st, 2003. The parade begins at 2
pm and can be viewed on Surf Avenue between West 10th Street and West 15th Street or else on the Riegelmann Boardwalk between the same
cross streets.

IF YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PARADE:
You can register online and pay your registration fee with a credit card up to midnight on
Thursday June 19th. Registrations can also be paid in person via cash, check or money
order on weekends by visiting Sideshows by the Seashore, Surf Avenue and West 12th
Street. We will accept last minute registrations up to noon on the day of the parade.
People marching in the parade and/or float that are pulled, pushed and pedalled (i.e.,
not vehicles) will assemble on West 10th Street by Astroland's Cyclone Rollercoaster.
Antique cars will assemble on West 15th Street between Surf Avenue and the Boardwalk.
Floats built on top of cars or trucks (which are not antique vehicles) will assemble on
West 16th Street between Surf and Mermaid Avenues. We would like all participants to
arrive no earlier than 10 AM and no later than 12 NOON at your respective assembly
sites. If you arrive by car but your car in not driving in the parade you will have to find a
parking lot or parking space on your own. Bathrooms will be available on West 10th
Street courtesy of Astroland and the Coney Island Museum at 1208 Surf Avenue will be
available as a mass Dressing Room for those who need to change into costumes.

IF YOU ARE JUST PLANNING ON WATCHING THE PARADE:
The annual MERMAID PARADE is the biggest day of the year at Coney Island and draws a
very well behaved but large crowd. You should plan on arriving early to claim a viewing
space on the street or Boardwalk and you should anticipate long lines at rides,
restaurants and parking lots. Rides will open approximately noon and the parade begins at 2 pm. Once the parade itself is over there are
additional post-parade activities at Astroland at Surf Avenue and West 10th Street. All parade events will conclude around 6 PM but rides will
remain open past midnight.

NEW ADDED ATTRACTION “THE MERMAID PARADE BALL”
This year Peggy O’Neill’s Restaurant and Bar located at Keyspan Park home of The Brooklyn Cyclones, 1904 Surf Avenue, Coney Island is
sponsoring the MERMAID PARADE BALL. The festivities will begin at 8pm and will be $10 at the door. Included in the price is food and fantastic
entertainment. This is an event to continue celebrating the beginning of summer and to keep on wearing your dazzling costume or even
change into a fancy costume ball gown or suit.
:inlove:

 

[Todd Simmons]

THE SIREN FESTIVAL-SAT.JULY 19th

THE SIREN FESTIVAL is a great concert that
the Village Voice is sponsoring for
the 3rd year in a row in Coney Island(home to the aforementioned MERMAID PARADE).I missed last years show
due to laziness brought on by extreme heat/humidity.
But two years ago I was THERE for the inaugral
Siren Fest,featuring PEACHES,QUASI,
GUIDED BY VOICES and THE JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION.It was hot there next to The Cyclone
Rollercoaster.But it was rocktastic!!There are a lot of sideline attractions,as well,that make it worth the trip.
The Freak Show,The beach,The Atlantic Ocean,Nathans hotdogs and,of course,the price:FREE.
The Wife and I will be there this summer.
CONEY ISLAND! :up:
Here is this years line-up:

2003
Live On 2 Outdoor Stages!
Modest Mouse
Idlewild
The Datsuns
Hot Hot Heat
Sahara Hotnights
Radio 4
Ted Leo/Pharmacists
!!!, The Kills
Northern State
The Dirtbombs
The Pattern, Oneida
The Witnesses
Plus: DJ Boozy Jo, DJ Bag Lady
Lil' Miss Trish, Femme Fatale DJs
LG and M Rock spinning!
Saturday, July 19, 2003
12:00pm - 9:00pm
Free! All-Ages!
See you there(unless you're out in The Hamptons,of course)
:inlove: