Idealize LA's INAUGURAL POST: Halloween

Los Angeles is not my favorite city. I do not wish I lived there today. I lived there once--there is something about it that makes it difficult to forget. Like the way you re-imagine childhood crushes. Nostalgia romanticizes it and then you idealize it until it stops resembling itself.

What Did We Do Before Chucks? had run its course. It was the fertile nest and the triple-A baseball team for the site you see now. Mature is a relative term, but the idea behind writing about music is much more developed today for me than it was more than a year ago, when Chucks opened. This is the nature of projects though, and I will inevitably write for others in the future. As I see it now though, there is no need to write about the latest music news and blow up leaked tracks; there are enough good sites that cover indie music like CNN. Idealize LA is about the visual companions and the words that enhance music.

For Halloween, we're obviously doing a themed playlist. Since there aren't many great songs that you immediately associate with werewolves, red leather and dance parties (besides "Thriller"), we've granted ourselves certain creative liberties. Less is more.

BEAST - Satan (Myspace)

We Have Band - You Came Out (Website)

Florence + The Machine - Drumming Song (Boy 8-Bit Remix) (Website)

Local Natives - Shape Shifter (Myspace)

Karen O - Pumpkin

And welcome.

PIANOS SATURDAY CMJ 2009

Very happy that we showed up early for Beast (and the free bloody marys), because they were awesome. They had great energy for a noon-thirty show, and their lead singer sounded like Edith Piaf plus Amy Winehouse (yeah I know that's become a negative connotation, but face it--she has great pipes). Hear my favorite song of theirs:

Beast - "Satan" (myspace)

Another great set came from Silverlake darling Local Natives. I was kind of too busy enjoying their set to get any good shots, but check them out. November 17th they play Bowery Ballroom, and on the 29th they play the Varsity in Minneapolis. Listen to them.

Local Natives - "Wide Eyes" (myspace)

Select photos follow.

THE XX, SVIIB, PHANTOGRAM LIVE @ MHOW

Without question The XX are the most hyped band of the season. They played the Music Hall of Williamsburg last night to an audience of professional photographers. That's what happens when five shows in less than the week that is CMJ doesn't offer enough good chances to take a picture of the group. In all fairness to them, this was their most legitimate venue of the week. UPDATE: The XX played a show mere hours later at the Tribeca Grand Hotel around 1:30AM.

After the set I was intrigued to hear from Lizzyville blogger, Liz, that the two singers are indeed a couple. Since their songs are all about doin' it, it makes their story a bit more compelling to know that they're actually, you know. The XX at this point really could have headlined, and probably should have since a large number of people left before the School of Seven Bells took the stage.

PIANOS THURSDAY CMJ 2009

Show of the day for me was Duchess Says. Hear "Black Flag" or visit their myspace.

Fall Mixtape, Vol. 1

The weather quickly turned cold and we bypassed normally enjoyable fall weather. As a kid I pictured Indian Summer as a wooden canoe on a lake surrounded by fall foliage. This photo seems to capture that essence I suppose. For me it's Titanic ("I'm the king of the world!"), meets my dog riding up front.

I've rekindled my seasonal love for the Brazilian Girls by digging into their older albums, and this tape's featured track comes from their self-titled debut:

Lyrics are normally lost on me, but on "Don't Stop" Sabina Sciubba sings plainly about sex in the least vulgar and most carefree way. They are the kind of lyrics that are so straightforward they look like a joke written down. Songs about doin' it usually look that way on paper though, this one just does it better than most, with the right amount of sincerity and aplomb.

And now,

"Know Better..." New Thao & The GDSD

Thao and The Get Down Stay Down's second full-length is out (10/13) and the first single is free for download at the Kill Rock Star website. They're playing Bowery Ballroom on November the 4th, I'll be there.

Thao & The Get Down Stay Down - Know Better, Learn Faster