Monthly Archive for January, 2008

Spam!


January 18, 2008
Secret Owl

WTF

I’m really busy working on the new collective site so today’s entry will not be about music, because that requires me to actually think.

I received this in my email the other day, it’s from a poor fellow named “Alberto George”, and he somehow managed to find a computer and email me (maybe he’s a Secret Owl Society fan?) from Cuba, despite the fact that he’s incredibly poor. The ‘eloquent’ sir wants me to help him with his druggy-inherited 4 million dollars! How could I refuse?

My name is Alberto George, and I am writing you from my home in Santa
Clara, about 165 miles east of Havana, the Capital City of Cuba. Santa
Clara is known for two landmarks; The famous Revolutionary,CheGuevera
is buried here; and it is home to one of Cuba’s largest universities,La
Universidad Central”Martha Abreu” de Las Villas.

This is a compelling story, and I beg you to be patient and read
through to the end…I was adopted in1962, at age 14 months by
Mr.Giovanni George, the Sugar, cocoa and tobacco millionaire; some say
he also made his fortune from the lucrative illicit drugs
trade.

My adoption brought so much controversy (probably because I am black
and a deaf), that Mr. George was forced by his family to put me into a
foster home at age 5 ,where I stayed until maturity; Like most Cuban
youths,I dreamt of freedom, which every one here knows is called
America; like most youths, in time, I joined an Anti-Castro group and
that merited automatic 24 hours round the clock surveillance by the
Secret Police, but this is also normal in Cuba!

Mr. George, my father nevertheless funded my education through the
above mentioned university, where I graduated in Automobile
Engineering. I am now a mechanic, making just enough to take care of my
wife Maria, and 3 boys, Junior, Jose, and Giovanni. Sadly, My father
died Few months ago; left only his wife and family (he died childless),
and I was not invited to his funeral by his family, but we mourned him
deeply; I had no memory of my real father; but I loved him for his
kindness to me; he frequently defied his family to visit me…When I got
married, he gave my wife a ring present which we later found out was a
diamond ring! His Last Will and testament was read and probated. No
mention was made of me and my family. Understandably,I carried on with
my life.

But before his death; he then invited me and my family, there he told
me that he made the deposit of (FOUR MILLION UNITED STATE
DOLLARS) in a private security deposit firm in Abidjan city of Ivory
coast,that he wanted to use this fund to invest in his cocoa
and tobacco business in Ivory Coast…He then handedall the deposit
documents of the consignment to me andask me to keep it confidential,
that even the Security Deposit Firm does not know that the Consignment
kept in their custody contains money; According to him, hedeposited it
as a family valuables in my name; He thenexplained to me that he has
instructed the Ivory CoastSecurity Deposit Firm to contact me as the
Rightbeneficiary to the consignment; therefore arrange and
ship the consignment to me.
He again warned me to maintain the highest level ofconfidentiality of
the consignment, especially to his family members as they will deny me
the possesion of the money if they find out that such money has been
deposited in my name as the beneficiary! I therefore kept the documents
confidentially as instructed by my late father waiting for the right
time to transfer the consignment to safety abroad and arrange to travel
out of Cuba with my family!

Some weeks ago, I received a letter from the private Security deposit
firm in Ivory Coast, and the contents of that letter put me into shock!
The manager of the Firm asked me to contact them immediately for the
arrangement of transfering my inheritance to me as they are now facing
political crisis/war which may start anytime from now and they never
know when it will come to an end! I kept the letter for a week
without mentioning it to my wife. Eventually I revealed everything to
her…apparently My late father,Mr. George had provided for us after all!

The letter from the Manager explained that the political crisis may
bring about the losing of the consignments in their custody; that they
have alerted all their clients to come forward and claim their
consignments….He also explained to me that according to the terms and
agreement reached with my late father, the consignment deposited as a
family valuables were to be delivered to me (The Beneficiary) as
instructed by my late father; The manager of this firm in his letter
therefore invited me to come forward to Ivory Coast, to claim my
Inheritance! Or arrange with the them to ship the consignment to me.

