My deadlines took over. Again.

Will this count in the 30-day Blog thingey as #2?

Etc: Santiago Bose, Jah Emmanuel Lovinus

I’ve been thinking of writing a children’s book about my dad’s art for Jah, the same way Picasso has children’s books, or Seurat does. Also a decent biography. Why can’t I figure out how to work Wikipedia? Bah. Does this count as entry 1?

When I Was 12: Is America Ready to Embrace Their Precocious Inner-Teen?

*cough* Hi… well, um, Twee is back, sorta.  You know?

Depending on which circles you hang around in, Twee is either hailed as “punker-than-punk“, or maligned as “music for bedwetters.”  Nevertheless, the most misunderstood pop genre continues to tout cuteness over coolness and has the market cornered on Growing Up Awkward.

Twee has always been the most unapologetically emasculate sect of “Indie”, but it always seems to hover, smirking, just on the outskirts of popular music.  It’s too catchy to ever be marginalized, but it’s just too fey for the trampy-or-macho American taste.  Pitchfork’s excellent essay of all things Indie Pop, “Twee as Fuck” said it well:

…”indie” and “alternative” became popular in precisely the hard-rocking, masculine, centralized form that indie pop usually shied away from. The mainstream honed in on the underground’s hard-rock side, and, acts like Superchunk and Modest Mouse would go on to become Important Bands; acts like Tiger Trap and Heavenly would, for good reasons and bad, fade into history. And there on the television, ironically, was the K-tattooed Cobain, still wearing his cardigans and covering songs by the Vaselines.

So there twee sits, like the kid not picked at recess, rewarding anyone willing to seek it out.

Maybe it’s because of the excellent Juno soundtrack, but twee artists seem to be on the rise again.  The playfull Architecture in Helsinki, sallow Vivian Girls, the spider-fearing Boy Least Likely To, and the self-referential spunk of Los Campesinos!, have all attracted the blogosphere masses in the past few years (and, oddly, a large number of television commercials to boot). Fast on their heels are artists like New Jersey’s When I Was 12 – producing the sonic equivalent of a painfully joyous (or joyously painful?) prolonged adolescence.

I ran across WIW12 searching a now-defunct music site and really enjoyed their aesthetic.  The endearing strum-hook-and-harmony style burrows deep into your head and doesn’t go away — like a library volunteer into Franny & Zooey.

Earlier this year their principle songwriter, Adrianne, was nice enough to swap a few Q&A emails with me before their first non-basement gig of her young career:

Brian B (BemBang): First things first… Who’s in the band, or is it a “swinging door” type thing where there’s a core and people come and add vocals and accompaniment etc?

Adrianne Gold (When I Was 12): First things first… When I Was 12 consists of two main members: Adrianne Gold and Camille Bayas. Then some other beautiful revolving members; our friend Brianne Evans did some harmonies on “Dear Eskimo” with her angelic voice, and my guitar teacher, Mike Yelle assisted with lead guitar. When we play live friends Jenn Diaz plays bass, and Will Samtur on drums. We are so lucky to know so many wonderful people.[ ...] It’s been a little hectic we’ve been getting offered shows and things lately!.

BB: Good to hear you’re busy… I hope things are going well. Is there some sort of tour in the works? When I hear the name “When I Was 12″, I immediately think of both the charming and awkward aspects of that transitional age… was that the aim?

AG: We still have two more months of high school so we’re not exactly planning a tour but we’ve been getting offered a lot of shows lately! I suppose so about the name, I mean we definitely try to be charming and I definitely am a bit awkward!

BB: Ha. Since there’s not much info about you guys online I couldn’t tell if you were in high school, or if you were just channeling your inner-highscooler to write the songs.

Your music, lyrics, production, etc seem very attuned to what I would consider classic indie-pop/twee. That is to say; sweet, clever, and fixated on youthful experiences… even when the person singing may be 30+ years old.

Ha. You’re the real deal, apparently.
What inspiration do you draw from … musically or otherwise?

