J and I fought all the time. It wasn’t that I didn’t love him, I did, but I knew I wasn’t in love with him. He was a rebound, a boy I met after my first true love knocked the wind out of me. When J and I met I was doing crazy things like dancing in typhoon rains and writing love songs in G-D-Em-Am chord progressions, for the boy who broke my 20-year-old heart.
J saved me, in a way: he taught me what a real relationship was. How the mundane, the annoying, and the sweet were all rolled up together, indivisible, as if you’d rolled up oatmeal and raisins in cookie dough. J would pick me up from work in a heavily guarded building in the middle of a busy business district. I was almost always late, but he’d drive around the block for 30 minutes until I appeared, breathless and running, by his door. I bought him a pug. I met his parents, we vacationed in Cebu with his family. Sometimes he would have lunch with my mom without me, they liked each other that much.
But the fights were always terrible — I always felt that he was holding me back, from someone, something, somehow. I remember a particularly bad one: we were eating at a pretty high-end restaurant, the kind with oysters on half-shells served with mignonettes and Lalique wine glasses. I told him I couldn’t eat while looking at his face in front of me, and could he please leave. He got up, stood outside the restaurant and waited for me to finish dinner, then brought me home.
Our relationship may have evolved out of my need for a lot less emotional intensity, but it taught me a lot about the push and pull of coupledom. I learned how to give of myself, I held my anger. However, the feeling of being trapped never left me– it contradicted the fact that I grew to love him exponentially the longer we were together. I didn’t understand it, and in the end we broke up after being together almost three years. I still consider him one of my dearest friends.
This was my song for J:
At one of those breaking up and getting back together moments, J told me this was his song for me.
2005
D played bass in a band that my (then) band gigged with fairly often; we’d bump into each other at random shows and eventually became each other’s band contacts. Setting up shows together evolved to watching shows of other bands together; he was always down to go to a concert and I always had a (+1). We were both music nerds; he knew everything there was to know about Brit-pop and LA bands, and he was constantly making me mix CDs. I was going through a crazy period in my life, though, and my feelings for him were constantly vacillating between fondness and love and friendship and nothing. He introduced me to Myspace, the Magic Numbers, and girls who stalked me and left me mean messages on the Internetz because they liked him.
“I never thought you wanted me to stay, so I left you with the girls that came your way”: I heard this Magic Numbers song and immediately related it to D.
One day, this song came on the radio. He said he felt this way about me: “Everybody wants to go forever/I just wanna burn up hard and bright/I just wanna be your firecracker/And maybe be your baby tonight.”
2009
I always thought this was the most beautiful love song written, and was so jealous of everything about it — Conor Oberst is such a poet, and he was lucky to have loved somebody else so much, he wrote this song, which inspired this video. I’d always tear up watching it, it was better than Oprah.
I always wanted to be one of the people in this video, and feel every uber-intense gooey seratonin-induced emotion that love gives you. And now I am.
And I realize that I need you, and I wondered if I could come home.
Brian, Lille, and I are feeling a bit on the emo side as of late, perhaps because, sadly, as much as this season has sparkled with euphoric, for-the-record-book moments, the summer of death has billowed above the entire time. So rather than wait to feel even more depressed on Valentine’s Day, we’re going retrograde with these next series of posts with a list of our favorite love songs.
Four nostalgic love tunes, three from the past and one current track. I suppose in doing this top love songs post, we’ll find some comfort in the ongoing search for treasure at the end of the rainbow. It is there. Bear with the mush, it’s comfy.
Let’s get started.
Instead of mulling over quasi-horrific “love” tunes like “I Wanna Sex You Up,” “Is This Love,” or “Glory of Love,” that seriously engulfed my childhood-tween years, I’d rather fast-forward to the moment in which love really entered my consciousness.
Although the Cure’s “Pictures of You” wasn’t timely during the ‘97 school year at San Francisco State, it made a significant impact on my freshman, undefiled heart with a particular comic book artist who loved the Cure. Our relationship which was construed as obsessed and drama-laced, was actually the most raw, I think, I have ever been, you know, a solid “Dawson’s Creek” sort of thing. And I was in it. He played this song for me one morning. Instantly I knew the song summed up our entire time together, and foreshadowed his departure at the end of the year.