But this simple invitation to travel to Ivory Coast or arrange with
them to transfer the consignment to Cuba here is fraught with problems!
I have no International Passport! It is impossible to travel out
of Cuba,unless with special permission which will of course take months
of paperwork to procure…As an Anti-Castro sympathizer , I have
absolutely no hope of leaving Cuba legally…The only option is to leave
by illegal ferry to the American Coast of Miami, which is extremely
dangerous…Every one knows that success rate is about 20%, the unlucky
get captured and repatriated back, to prison! But the rich and the
connected have a better chance by using low flying aircraft ( which
will beat the Cuban Radar) to smuggle them selves out! And there is no
way I can transfer the consignment to Cuba here as Cuban government as
well as my family members may seize the money!

I therefore desperately need your help! I need you to contact the
Ivory Coast Company on my behalf and arrange with them to ship the
consignment to you as the “Consignee”; secure the fund from the
Company, Once the money is secured, I will make the usual
underground deal to be smuggled out of Cuba by aircraft, to freedom!

I really need your help urgently! And there is absolutely NO RISK to
you in this transaction; The consignment will arrive your end through
aircargo fully insured with its necessary documents; I and my
family are the ones at risk as we cannot travel out of Cuba easily to
meet with you…

If you are willing to help me recover this my inheritance, please so
indicate in your return reply mail and I will follow up with more
details of the Ivory coast Company contact address and also more
details of this transaction. You will then contact the Ivory Coast
Security Deposit Company as the “Consignee” and thereafter arrange with
them to ship the consignment to you to close the deal on my behalf
and put the (FOUR MILLION DOLLARS) safely into the Banking
system…

In consideration of your expenses during the course of this
transaction, I freely offer you 30% of the total fund…..

Looking forward to your urgent reply,

Sincerely,

Alberto George

HERE IS MY RESPONSE:

Good lord, that’s terrible! I’ll certainly help you out; it’s a good thing you decided to contact the Collective. We’re a very anti-Castro group, and we’ve plenty of money to spare for a good cause. How could I refuse to help my fellow man in need?

I must say, you’re an incredibly lucky man (no offense meant); my grandfather happens to live in Cocody! What’s the address of the firm; I’ll call him as soon as you’ve responded. If everything goes well we can meet you in Florida within two days!

Please respond as quickly as possible, Alberto; I’ll be waiting.

For some reason, he has yet to respond. Perhaps Castro has risen from the dead and eaten him up?

Tinyfolk: Bill (2007)


January 17, 2008
foggy ruins of time

Album Review Collective Family

This is a “classic” review of mine. =D

One of my favorite records of 2007.

Original Post Date: Saturday, September 22, 2007

Tinyfolk’s new album Bill is the most epic lo-fi album I’ve ever heard. For the uninitiated Tinyfolk comes from the mind of Russ Woods (and sometimes Meghan Lamb) and is from Indiana. On occasion Russ’s voice reminds me of Daniel Johnston, but his standard instrument of choice is a baritone ukulele. As Tinyfolk he writes quirky, cute songs with a dash of longing behind all of them. I’ve had the pleasure of playing a show with him a few months back and he was so nice and just as adorable in person. But I should get back to Bill. If you were expecting another “Love Is A Thing” you are gravely mistaken. Right out of the gate “Antlers” begins as a fantasy-like spoken word exchange before melting into a baroque world of animals and beasts and then it gallops into a desperate rhythm questioning a girl’s motivation. And this is only in the first song. My favorite song on the album “Dear Apollo” comes next and showcases Russ’s unique voice killing that Daniel Johnston comparison I made earlier. The way he sings the chorus “And they cry out to me” is simply sublime (you can only sing it loudly when sung aloud). On the entire album Tinyfolk greatly increases his repertoire with expansive and interesting arrangements not limited to: samples of bird calls, banjos, piano, and synthesizers. The exponential increase does not take away any of Tinyfolk’s charm and in fact his voice is the center for all of the songs on Bill. The nostalgic sounding, but forward thinking “Really Blue: A Tale of Unrequited (Perhaps) Romance and Lizardry” really grinds itself deep into our own feelings towards the past and longing. Russ sings, “The skies looking bluer than I ever remembered it being during high school/it’s like you and me we’ve got a sea way up above our heads/it’s really, really, blue/And I know you could never love a lizard boy like me/but on a big wet sunny day like this I like to just pretend/so don’t take me seriously” His voice belts earnestly while a beautiful synth line weaves its way along the poetry. “You Can Call Me Al” a cover of a Paul Simon song from his album Graceland is a fantastic cover because it is sung like it isn’t one. It follows the arrangement pretty closely (using the same horn arrangement but on synths humorously this time) but I would never know that it was a cover if I hadn’t heard the original! I know some might say the point of that previous statement is obvious, but some covers reveal their original artists quite easily (Any Beatles cover pretty much). The other cover on Bill is also a highlight. “(There’s) Always Something There to Remind Me (written as “Always Something There” on this album)” is a Burt Bacharach song, but I will always remember the 1980s version from the band Naked Eyes (Those “Best of the 80s” compilation ads played every five minutes when I was a kid!). This song is the last song on the album and returns to some familiar territory from his previous album “Platapeasawallaland”: A Rainy-Day Owlbum. It’s simple, cute, and Meghan sings on it! It is very effective at making this infectious tune even more infectious. Bill is a sprawling epic of an album, but maintains a high level of intimacy and a bit of humor that makes listening fun and more enjoyable each time. I put it on more and more each day.