AG: We are the real deal! We write about things on a high school level because it’s what we know! It’s what we are familiar with. But like I said only until June! We are so excited for summer and then of course for college! We are inspired by so many things.

Camille really likes bands such as: Los Campesinos! Beirut, The Submarines, and Seabear. I on the other hand am insanely inspired by Bright Eyes (of course, who isn’t!) Tilly and the Wall, Mates of State, and Saturday Looks Good to Me. We were actually just featured on an online mix CD, “Birdsongs, Beesongs - Eardrums Spring Compilation 2009″ and so was Saturday Looks Good to Me! So that was exciting to see!

Inspiration otherwise would of course include every boy i’ve ever known, even if only for five minutes. The boys who’s hearts I’ve broken, the boys who have broken my heart, and the boys who have yet to break my heart. Boys in bookstores, coffee shops, New Brunswick basements, and any other place you can imagine. However! I did write about my grandmother, “You Me & Symmetry” is about my grandmother, I love her. We still do arts and crafts together.

CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE INTERVIEW HERE

Superficial Music Project: Mercedes Sosa #2

We Can Tell How Good A Band Is Without Listening to Them!

Probably not.  But we’re going to try.  Last Friday we blindly chose a band off of Last.FM’s “Hype List”.  We will now judge (from 1 to 10) how good a band is based soley on their name and photo.  Tomorrow, we’ll actually listen to their music to see how wrong/right we were.

(Joining us is L.A.-via-Milwaukee’s Adam Lovinus )

(after seeing photos) Brian: Wow.  I’m humbled.  Not only is M.S. not a band, but an older lady who, apparently has been around forever based on the photos I looked at.  It also appears she is playing one of those stand-up tambourine/drums.  She may actually be an authentic latina folk singer!  Good for her.  My rating bumps up one to 8, because I respect my elders… and Spanish. Rating: 8 (7+1).

(after seeing photos) Adam: Good heavens! She looks like Antony Hegarty. The uglier an artist is, the more authentic he/she/it seems to me. Typically. So this suggests she’s authentic-core <enter strain of Latin music here>. Good for plus-two. Rating: 7 (5+2).

On Wednesday, we will actually listen to her music, and update our opinions of mystery artist, Mercedes Sosa.

Love Will Tear Us Apart: Araceli’s Favorite Love Songs

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.

Don’t You Forget About Me: Araceli’s Favorite John Hughes Moment

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.

Don’t You Forget About Me: Brian’s Favorite John Hughes Moment

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.

Lollapalooza Sunday: Choose Or Die

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.

Your map, sir:

Lollapalooza Saturday: Choose or Die

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!
  

Consensus: Ezra Furman & The Harpoons

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!
  

Consensus: Moneypenny

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.
  

Consensus: Los Campesinos!

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.
  

Consensus: Yeah, yeah, YEAHS!

Songs of the City: I *heart* NY

As a little intro, we thought it’d be cool for the three of us to talk about what song we feel best fits our little towns. Read Brian’s here and Lille’s here.

In the coldest of days, here in New York, walking through slush, trying not to slip and fall, I can easily transport my brainwaves to a warm and sunny place: specifically, Los Angeles.

By scrolling the tunes on my iPod to The Cure, or Morrissey or Depeche Mode, I’m instantly back, driving down the 101 in bumper-to-bumper traffic, and listening to KROQ, because in 1996 that’s all you had, and that was quite great, actually.

I haven’t been in New York long enough for me to acquire a taste of a particular scene like I did with New Wave in L.A. All I have to get me in a New York state of mind is a handful of songs by bands that were “in” when I moved here a couple of years ago on my iTunes rotation like Peter Bjorn and John, Kings of Leon, and MGMT.

There is one song, however, that made me feeling like a New Yorker long before I arrived here on a one-way ticket and suitcase in hand. Frank Sinatra’s timeless song “New York, New York” had me, at the age of 13, daydreaming of walking the streets of Manhattan with a million aspirations inside of me, and a smile on my face. This song gets me every time.