During the next phase of my adult life (er, like a year or two later), my heart melted at any sound that was brought forth by a Latino musician from Los Angeles, who willingly opened my musical realm to bands from South America, specifically Argentina. Los Enanitos Verdes and Soda Stereo have some of the most lyrically passionate songs. One in particular track, “Luz De Dia,” is completely enchanting and sensual. It’s mainly about giving in to a lover and forgetting about everyone else. I wish I could translate it all now, but the leg-work will do you good. I honestly thought this tune would be our wedding song. Funny now, but still an amazing song.
There’s no possible way I could do a love song post without mentioning Pearl Jam. They consoled every crush that I endured through my junior and high school years, whether it was with “Black,” “Yellow Ledbetter,” “Release,” or “Breathe.” Regardless if these earlier tracks from their catalog were about love or not, they comforted me and that’s all I really needed.
“Come Back” off their self-titled album released in 2006 was especially poignant. It was the year that I said goodbye (sort of) to a writer who encompassed every particular trait I could ever imagine in a man. We had so many things in common (we even shared a love for Pearl Jam) and at times I saw him as a mentor, which in many ways twisted my vision of who he really was. Nevertheless it was probably the only time I had ever really loved selflessly. I remember listening to that song as I drove away from our job site (yes, we worked together), sobbing endlessly probably because I was leaving my old self, and him, never to return.
As for the current track that makes me feel all gooey about a particularly hard man that I fancy is from Ray LaMontagne’s debut album, Trouble. “Shelter” makes me want to soften him up. Goodnight.
While we still haven’t hopped off the Nostalgia Train of the late, great John Hughes, we decided to make a quick list of the great music moments in teen movies. John Hughes took his soundtracks very seriously, as one of his very few post-80s interviews on Sound Opinions attests, and why shouldn’t he?
Teen movies, in general, have great music. I don’t know how that is, but when you think about it, teenagers take music more seriously than any other demographic I can think of, so if you’re making a movie by/for them, it’s gotta have a great soundtrack. Some of the choices may be silly, but, then again, most teen movies are too.
15. Clueless, General Public “Tenderness”, Radiohead “Fake Plastic Trees, Coolio “Rollin With The Homies”, Jill Sobule “Supermodel”
A fitting introduction to all modern teen movies. Writer/Producer/Director Amy Heckerling, a veteran of the Brat Pack era herself, re-imagines Jane Austin’s Emma as a match-making high school gal cavorting around to a killer soundtrack that featuring a number of re-made 80s songs. The flick revived the late Teen Movie Factory which began churning out a ton high school comedies, as well as plenty of classicd-turned-teen drama… like She’s All That (My Fair Lady), Cruel Intentions (Les Liaisons Dangereuses), O (Othello), and 10 Things I Hate About You (TheTaming of the Schrew).
14. Weird Science, Oingo Boingo, “Weird Science” & General Public “Tenderness”
13. Risky Business - Phil Collins “In the Air Tonight”
12. Rushmore - “Making Time”
Wes Anderson’s much-copied montage of Max Fisher’s busy extracurricular schedule set to Brit-invasion fuzz.
11. Romeo + Juliet, Garbage “#1 Crush” or Radiohead “Talk Show Host” or Des’eree(?) “Kissing you”
10. Pretty in Pink, Psychedlic Furrs “Pretty in Pink”
Awww, Nick Cage used to be cute! This soundtrack kills, and has both Modern English’s “Melt With You” and Men at Work’s “Who Can it be Now?” but Araceli pointed out that the soundtrack LACKS this classic (which I can’t find the full clip of).
7. Some Kind of Wonderful, Lick The Tins, “Can’t Help Falling in Love”
This appeared earlier as Araceli’s favorite John Hughes moment, and I’d never seen the movie but, oh man, it IS a great song. Love the tin whistle. Skinny Eric Stoltz and a tin whistle is all you need.
