For no good reason we recently bought a chocolate brown 1985 Westfalia. The purchase fell squarely into the category of vanity. This was before the gas spike this Summer and the financial meltdown of the Fall. In other words, simpler times.
The question on everyone’s lips is: What constitutes the perfect road mix for this vehicle of leisure? Have a listen.
The song cycle begins and ends with the plaintive call of a boy to a girl. The opening two tracks I associate with morning and the architecture of idealism. The first is “Thirteen” by Black Star and the second “Oh You Pretty Things” by David Bowie. Utopian design was both imagined by us and alien when brought to life. In the early twentieth century HG Wells popularized the scientific romance and in mid-century Buckminster Fuller introduced the geodesic dome. In 1951 a contractor located in the Westphalia region of Germany began converting Volkswagon vans into campers. Our model has the pop top, refrigerator, stove, swivel table, swivel passenger front seat, and sleeps four on two beds comfortably. When western society began mass marketing idealism we couldn’t know whether we were undertaking a paradigm shift or a passing novelty. Now we sit in our VW camper and laugh at the too small compartments and the full size pull-out beds and marvel that anyone ever thought of this New York studio apartment on wheels. In truth, the van steps in and out of time effortlessly like the most sublime pop song. Like Alex Chilton asking the girl to be the outlaw for his love and Bowie narrating from the future or the distant past or a far off planet. Our chosen songs say:
We want sex
We want the darkness
Our youth is our validation
We are innocent until we fail
“Lisa Says” and then “Memo From Turner” are the bridge. I first came across the latter when I was a child and among my mother’s LPs I found Jagger on the cover of “Performance” in makeup and pouty, full lips.
As the song rumbles along on a filthy lick and tells the cautionary tale of “a faggy little leather boy with a smaller piece of stick,” let us rumble along listening on our iPal speaker propped up in the passenger side glove box assured that for once everything is right and better than we imagined.
Seems de rigueur in the blogosphere to hate on Vampire Weekend lately (guess their 15 minutes of indie-darling-immunity-challenge cred are officially up) but these 3 clips from this year’s mtvU Woodie Awards show them doing what they do best. Was lukewarm on the enjoyable, but not mindblowing, fun first album. After seeing them live, though, loving this band like an LL Bean Norwegian sweater. So, is it good stuff or, as a commenter over at Brooklyn Vegan (speaking of indie cred quarters of an hour…) hilariously put it:
“(Paul Simon - Talent)* Jonas Brothers = Vampire Weekend”?
PS. Here’s a little more fruit of the Chromeo / VW union for your 80snostaglicenjoyment…
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Ms Stern may have fallen a bit short of the world record for longest album title but it’s probably no contest that This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That will be in way heavier rotation on the trusty KLH here than Fiona’s goodbutnotquitegreat When The Pawn… LP ever was.
Before losing a few percent of hearing capacity at Knitting Factory last year with Safetybear, the vibrational match that is In Advance of the Broken Arm had been magically melting my speakers for about 6 months straight. Can not wait for UPS to show up with 180 grams of vinyly-goodness sequel.
Tass Times’ very own, and unambiguously charming, Tinto Puerco shall be joining the obliquely infamous Franklin Snarl, Esq. to celebrate their 1-year of togetherhood pseudonomically, and otherwise, at Bowery Ballroom’s presentation of the eternally entertaining Wedding Present this October. And so, for your pre-vicarious viewing pleasure, we hereby present a solid example of the unparalleled shredmastery…
…strumming so fast even YouTube’s latest codec can’t keep sync!
Last year SafteyBear introduced us to the supremely catchy Seattle-based band Welcome. Somehow stumbled upon this super-cool vid at work today (wow, Vimeo is still in business?! Take that YouTube!) and have got them back in heavy iTunes rotation once again. Enjoy…
Ever since our pal The Daniel Arnold turned us onto No Age’s album Weirdo Rippers, we’ve been hooked on the noisy guitar/drums/vocal punch of LA dynamic duo Dean Spunt and Randy Randall.
Seems de rigueur in the blogosphere to hate on 
Ever since our pal 
