Musicians sometimes takes themselves too seriously, making their music remote. Not Cake, never Cake. This band was omnipresent on KROQ, a Southern California radio station, in the 1990s and early 2000s, and, as such, was in the background of every stolen summer moment at the beach during that period. While I never caught the Cake obsession like so many of my peers, I know the lyrics to most of their songs despite never having purchased an album. Their music is unquestionably a Nostos Algos trigger for me, and since our whiskey brains were listening to their early catalog at an in-home hangout session last night…well…I had to include a sliver of their contribution to my youth in this Daily Dose. As the saying goes, “Let them eat Cake!”
Tag: Los Angeles
Daily Dose: The Dead Ships, “You Were Young”
Must See: Jesus Sons
If you love good old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll as much as this little lady, then mark your calendars: Jesus Sons plays Brick & Mortar Music Hall on Friday, June 13. Already have plans? Cancel them.
Originally formed in San Francisco, the band is fronted by Brandon Wurtz (former bassist of the Spyrals) who relocated to Los Angeles with his new band after his employer–Charlie’s Place, an SF motorcycle shop–headed for greener pastures in the southern part of the state. While this could make him persona non grata to many Bay Area die hards, he explained the move in an interivew with LA Canvas as a reaction to “the SF government and the pirates” who have radically changed the fabric of our fair city. I’m thinking not many in our musical community would argue with that assessment of the Tech Boom, but this is fodder for a separate article (and something I could talk about for days).
While many bands have embraced a vintage 60’s psych-garage sound, Brandon and the boys are the real deal–not merely emulating motorcycle culture for the coolness of it all, but instilling their music with the motorcylce sludge that pumps through their veins. Their addictive first full-length album, eponymously named, was recorded at Fuzz City in Oakland on glorious 1/4 inch reel to reel tape. The album is rowdy, the music muscular yet spiritual like a prayer thrust into the wind pumped out of a carburetor–textured with grit, and the sweet sweat of the blues.
As much as this San Franciscan is loathe to admit it, Los Angeles–with its dirty desert heat, and hundreds of paved miles–may be an ideal fit for these American journeymen. After all, Rock ‘n’ roll hungers for the heat. Luckily the highway brought them home for one more show.
Daily Dose: Races, “Lies”
Daily Dose: The Peach Kings, “Like A Stone”
Current Obsession: PAPA
PAPA’s much anticipated album Tender Madness finally dropped on October 8th, and I’ve spent much of this month listening and forming an opinion. As of today, the verdict is in: I’m obsessed. “If You’re My Girl, Then I’m Your Man” hits it on the head–bombastic intro settling into a love-torn confessional in which drummer Darren Weiss tells us what we want to hear. He’s our man, forget our plans.
Perhaps it’s the bias of dating a drummer, but I love a solid drummer-frontman and Weiss delivers. While this track “Put Me To Work,” and the album’s namesake “Tender Madness” are the strongest on the album, it’s a fruitful listen the whole way through and worth a purchase in total.
Current Obsession: Faded Paper Figures
Hold on, hold on, hold the phone: a song that references Theodor Adorno and Noam Chomsky?! I have been persuaded (couldn’t resist the pun) that this song by Faded Paper Figures delivers on every level: intelligent, thought provoking lyrics that forces we as listeners to examine our consumer culture and its effect on the human condition and our planet set to a repetitive tune which evokes the robotic. Genius. You need to buy and own this album. Wait…damn it.
“He won’t know Adorno
He’s an adult with an adcult
You can buy your way into his head
He was never better
Wearing sneakers and a sweater
Made by 12-year-olds sweating in Shenzhen
He says,
Let’s drive, drive, drive
Till we burn, burn, burn,
We can choke on it later on tonight
And we’ll fumble with the planet
Dry the river and then damn it
Just persuade me that everything’s all right.
This was his reality,
says the stupid love equality
And he’s never seen a car he didn’t like
On code like a reptilian
Pays Rapaille another billion
From your cortex to the page is just a hike.
So Let’s drive, drive, drive
Till we burn, burn, burn,
We can choke on it later tonight
And we’ll fumble with the planet
Dry the river, then we’ll damn it
Just persuade me that everything’s all right.
Because things…we’ve got to have our things.
We’re not persuaded by the Omnicom
We’re not persuaded we’re the only ones
We’re not persuaded by hegemony
We’re not persuaded we were ever free
Is that your conscience, or are you alone?
Is that Noam Chomsky on the telephone?”
Diary of Lois Elaine Jelin: Entry Thirty-Seven
Entry Thirty-Seven
Thursday Tues., February 6 Weather unmarked.
Dear Diary,
Program for B10:
Per. Room. Sub. Teacher
I Gym Phys. Ed. Mrs. Sevchok
II 503 Spanish Mr. Moore
III 541 English Mr. Frisins
IV 504 Algebra I Mr. Friedman
V 567 Ceramics Mr. Kenyon
VI 706 Science I Mr. Platmes
Diary of Lois Elaine Jelin: Entry Thirty-Six
Entry Thirty-Six
Wednesday, February 5 Weather marked as Clear.
Dear Diary,
Everything is working itself out beautifully. The “Hello” dance is Friday night. I wonder if I’ll be asked. Today I brought my phonograph player in the house & played the “Gaite Parisienne” all evening. Its so beautiful. I just love it. I could play it over & over & over.
Editorial Note:
What Lois listened to over, and over, and over again on this day in 1951 was “Gaite Parisienne” (translated as Parisian Gaiety) by Jacques Offenbach. This appeared as the score to an eponymous ballet choreographed by Leonide Massine that was first presented by the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in 1938. In 1941, a film version of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo production was released by Warner Brothers in full technicolor splendor. Directed by Jean Negulesco, the 20-minute romp is a truncated version of the full ballet that many purists despised, but we novices can find it entertaining nonetheless. Since this short is most likely how Lois was introduced to the Offenbach song, here it is in all it’s brief glory; enjoy.
Diary of Lois Elaine Jelin: Entry Thirty-Three
Entry Thirty-Three
Sunday Fri., February 2 Weather marked as Clear.
Dear Diary,
School was as usual. After school Butch took me to Burwood & I called Harriet, Jean & Shirley (Shirley wasn’t home.) Went to bed early.
Nostos Algos 