6. Dazed and Confused, “Free Ride”
Honestly there are TONS of songs to choose from on this one… a great classic rock soundtrack. “Free Ride” narrowly beat out the pool hall entrance scene to Bob Dylan’s “Hurricane”.
5. Fast Times at Ridgemont High: The Cars, “Moving in Stereo”
Hilariously, the actual scene isn’t on YouTube (probably because of the nudity), but the scene has obviously reached legendary status, as you get the idea here.
4. Donnie Darko, Tears for Fears “Head Over Heels”
Donnie Darko is either adored or maligned depending on the crowds you sit with at lunch. In this clip we’re introduced to nearly all the characters in the film while touching on some major plot points and motifs in the process. Richard Kelly’s film style seems to give a nod to John Hughes, Baz Lurhman and David Lynch — all of whom have a healthy fascination with teen drama. Did you catch Phantom Planet singer Alex Greenwald doing a line of coke with a young Seth Rogan? Gotta love it.
3. The Breakfast Club: Simple Minds, “Don’t You Forget about Me”
Because some dope has disabled embedding, you can check out the ending here. Simple Minds were the centerpiece of this teenage testament to high school cliques — the song made the Judd Nelson still-frame ending iconic (and lovably cheezy), but it’s also bookended by an instrumental version that opened up the movie with Anthony Michael Hall’s voice over.
2. American Graffiti - “Rock Around The Clock”
1. Say Anything, Peter Gabriel “Your Eyes”
As I’ve been hunting for all these clips on Youtube, I’ve realized two things. 1: The more popular a scene is the LESS likely the actual clip will be on YouTube, and 2: Because it is popular, there are going to be TONS of crap tributes, iMovie photo clips, and terribly unimpressive/unfunny/poorly-executed re-creations. All in all… posters of YouTube, you’re terrible. Go to hell….
-A: Unbeknownst to me “Your Eyes” was the “it” track on this album, but Depeche Mode’s “Stripped” is by far the real stand out song.
What: Woodstock Photo Exhibition: Commemorating the 40th Anniversary of Woodstock When: August 13 through November Where: Morrison Hotel Gallery, 313 Bowery, New York Why: Because I wasn’t at Woodstock and they had free beer
We’re not sure if you noticed, but Woodstock is back (and not in the ‘99 revival sort of way). You didn’t hear about the Heroes of Woodstock concert at Madison Square Garden that went down last week, or Ang Lee’s new film, Taking Woodstock, that is scheduled to be released this year?
These happenings aren’t a coincidence but all in commemoration of the iconic musical concert, hippie-fest, will-never-be-replicated, 40th anniversary of Woodstock.
The Morrison Hotel Gallery is playing host to an exhibition featuring the photographs by Woodstock photographer Henry Diltz, among others. I encountered more than a few original hippies, along with Woodstock organizer Michael Lang while I drank something called Black Acid Beer. I didn’t ask questions, I just drank it.
I wrote this blog entry six years ago. In it, I talked about my life 11 years ago, and how it paralleled Andie and Blaine’s in “Pretty in Pink” because my boyfriend then was really rich and there really seemed to be this class divide between him and his friends, and me and my friends. This entry, made before Youtube, references every scene I could relate to.
Pretty in Pink=My Life 5 Years Ago
So I was watching Pretty in Pink with Mark last night and I realized that it was the story of my life five years ago! (I then googled his name and it turns out some other girl believed my ex was also Blaine to her Andie! I am not alone!)
He does pithily look and act like Blaine, in fairness.
It was also a coinkidink that I was playing “Rumble Breath Man” right before we started watching and I was telling Mark how most of my songs were written with CTCFS (what we called said Ex) in mind. Proof:
#1 The Party:
The party where they first go to where everyone was stoned and drunk and Andie felt totally awkward? That was me! I was so scared to meet his coño friends because I didn’t have the right clothes, the right address, the right look…one of his drunk friends even told me, “Oh, you finally broke through our group…” or some shit like that.
