Over the weekend, I made a purchase from Amazon MP3 Downloads that I would have found unimaginable in the 1985 — Meeting in the Ladies Room by Klymaxx.
Back then, I was a seeeeeeeriously arty kid, and from my youthful perspective, the amateurish, frivolous lyrics of the album’s title track barely rose to any semblance of artistry. I had to be taught that was the point — "Meeting in the Ladies Room", the song, was not aspiring for anything lofty, and for something fun and silly, it’s really quite excellent.
I still remember the emblematic image from the video of Fenderella’s lopsided hair, which turned her into a cyclops. Her spoken word contributions had all of the attitude and little of the rhythm of hip-hop, but it still felt musical.
I’d hate to come down to the level of becoming a BW, a Basic Woman, but if they don’t stop it’s going to get scandalous. (Uh-ooooh!)
It’s all in the delivery.
Sometimes I’ll take a peek at music blogs not in my RSS readers, and I never get the sense that music writers really own (what could conceivably perceived as) their poor choices in listening. I’ve worked with people who bristle at the idea of listening to something as innocuous — or in their eyes, milquetoast — as Enya.
I wonder if that’s really healthy.
Continue reading »
I received an e-mail bulletin from gay R&B singer Ari Gold saying he was invited to perform at SXSW. I found that odd since I didn’t see his name listed in the schedule. As it turns out, his sponsor, the USA Songwriting Competition, is holding a piggyback showcase during SXSW. The language is crafted in a way not to indicate any actual affiliation with the festival.
The venue in question is the Borders bookstore near my apartment. I’m kind of glad his performance happens somewhere convenient for me, but as a venue, that location is a booby prize. It’s essentially a dark corner of a cramped coffee bar, far removed from the bustle of the downtown clubs, where the real action takes place.
SXSW turns Austin into an entire playground, really, so any exposure is helpful on some level. Unfortunately, the event happens on Friday, March 14 at 7:30 p.m., and I’ve already promised myself to catch Wing’s performance at Maggie Mae’s at 8 p.m. that night.
I hope Ari knows what he’s getting into.
If you’re going, the Borders store in question is located at 4477 S. Lamar, in the same mall as Central Market.
To celebrate its 15th anniversary, Speedstar Records last year hosted a special concert featuring artists on the label’s roster paired off in duets. The Back Horn’s Yamada Masashi joined Tsuji Ayano, UA paired with Hosono Haruomi, while Cocco and Quruli’s Kishida Shigeru revived a bit of SINGER SONGER. That concert is being released on DVD on March 26, so says Bounce.com.
Here are the featured performances:
- "Yume no Hana" by Tsuji Ayano and Yamada Masashi
- "Ikareta Baby" by Tsuji Ayano and Yamada Masashi
- "15sai" by Tsuji Ayano and Yamada Masashi
- "Edelweiss" by Cocco and Kishida Shigeru
- "Tsuyoku Hakanai Monotachi" by Cocco and Kishida Shigeru
- "Arushu Mash" by Cocco and Kishida Shigeru
- "Super HACCHI Lover" by Cocco Kishida Shigeru (Not sure what ハッチ transliterates to)
- "Yume Miru Yakusoku" by UA and Hosono Hauromi
- "Rock a Bye Baby" by UA and Hosono Haruomi
- "Natsu Nan Desu" by UA and Hosono Haruomi
- "AIWOIWAIAOU" by UA and Hosono Haruomi
- "Arigatou" by UA and Hosono Haruomi
- "Fuwafuwa" by 369
- "Canvas" by CHERRY LYDER
The last peep we heard from ACO was the best collection she released in December. We’ll, she’s duetting with a fellow Sony Music artist, Takacha, on his next single, "Namida", so says Bounce.com. It’s something of a bouncy tune, but it’s pretty much mainstream J-pop. Nothing particularly remarkable. According to the article, he does a cover of MISIA as a coupling track. Sure …
Right now, I’m listening to the demos of golden pink arrow, ACO’s band with producer Taeji and lostage members Tanaka-kun and Simmy Hendrix. There’s some promising stuff here, very electronic and gritty, with a taste of rock guitars to make ACO sound the toughest she’s ever been. Wish they’d release an album or an EP already.
Before 1993, Tower Records and Honolulu-based Jelly’s were my primary sources for music, but my demands as a customer were … specialized. A lot of music about which I was curious just wasn’t carried at the local stores.
Then I was told about online music shops available through telnet. Yes, before there was ever an Amazon.com or even a World Wide Web, there were merchants leveraging the power of the Internet. For a time, I did a lot of selling and buying on rec.music.marketplace.cd, while CDConnection, Music Boulevard and CDNow were accessible through telnet before each launched a web presence.
Because I lived in Hawaiʻi, shipping costs tended to offset any discounts these sites offered, but the ability to bypass the limited stock of local shops felt empowering. It seems passé now, especially in a post-Napster/iPod era, but even the hint of greater access to a world of music was thrilling. A few of the items on this list wouldn’t have been acquired any other way.
Continue reading »