Tinyfolk-”Dear Apollo”

Links:
tinyfolk.com
Tinyfolk on myspace
Get Bill and many more great music from Pop Monster Collective

the bee bit my bottom, now my bottom’s big


January 17, 2008
errandboy

Artist Review

Collections of Colonies of Bees? Who?

I found out about this band almost by accident a few weeks ago, absent-mindedly following one of those recommendations sites like last.fm give you, which never pan out and lead you on a blind chase of “you like guitars? this band has guitars too, logically you must love them”… But this was being linked from a math rock band, and if there’s one thing I pride myself on, it’s all-encompassing knowledge of bands who like finger-tapping and have amazing drummers.

Collections of Colonies of Bees do not love finger-tapping. They love laptops, and they love banjos, their drummer is amazing and they love me, and we’re going to get married. From every song of theirs I heard I got a refresher of everything I remembered I loved about music and wanted to hear. Though they aren’t math rock, members of the band do come from the band Pele, from Chicago. Everything they’ve put out has kind of defied labels and description, but half of their albums sound like Greg Davis is sitting in with half of a bluegrass band and the drummer from Appleseed Cast (in case this is one of those descriptions that only make sense in my head, read: glitchy laptop + banjos/acoustic guitar + tasteful drum playing with lots of cymbals) and they have actually been making albums since 1998. Now why am I only hearing about them now? Their 33 minute song “Stuck” alone should have been on my playlist years ago, it’s the most patiently built electronics, and i’ve never before wanted to call a snare drum beautiful.

Their new album “Birds” should get them attention, it’s an amazing album that works with post-rock tendencies and structures, without bludgeoning casual listeners with some of their more esoteric electronics. “Flocks III” (the 4 songs on the album are titled Flocks I-IV) one of the standouts, is a highlight reel of their best work; every part of the band harmonizing beautifully at once. The whole song is rich with engrossing details but the quiet moment at 4:10 with marching drums and quiet electronic buzzing leading up to the band coalescing at 5:20 sounds like the first perfect sound of 2008.

“Birds” is out January 22nd on Table of the Elements

www.collectionsofcoloniesofbees.net

Jonathan Goldstein and Wiretap


January 16, 2008
Tinyfolk

Radio

jonathan goldstein

Jonathan Goldstein is hilarious. I think. He’s got a dry sense of humor that is at times hilarious, though he’s constantly interrogating why exactly what he does is funny. He does this through a number of tropes, most regularly the tried and true “witty banter from a self-deprecating Jew” mode that made Lenny Bruce and Woody Allen so popular, but the format in which he does it is, I think, the most original thing about his material.

Jonathan Goldstein hosts a radio show on CBC Radio 1 and Sirius Satellite Radio called Wiretap. Basically the show is made up of a series of pasted-together audio snippets consisting of narrative monologues (most notably, Jonathan has done a number of hilarious versions of bible stories, including one in which David’s real reason for killing Goliath is because he didn’t like Goliath’s anti-semitic comedic stylings and thought killing him with a rock would be a laugh riot that would put both the Israelites and God in stitches), interviews with people who have strange occupations or goals, but mostly just recorded phone conversations between him, a number of his friends, and even his parents. There’s your run-on sentence for the day.

Before doing Wiretap, Jonathan worked on This American Life, which is where I was first exposed to him. He’s also written a wonderful book called Lenny Bruce is Dead that I would recommend to any Goldstein fans interested in reading his material as well as listening to it. Unfortunately, however, unless you’re a Sirius Satellite radio customer (I’m not), there’s no way to listen to his show in the states legally (unless CBC has begun podcasting it, which last I heard they were not), though if you do some googling you can find websites with illegal podcasts of the episodes.

