Sinister: the octoberists. D-R rock rings anew.

[Kevin Hyde]

Hi Sinisterines and -ettes,


DISASTER RELIEF

First off, the hurricane which struck the land mass known as North
America about two weeks ago, specifically its chin (the Southeast! Where
I live!), forced me to flee with my trusty Buick between my legs. A
well-deserved break of 12 days followed, during which I luckily was able
to download "Step into my office, baby" from Insound.com before they
took it down (did anyone else notice this? Is anyone else mystified by
the mp3's disappearance?). The song is pretty amazing, in my opinion.
Having not heard any more of the album, I really don't have anything to
add ballast to my raving, or temper my love of it, but yeah: it's grand.
The beginning felt like such a departure, such a welcome departure, that
I was nearly entranced by the handy Windows Media Player 'ambient
bubble' visualization (which always struck me as being particularly
tailored for stoners). I'm going to buy the album the day it comes out,
like the shameless fanboy that I am. 


DATE-RAPE ROCK GETS ITS 'WHITE ALBUM'

That's right, John Mayer. The man him-fucking-self. Released a new album
in the beginning of September I think, by the name of "Heavier Things".
Album cover features just a picture of him and his guitar. Suggesting a
'back to basics' approach perhaps? Indeed. With his new follower (Jason
Mraz, an addition to the post-Mayer canon of D-R rock) doing quite well
for himself (and by 'quite' I mean: he's on VH1. Aww.), John obviously
wanted to reclaim his position as king of the prognathic-jawed. Let me
just talk for a second about his new video. He is playing guitar and
singing on a street. People start to walk over to the wall of amplifiers
which sits at a cul-de-sac, ignoring poor John in the process. Only a
very perceptive and tightly-clothed young lady (this video was evidently
filmed in a very cold studio as well. Ahem.), whose perspicacity may
even be a direct result of her breast size, stops and smiles coyly at
John, realizing that he is the source of this INSANELY GORGEOUS MELODY.
Basically, the moral lesson presented by this awesome piece of film is
that playing music makes you a pariah at first, but what the fuck does
that matter when you consider the enlightened groupies? I can almost
hear the fluorescent tubes of thought humming to life above a thousand
frat-boy (is there a U.K. equivalent to this stereotype?) heads- "Damn,
you mean. Wait. Is this video saying what I think it is? Yes. Good God.
That girl is so hot. I can get girls that hot, with the help of this
song?.", etc. The sales of "Heavier Things" will be fueled by mothers
who have discriminating tastes in dishwashing liquid, and guys who use
impregnation as relationship therapy. 

The only mitigating factor in all of this comes from the August issue of
The Believer, which contains an interview with Questlove, the drummer of
The Roots. He says that he played with Mayer a few times in the studio,
and that JM is writhing within the constraints of his major label deal,
and longs to make an album that is (as Questlove says) on par with
D'Angelo's "Voodoo", which he apparently has the talent to do. Pretty
cool. I hope he does it. 


THE DECEMBERISTS

Are pretty much the equal of B&S, in storytelling song power. Castaways
and Cutouts is also my vote for the (reissue) make-out record of this
year, just beating out Neil Young's "Hawks and Doves". I can't get
enough of a band that has lines like "but the angles and the
corners/even though my work is unparalleled/they never seem to meet".
Hot damn! The boy can write a song. I would recommend this album to
anyone who likes fun. 


I HATE FUN

I was recently shamed into dancing the Charleston in front of 30 of my
own employees (long story). Of all the retro dances that you might
choose to do, I'd suggest refraining from the Charleston. It's not a
particularly dignified dance, and I'd say that, all things being equal,
I would rather have gone with the Watusi. Not my choice though. 


off to consult my dancing atlas, 


Kevin



P.S. Happy après-belated birthday to Laura Llew- you're the only person
I've ever known to use the word defenestration outside of my 10th grade
European history class. Awesome.  



  

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