God. As if it was everyone’s lifelong dream to sit on the coño bench.
#2 Duckie:
Ed was my Duckie! My friends used to diss CTCFS to his face all the time (”Make pa-share the ice cream? Pa-share?! PA-SHARE?!? Can you make pa-tuhog your eye?!? Bwahahaha!!” or “Lille! You’re ditching us to hang with Mr. flavor of the month?”)
The same from Ducky: “Blaine? That’s not a name, that’s a major appliance.”
Ed even wrote CTCFS a break-up letter (separate from mine!), saying “you are a spineless fuck…” or words to that effect. Hee!
#3 Le Freak C’est Moi!
Tapos the part where Andie freaks out on him in the school hall? I totally wish I had done that to him instead of freaking out to my friends outside the 7-11 in Malate right after a reading in Caribana. “If somebody doesn’t believe in me, I can’t believe in them.” Whoo!!!
#4 “I don’t want you to take me home!”
The part where Andie doesn’t want Blaine to see where she lived kills me. The first time CTCFS picked me up he said, “I’ve never been anywhere like this before.” (This=Skwaking). On one date, he picked me up first then went back to Forbes (where he lived) to pick up his friend! Sheeyet. I guess cause he didn’t want his friend to see where I lived. And of course in the end, his car stereo was stolen right outside our house in Baguio. But that house was in a really nice area, so that’s pretty ironic. Hee.
Man, young love. It is hilarious and cute now, but hurt like hell when it was happening. So watching that movie was like reliving my past. I hate the ending though; I forgot that Blaine and Andie ended up together. I would never have let that happen. But read what Jon Cryer has to say about the ending.
Seriously? All I wanted was to live in a bubble with him. Aww!
My ideals about men and love practically reside solely on the collaborations between John Hughes and Molly Ringwald.
I was conditioned by the age of six to know that unrequited love was a way of life. And throughout all of my adolescence it seemed the only way I was content when a boy liked me, is only after some big build up, because a kiss without a dramatic back-story is simply just a kiss.
Here are my favorite Molly Ringwald/Mary Stuart Masterson built-up moments courtesy of Mr. Hughes.
Sixteen Candles: (This Spanish dubbed version makes it even better)
Some Kind of Wonderful: Tears + walking in the street at night +kiss + Lick the Tins cover of “Can’t Help Falling in Love” = Perfect
Pretty In Pink: Poor, new wave girl confronts her rich, preppy (but down to earth) boyfriend in the hallway. This qualifies as the epitome of high school drama.
After the tragic passing of John Hughes last week, Araceli suggested we all choose our favorite moment in a Hughes film. Gee Whiz. That’s a nearly impossible task when you look at the movies he’s been a part of as a writer, director or producer:
The Breakfast Club
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Weird Science
Sixteen Candles
Home Alone
Uncle Buck
The Great Outdoors
Mr. Mom
Planes, Trains & Automobiles
National Lampoon’s: Vacation, European Vacation, and Christmas Vacation
Wow. Arthouse films they are not… but they are all classics. I’m reminded that Hughes, although he’ll be remembered for his teen comedies, filmed the era’s best comedic actors in my most favorite roles: Chevy Chase’s epic Clark Griswald in the Vacation series, Steve Martin slowly going mad in Planes, Train & Automobiles, Dan Aykroyd’s fast-talking yuppie industrialist in The Great Outdoors, and OF COURSE… the late great John Candy in, well, the two mentioned above, but especially Uncle Buck.
The amazing thing is that most of his teen movies predate my adolescence, and were already idolized by the time I had reached those teen years. John Hughes had the pulse of growing up white, awkward, and middle-class in the Chicago Suburbs. In fact, Hughes’ teen comedies were all supposed to exist in the same Chicago suburb of Shermer, Illinois. A town that lots of people fell in love with, including director Kevin Smith and his characters.