To give you an idea, here’s a video featuring Jonathan and one of the regular guests, Howard:

Pat Regan Knows How To Sing Them Blues And Capture A Crowd


January 16, 2008
foggy ruins of time

Artist Review MP3 Quickie

Pat Regan (who attends USC) is a guy who knows how to win over a crowd and write some damn fine simple folk/blues songs that will get in your head. He’s like Paul Baribeau with a sense of humor, or Shakey Bones but not as drunk. Humorous comparisons aside, Pat Regan wants to play for you and your friends and has a lot of great gems to offer.

“I Don’t Understand” is potential hit-making material. A song about the awkwardness of burgeoning sexuality and society’s obsession with it, Pat Regan knows that he doesn’t know, but finds solace in that it just has to be this way. He understands that it is a natural part of growing up and all the live journals and myspaces and magazines are going about it the wrong way.

The single strum electric guitar song might be a sub-genre all on its own, but I’m moved every time. “In The Shade” even features a lonesome, perfectly accented harmonica that kills you when it echoes in after the choruses. I haven’t listened to it enough yet to get the lyrics, but I’m already moved beyond comprehension.

Pat Regan drove up to Santa Barbara to play at my (Existential Hero’s) farewell show and I requested “People Who Never Played For The Chicago Bulls” because it’s hilarious. Pat with his amazing stage presence started asking people to shout out other people who haven’t “played for the Chicago Bulls.” He did some impromptu rhyming to Prince and Shaq and in general kept everyone dancing and smiling.

A newer song, “We Got The Science,” contains the great line, “Natural causes aren’t causes worth dying for.” It is a satire on our society’s obsession with youth to the point that eventually we will cure death. It’s a Vonnegut-like waltz that is more prophetic than we’d all like to believe.

Pat Regan has an amazing infectious presence that I saw unfold before me in my old apartment and I think it carries over extremely well to his recorded music as well. You’ll be moved and moving at the same time.

Pat Regan-“We Got The Science”

Links:
Pat Regan on myspace

LACRYMOSA - “WOLF SNARE”


January 14, 2008
Parade Parade

Artist Review MP3 Quickie

Lacrymosa consists of one (1) Caitlin Pasko, one of the sweetest singer-songwriters you will find in the Village. While one may be tempted to label her Spektor-esque at first (”Lacrimosa” is the title of a Regina Spektor song, and Caitlin possibly drops a couple other references throughout her music), it would be hasty and unwise to write her off as such- she offers much more than that.

Her songs range from lilting waltzes to schizophrenic bursts of piano pounding, often ending up a satisfyingly chaotic mixture of the two elements. Her voice perfectly complements this musical yin-yang: it reads sometimes sad, sometimes joyous, (these overtones reveal themselves through her cryptically beautiful lyrics) and after a few listens, it seems safe to say that Caitlin has a proficiency in both languages.

One of my favorite songs of Caitlin’s is undoubtedly a track called “Wolf Snare.” Her voice and piano are enhanced with a ghostly reverb, it echoes and bounces around in your head and after a couple piano-key hits, you find yourself seduced and hooked in to the personal yarn that Caitlin’s begun to spin.

An irritating music snob might be tempted to say that she’s like Cat Power but more complicated, Mia Doi Todd but more classical, Regina Spektor but more controlled. But if you hear someone say any of these things, you should push them down and tell them to shut up, because Lacrymosa is just fucking wonderful and you should just listen.


Lacrymosa - “Wolf Snare”

want more? here’s her myspace.

Wabash


January 14, 2008
morion

Live Music

I’ve got 15 minutes before Sunday is over which is just enough time to make a nice and rambly post about my musical endeavors of late.

Firstly and most important is Wabash.

Wabash is a strapping young lad by the name of Griffin living in Decatur, Illinois and also you and all of your friends– or at least this is the case if you have the pleasure of attending one of his shows.

Quite a treat it was Saturday. The show began by the throwing of woodblocks, triangles, maracas, egg shakers, drums and noisemakers of all shapes and sizes into the crowd. As you can imagine, there was a large commotion and then as Griffin began to sing and play his portable Yamaha, on the floor, silence……..THEN an amazing web of pretty well coordinated percussion. I was on some clocker sticks myself I felt they were pretty integral. As, I imagine most people felt of their own craft and the room was full with a warmth the other acts couldn’t muster.

