Poptarticus

Yesterday I got an early morning call that The Shins have a San Diego date, and that tickets were going on sale today.

It’s true, they are coming to San Diego, but for some reason this is all totally under the radar. I bought tickets on the Shins website YESTERDAY. Just like that, got tickets. No racing heart, no trying to put the stupid code into a box on Ticketmaster and failing to get it right three times as the clock ticks.

They are playing at the hated SOMA, but beggars can’t be choosers, right? Lucky San Francisco gets them for two nights at the Warfield. Tickets go on sale at Ticketmaster tomorrow but you can get them from the Shins website TODAY. Go! Go!

Mark is pretty bummed about the SOMA thing. We both HATE that venue. And they are playing a show in Berlin just a few days after I get home (causing me to go into fits.) Still, I am just happy that I got tickets, because I love, love, love this band.

Arcade Fire at the Greek in Berkeley also goes on sale tomorrow at 10:00. This year is looking pretty stellar so far, show wise. I’m kind of jealous of the Bay Area peeps at the moment, but having tickets to see Arcade Fire in Berlin doesn’t suck, does it?

This is totally cool. Someone morphed the fight scene from Rumble Fish and Arcade Fire’s Intervention. Motorcycle Boy!

Also, whatever happened to Vincent Spano?

Two weeks to go ’till Neon Bible comes out, and I can hardly sit still. ARCADE FIRE, dudes. Remember?

Call this number NOW: 1-866-NEON-BIBLE. My god, could they be any cooler?

NPR has a live Arcade Fire show up - check it out. And this song gives me chills:

As for me. I am seeing Arcade Fire next month - IN BERLIN. I love that all the best bands sing in English. It’s definitely a plus for me. Plus I can ask the bartender for Rot Wein. Whoo hoo!

I think I can count the things I love on one hand. Well, maybe two hands if I really think about it. Once thinking, you’ve got to think about things in terms of; do I really and truly love something, or do I just like it? Because those are two completely different things. It’s a the difference between merely living, and orgasm. Or even, between living and something better than orgasm. If that makes any sense.

Observe, then, a moment that completely and totally slays me - a moment so perfect, so atmospheric, so Totally Killer, that I can’t really imagine anywhere else I would rather be.

Imagine you are me for a minute, if you can. In a big, dark cavern, with a musty, wet smell, full of the most incredible anticipation, surrounded by like-minded people. About to touch, briefly, something you listen to and think about and even dream about for months beforehand. Close your eyes, and imagine you are me, in this dark spot, practically falling over with happiness.

It makes you want a little more, doesn’t it? It’s a bit of a harsh reality at the end there, isn’t it? But thankfully, there is more. THERE IS MORE!

Pretty fucking awesome, I must say. My current obsession with The Shins won’t be over anytime soon.

Well, I’m back, and ready to start boring you all again with my too frequent music posts.

I guess, to be totally honest, I am not sure how I feel about this. Actually I am pretty sure it kind of freaks me out.

Yeah, they rock it, even though the crowd in front doesn’t really seem to give two shits. And now, the Police have announced they’ll tour. The Police! Who hate each other! I always figured that when the Police gave in and forgave each other, I’d have to hang it all up.

I guess I am just being unrealistic, also selfish. I also hated the fact that Prince was on the Super Bowl, but then I loved his show. I think I mostly hated that stupid ad. Even though I hated the ad and the fact that Prince was on the Super Bowl, I still couldn’t wait to watch his performance. Does that mean I will have to go to one of the Police shows? God, I hope not.

There are some things that are sacred and shouldn’t be dredged up after over twenty years. Like, 1984. Though I have to admit that I was totally thrilled, during the freeking Super Bowl Halftime Show of all places, to hear those first seconds of 1999 (which actually came out in, what, 1982?) I think I am mostly horrified to think I will be one of those aging yuppifieds that will go to this show and be all happy and start screaming “sending out an SOS” over and over when they play “Message in a Bottle.” I am terrified of getting old. But I AM old. Also, GETTING OLDER.

I guess it could be worse. I guess I could have been into a band like, I dunno, someone who is currently tearing it up at some random casino in the middle of nowhere. Instead I am horrified that I might spend several hundred dollars to see a band that I used to love but now sort of hate because they stopped hating each other. Also, the thought of Sting practicing his Tantric love shit on a new wave of groupies just makes me want to hurl.

Oh well. At least, to date, The Clash remains sacred.

“These People”
A Rap by Marcel Vigneron

for all the haters out there…

The rhymes:

As soon as I came to this spot
You started trying to make me out to be something I’m not
It’s taken every ounce that I’ve got
Not to pop you in the face!

And you have no grounds to base your accusations off of
Cause your buildings built on quicksand

You say my food lacks fundamentals like salt and peppa
And I’m like yo man, whatever!

I don’t even get stressed
because I know at the end of the day
My food is, FUCKING SOIGNE!

(I hope Marcel doesn’t me mind sharing this with my loyal readers. The fact that I am behind him one hundred percent based on his total goofballidity isn’t swayed by this completely insane poem. Don’t quit your day job, Marcel…)

I stole this from Dead Air Space. I hope Radiohead doesn’t mind.

I love this picture. Radiohead is recording and this is what they do on their day off. Maybe.

So, next year, new records from Radiohead, Wilco and Spoon. How awesome is that? I had better start saving now for the summer tours.

No new Top Chef tonight. I don’t know whether to be pissed off or relieved. Whatever. We all had a hard day, so let’s have a little nighttime enjoyment.

I guess I am showing my age here, but I remember when these guys were on the cover of Tiger Beat. I thought they were kind of lame, but now I like the guitar hook in that song and also, that drummer totally trips me out. He’s like, Happy Drummer. And on the other side of the mirror, the punk movement was in it’s infancy.

Even today, you don’t see too many Happy Drummers. It’s no longer considered cool to look like that.

The other day I went into the dregs of Tower Records and on a whim picked up the Starlight Mint’s Drowaton. These guys are from Norman, OK. What is up with Oklahoma these days? I wonder if they hang out with Kayne?

Anyhow I can’t stop listening to this CD. I LOVE it. Check it out:

I need to start paying more attention - this band was just here and I MISSED them. Bad Shannon!

I wouldn’t say my life has been boring lately, I just haven’t felt like writing about it. I have so much writing to do that I think I am anti-writing. I haven’t written anything about Spain yet and it has been almost two months. That is scary.

Oh well maybe I’ll get started this weekend.

Anyhow. Today is the release date of a new 2 Pac CD. That guy sure is productive seeing how he has been dead for ten years. Thinking about 2 Pac though, always makes me think of California Love. I love this song. And this is one crazy video, 2 Pac and Dr. Dre’s tribute to not only California, but also to Mad Max.

That’ll wake your ass up.

Jeff Buckley would have been 40 years old today. I have been listening to his records all day and feel an almost unbearable melancholy.

He’s had an immense influence on current music and also, he had an immense influence on me personally. I loved him, I still love him. Grace is a record that everyone - and especially, every woman - should own. It is a thing of great beauty. A recording that will make you cry, every time. I can’t imagine life without it. I am serious.

It’s so sad to watch this video knowing now, that he wouldn’t be around much longer.

My god. That voice. It’s impossible not to get goosebumps.