Because I couldn’t choose which of the eleventy-million Judd Nelson quotes in The Breakfast Club were my favorite, I have to go with Ferris Buelhler’s “Twist and Shout” dance scene that takesplace during some sort of workday afternoon Germanfest(?) parade in front of Mies Van Der Rhoe’s Federal Building in Chicago.
As every highschool boy’s Id, Ferris cruises into the city ditching highschool in a stolen Ferrari leaving angry authority types and innumberable montages in the dust, showing Cameron (i.e. most of the angsty, fretful, teenage viewers) how to REALLY do a sick day.
Let’s be honest. If you paid for a three-day ticket, by Sunday morning you will be fucking exhausted. You will be cranky. It will have probably rained twice in two days but yet it’s still 90+ degrees out and humid as all hell. We’re here to make your decisions for you:
Friendly Fires OR Yello Fever OR RaRaRiot
Araceli:I may leave it up to a coin toss. Let’s see, Friendly Fires or RaRaRiot…and it’s heads! RaRaRiot it is!!! (ok, I didn’t really flip a coin, but it’s hard choice, Friendly Fires would perhaps be more lively, but RaRaRiot has a great song I want to hear live. (ditto on the press tent, perfect viewing spots too, though Bonnaroo’s VIP camp site was pretty awesome)
Brian: I have to go with the amorphous anthemic poly-rhythmic Friendly Fires — they pump the kind of electro-funk that have made !!!, Cut Copy, and Hot Chip my favorite live experiences of the past few years. This may very well be the best show of the day.
Lille: Did you know that Lollapalooza has the best press tents? They have free granola bars, fresh fruit, FREE BOOZE. Guess where I’m going to be?
Consensus: If you have press credentials make sure to make it really obvious to everyone who paid: eat your free food and drink your free booze in plain sight for all the cultural groundlings to see. Also mention to everyone you’re only at Lolla because it’s free for you.
Kaiser Chiefs OR He Say, She Say OR The Airborne Toxic Event
Araceli:Once again, I’m tagging along with Brian (let’s see this white boy dance!)
Brian: I don’t care for the Kaiser Chiefs — I’m amazed they’re still around. I’m sticking to the dance-your-ass-off trail and checking out Chicago’s electro-partystarters He Say She Say.
Lille: When in doubt, I always choose the foreign band, just because I never know when they’re going to be in town. I haven’t heard anything new from Britpoprockers Kaiser Chiefs in YEARS, but I did like that one song…what was it called….
Consensus: I predict a riot… at the He Say She Say stage.
The Raveonettes OR The Hood Internet OR Gang Gang Dance OR Dan Deacon
Araceli:Dan Deacon can kiss my ass. I’m Gang Gang Dance. Laters.
Brian: As it was at Pitchfork, it is at Lolla. Girltalk killed at Pitchfork and played Lolla’s best set last year. Spazzy Dan Deacon drew nutso crowds at Pitchfork, he will be a most entertaining show here. I guarantee mash-up kings Hood Internet will be doing an aftershow somewhere during Lolla weekend — in a setting like this they won’t do much beyond play their singles on a computer.
Lille: I’ve seen Dan Deacon before, and I never know if his sets as performance art stand up with repeated views. However, I’n sure they’re better than the snoozefest from Denmark, surfrockers Raveonettes
Consensus: Dan Deacon: loved by some, baffling to others, blogged by all.
Neko Case OR Glitch Mob OR Vampire Weekend
Araceli:Neko Case? BORING! Vampire Weekend? DOUCHE BAGS…who the hell is Glitch Mob? Let’s find out. Damn, good thing no one reads this blog…I don’t mean to be this harsh-–bad week.
Brian: To witness Neko Case live in the flesh is beyond description. She has a powerful voice that soars mellifluously through even the worst P.A. systems. Vampire Weekend has yet to prove live chops despite having great songwriting abilities. (I just wanted to use the word meliflous.)
Lille: I love Neko Case! She saved my life at Northern California festival Earthdance last year; she was like a military general commanding a sea of dirty hippies. It was awesome.
Consensus: Neko Case pwns the granola crowd, Ezra Koenig’s feelings are hurt, Glitch Mob get a new fan.