It wasn’t just turning the audience into the band that made it so good. Wabash’s songs are very captivating. I haven’t yet finished his album, but it is much more bare from what I have heard. Just vocal and pianos mostly. Great production, courtesy of PJ records. So, I guess I will say for now: see him when you can and check out his myspace. Also, keep your eyes peeled in the collective releases because I get the feeling he would be happy to contribute.

P.S. If you live close to Decatur come see Wabash, Brother Bird, Milly Geronimo, Regal Standard, Good Night and Good Morning and me, Morgan Orion (I’m opening)!!!

Thursday, January 17th 7 PM

3280 E. Garfield Ave.

It’s going to be delicious!

http://www.myspace.com/griffineugeneiswabash

P.P.S I was going to mention something else, but it’s already Monday here. Well at least this is finished by the west coast deadline. I’ll save it for next week.

Love,
Morgan

Yann Tiersen- Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amelie Poulain


January 13, 2008
rhiannon

Cinema/Television

In my dismal quest to complete all my college work before the end of the Christmas holidays I found myself reading Shakespeare’s Measure For Measure alone in my bed, feeling a little lonesome. Due to my inability to take in any information whilst decent music is playing I often find myself having to choose between keeping up with my work and playing some kickin’ choons. Then the solution hit me: INSTRUMENTALS! I found the key to this to be Yann Tieren’s soundtrack to the popular flick Amelie (Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amelie Poulain), and even though I’ve seen the film a number of times before and have come over the songs themselves, I still felt totally shocked about the absolute greatness of it. My favourite track, Le Deux Pianos is a delightfully twinkly piano duet (as the name would suggest) that badly makes me want to practice my piano a lot more and get beyond grade 2.

After consulting my French-studying sister over the translations of the titles we noticed that a running theme of the soundtrack is a waltz. They pop up all over the place, played on an array of instruments including pianos, strings and accordions. Sometimes the music feels really simple and traditional for about a minute, but it almost always steps up into something totally unreserved and becomes this big French orchestra freak out. Wonderful, wonderful stuff.

Photobucket

Sounding original, kitsch, cute and more than a little funky, if I was granted a soundtrack to my life I would definitely want it to be this.

 

I’m sorry I can’t find a URL this time. Have a pleasant week.

A Drum is ferociously attacking that Window!


January 10, 2008
Secret Owl

Album Review Collective Family

A DRUM AND AN OPEN WINDOW!
IS NOT AFRAID OF ANYTHING.
ESPECIALLY NOT “THERE WILL BE FIELDS FOR US”.

That’s their album, the one in quotes. And it’s fantastic. It makes me nod my head! The lyrics are brilliant, the music is brilliant, the rhythm is brilliant; everything is brilliant. The songs make you feel like you’re right there with them on their adventures. I keep imagining myself riding around the country in a beat up Oldsmobile (don’t ask me why), always escaping some ensuing mayhem and getting in-betwixt shenanigans wherever I travel.

Also, the songs make me think of Italian food, for some reason.

Nevertheless, this album is fantastic, and very happy! I was already in a happy mood before I listened to it, but if I WAS in a bad mood, now I would be in a good one! It’s that happy. Very happy, yet somehow nostalgic.

I miss the old days. You really never will know how dark it is until you turn the lights off.

Download “There Will Be Fields For Us” here at the collective!
Visit ADAAOW’s myspace!


A Drum and an Open Window - Overcoats

The Field makes music with straw.


January 10, 2008
Secret Owl

Artist Review

The Field is one mysterious bearded man from Sweden who makes gorgeous, glitchy minimalistic techno. He got signed two years ago to Kompakt and now he’s busting out of his socks with his new album, “From Here We Go Sublime”.

It’s a bunch of beautiful, swirling tracks that make you dance, even though you feel as if maybe your speakers are broken and they’re repeating the same sound over and over again (but, y’know, when it sounds that awesome, who cares?). Strange chunks of singing, oft repeated and twirled, leave you feeling as if you just stepped off a bus and landed in Brazil, instead of two blocks downtown.

He’s up for all sorts of awards, and he’s done his fair share of remixing. His myspace mirrors his minimalist aesthetic, and it makes me want to grow a beard.

hisss MYSPACE!