Dan Auerbach OR Boys Noise Or Passion Pit OR Cold War Kids
Araceli:Brian killed himself because he couldn’t choose? Be a man!! I love Cold War Kids, but Passion Pit is pretty fun.
Brian: Honestly. You can’t make a bad choice here. You can make a BETTER choice, but not a bad one. Too many decisions —> brain aneurysm —> Brian involuntarily chooses death.
Lille: Fifty percent of the Black Keys is still 100 percent fun. Dan Auerbach FTW!
Consensus: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Lou Reed OR Deerhunter Or Snoop Dogg
Araceli:I saw this incredible Andy Warhol exhibit at the de Young Museum in San Francisco this Spring. I fell in love with Lou Reed there, so I shall see him.
Brian: I tend to get all the deer and wolf bands confused. Does Lou Reed do Velvets covers? I’m would think so. Lolla is a big, generally uniformed, audience… most big names do “greatest hits” type sets so count me in. If it’s just his solo stuff, I’ll pass. Yes, I have just lost cred points.
Lille: How can you go wrong with Lou Reed? Even if you’re not a fan of his solo work (a lot of which is awesome), the Velvet Underground is the backbone of most art rock these days, and you have to pay your respects.
Consensus: Witness the progenitor of modern rock take a walk on the slightly wild side.
Band of Horses OR MSTRKRFT Or Silversun Pickups
Araceli:I hate when bands play more than one date. Nap time.
Brian: Meh. Band of Horses. Could be a nice, sit on the lawn, recovery type set.
Lille: Gah. Back to the press tent and free booze!
Consensus: Naps and Food
Jane’s Addiction OR The Killers
Araceli:Jane’s all the way. (Brian, you’re saying that out of spite. I suppose it’s because you’re not from the West Coast).
Brian: Perry Ferrell once again over-estimates how much people like him. He booked his lackluster Satellite Party last year for a late-afternoon set, now he books his own comeback as the 2009 closer. Sorry. I choose Killers.
Lille: I hate the Killers as much as I love Jane’s Addiction. I disagree with Brian; I think Perry Farrell can still bring it. Go if only to say, “I saw a Jane’s Addiction reunion show, not a lowly band derivative.”
Consensus: Don’t choose shows based on spite; there’s a reason why “Jane Says (live)”, is available on every jukebox in the country.
Where: Dorsky Gallery, 11-03 45th Avenue, Long Island City, 718-937-6317
Why: Because I like scary things.
So in this lengthy interview with married curators of the Horrow Show, Deb and Dave Tolchinsky, whom also work as professors at Northwestern University’s Department of Radio-TV-Film, conversed about the crazy shit that frightens us, and why. It got me thinking about the one thing that will haunt me for the rest of my life. View at your own discretion.
As usual, Lolla chunks up bands in weird ways, forcing us to make excruciating decisions for one hour and then have a futile choice, like anything involving Coheed and Cambria. Saturday’s a LOT tougher than Friday’s choices…
Ezra Furman & The Harpoons OR The Low Anthem
Araceli:I suppose I’d tag along with Brian on this one, just to see what I’m missing out in Chicago
Brian: I have to go local on this one. To Ezra Furman and his unfortunate name!
Lille: At this point it doesn’t matter what I say, cause Ezra Furman already won. Damn majority!
Delta Spirit OR Moneypenny OR Dirty Sweet/Constantines
Araceli:Jesus. Lead singer of Delta has one huge ego, but they are pretty alright. Perfect background music, like say during a picnic (or bedtime like at Bonnaroo).
Brian: I’ll stay local. Moneypenny (DJ’s Mother Hubbard and A-Cup) is a sweet DJ duo who also happen to be devastatingly attractive. Then catch the end of Vancouver’s Constantines.
Lille: Without Moneypenny, this time slot would just be the battle of generic white boy music. Chicks rule!
Los Campesinos! OR Animal Collective DJ Set OR Atmosphere
Araceli:I’d opt for the AC DJ set just to see if the “spins” would be as bad as the band.
Brian: Los Campesinos! Any earlier than 2:30 and I wouldn’t be able to take all this Welsh Twee Sarcasm, lucky me.
Lille: Who wants to watch a DJ set when you can watch the whole band perform live six hours later? Los Campesinos! plays fun, happy music that makes you glad to be alive. Besides, if they weren’t fun live, they’d have a question mark punctuating their name instead.
Band of Horses @ Kidapalooza OR Chairlift OR Gomez
Araceli:Gomez is so hippie folk, and Band of Horses are crazy hot, but Chairlift is even greater.
Brian: Tempting as it is to see Band of Horses do kids songs, Chairlift is the show to see. Gomez remains a footnote.
Lille: Chairlift! If I wanted to watch middle-aged hipsters playing songs for 5-year-olds I’d put on They Might Be Giants on Youtube, not see Band of Horses in a festival.
Consensus: Chairlift (Lille personally thinks they need their own exclamation mark, they’re that good.)
Arctic Monkeys OR Coheed and Cambria
Araceli:Arctic Monkeys all the way.
Brian: I’ll gladly take death.
Lille: Post-15 minutes of fame, Arctic Monkeys is a snooze-fest. So maybe I’ll scare the comic book geeks by being the only source of estrogen at a Coheed and Cambria set.
Consensus: Arctic Monkeys vs. Coheed and Cambria vs. Death (viewer’s choice)
Hercules and Love Affair DJ Set OR No Age
Araceli:Gag me with a spoon
Brian: H&LA did a DJ set last summer at the Hideout Block Party and it was AWESOME. I recommend it, but since I saw it already I’ll be at No Age.
Lille: Err…
Consensus: No Age wins by ONE vote (Brian’s).
Santigold OR Glasvegas
Araceli:Just cause I missed a so-called good Glasvegas gig in Williamsburg, I’ll do myself a favor and check them out.
Brian:Meh. Santigold? I don’t care. But with Diplo playing later in the day there’s a good chance he’ll be the DJ for her show. If not, I’ll just take death again here. I’ve had a change of heart. Diplo will be with Major Lazer on Sunday. I’ll check out Glasvegas NME has a huge boner for them.
Lille: Santigold, because of my inherent distrust of rock music played first in Williamsburg.
Consensus: Santigold Glasvegas
TV on the Radio OR Lykke Li OR Rise Against
Araceli:A lot of my (last) summer (amazing) memories are because of Lykke Li, so I shall go and say thanks.
Brian: TVotR. Never seen ‘em live. I like Lykee Li alot (*alliteration!*), but her live performance looks to be a little awkward judging by videos I’ve seen. That said — the adorable Scandinavian-pop lovers will be at that stage.
Lille: I’ve seen both post-rock soundscapers TV on the Radio (awesome) and hardcore Florida natives Rise Against (equally awesome) live, but I’ve only seen Lykke Li deejay. Definitely Lykke Li.
Consensus: Lykke Li, misgivings and all
Ben Harper and Relentless7 OR Diplo OR Animal Collective
Araceli:I really want to say Ben Harper, just cause he’s the only legit musical craftsman but he bores me, AT TIMES, so I choose muerte.
Brian: I will probably catch some Diplo by leaving TV on the Radio early. Then, Animal Collective can’t be missed.
Lille: I’d LOVE to see psy-rockers Animal Collective live. My friend said they were mindblowing, but he was probably on acid, so who knows, really?
Consensus: Animal Collective
Yeah Yeah Yeahs OR Tool
Araceli:YYY’s again?! Yeah, again.
Brian: I’ll do the Beastie Boys. Tool. Yes, it will be filled with Tools, but YYY’s can’t compete with prog-doom rock… no matter how many microphones Karen O. fellates.
Lille: I’ve seen the YYYs more than eight times. Seven out of those eight times, I was in the mosh pit. Because I’ve never broken a bone in a (mostly female) moshpit, I’ll watch Karen O. fellate a mic anytime.
