"It was tech-house sort of stuff. You would have loved it last night," Carlos told me on the phone yesterday afternoon about Satoshi Tomiie's set at the Mayan the night before. "And the sound at the Mayan is great!"
I furrowed my brow.
"Too bad I was stuck at home working on my thesis. I swear, grad school has prevented me from acquiring either money or a life."
"Live like a student now, so you won't have to later. It will pay off."
I grunted.
"Oh, and you know what he played?"
Oh great, I thought, what else could I have missed?
"Yaz!"
"'Don't Go' or 'Situation?'" I asked. Trust me, those are the only two Yaz songs one will ever hear at a club, unless it is the end of the night and someone decides to close with "Only You." That's pretty rare, however. In fact, I'm not sure if I have ever heard anyone but Frankie and I play that. We would make over-the-top lip-synching motions during that number back in the Beat It days of yore.
"'Situation,'" Carlos answered before he starts mimicking Alison Moyet. "Move out, don't mess around..."
It's actually far easier for a guy to sing like Moyet. In fact, I think most of us thought she was a he for at least a brief moment in our youth when the song first achieved popularity.
"Oh, yeah, and you're not going to believe what he did with it..."
Carlos went on to describe in detail how Tomiie "tricked out" the record-- flanges, pans, the whole works.
Envious to the point of irritation, I sulked at my computer after the phone conversation, where I spent the rest of the night. I developed a schedule, work through the length of one full cd, break for cigarette, return to desk and repeat. While the section I have to complete today is still unfinished, I did crank out almost twenty pages in one night. I think the last time that happened was back when Placebo's "Pure Morning" was all the rage. In any event, this is the Homework Soundtrack.
Depeche Mode-- Violator
Scissor Sisters-- S/T
Madonna-- Confessions on a Dancefloor
Denim-- Denim on Ice
Stone Roses-- S/T

Here's a sample of what you might hear:
New Stuff: The Sounds; Virgin Tears v. Dave the Hustler; Ellen Allien and Apparat; Rock Kills Kid; Depeche Mode (new remix, perhaps?)
Other Stuff I Have a Hankering for These Days: Zoot Woman; Erlend Oye; Belle and Sebastian (hmmm, could do something old and something new!); Figurine

Remember last year when the Supreme Court ruled on the New London case and people said that it couldn't happen here? Y'know, apparently, California has laws that protect against eminent domain, or something like that. Well, that doesn't seem to hold true given the recent events surrounding Hollywood and Vine. (You have to log in to read it, but it's free.)
Hollywood used to be a fun place. It was ugly as hell during the day-- all decrepit buildings, filthy streets and traffic disobeying punks that were more noticeable in natural light-- but fun, nonetheless. When I hit my teens, I learned quickly that, in order to cultivate my non-Valley image, I had to beg for rides down to Hollywood so that I could get my records at Vinyl Fetish, clothes at Retail Slut and various "vintage" shops and shoes from one of the numerous sellers of Doc Martens and John Fluevogs. Last time I attempted to shop in Hollywood, a few years ago, I thought I might get ill when I realized that all that was left were the same stores that one could find in a mall (The Gap, Urban Outfitter, Hot Topic, Planet Funk, etc). Hmmm, I wonder if they have a Tilly's now.
Going out in Hollywood was always an adventure as well. There was always something kind of rough about it, but that just added to the excitement of being eighteen and out on the town for the first time. Now it's all traffic, Hummer limos and clubs that won't let you in unless you are "somebody" or look like you could be "somebody."
I watched Hollywood & Highland (or, as Kar3n called it, the Zoroastrian Temple) during my three-year stint working at a club on Hollywood Boulevard. Once it was finished, Hollywood turned into Universal City Walk-meets-Third Street Promenade-- meets-- Downtown Disney. I took Mary to work with me when she visited LA and we walked to the corner where she pondered, "Why would someone travel 2,000 miles to go to a Gap?" I didn't have an answer.
What gets me isn't just that the shopping has grown incredibly pedestrian, it's that the architecture for these mega-centers looks exactly like one would find in any California suburb. I guess that is what happens when development companies are based in masterplanned communities like Irvine (refer to the above-linked article). It's weird, when I moved back to the 818 five or so years ago, I longed to get back out over the hill. Now, I'm starting to think that maybe I'm better off here. At least I don't live under false urbane pretenses. Eh, I'm probably still better off moving. Traffic is evil.
Oh, and on a not-really-related-but-equally-ranty note, yesterday, the teaser for the Channel 7 news at 4 p.m. boasted in-depth features on the contents of Oscar goodie bags. Similarly, all of the local news outlets have been going wild over Oscar, because, you know, it's not like there is a war going on or anything. (Does sarcasm translate over the Internet?)
Sometimes, I really hate Los Angeles.

P.S. Just so that you don't think LA is completely heinous, read my latest column for Music Truth. There isn't a direct link. Go to "Truth Tales" then scroll down and click on the "March" link under "LA Calling."

It's not exactly easy to open a small business in Los Angeles. Case in point, Safari Sam's, which intended to open a few weeks ago. On the club's website, Sam Lanni details the beurocratic roadblocks that have stood in the way of his club's grand opening. If you live in Los Angeles, you probably already are aware of the hassles city beurocrats create whenever the mood strikes, but it's still an interesting read and offers ways in which locals can help.

one thing you can say about japanese music aficionados...they go REALLY deep.

So, I've been working on this thesis. I can't really say what it's about until I have the proposal approved and, even then, I probably won't say much to anyone until it's near complete. But, yeah, this thing requires hour after decade-like hour of library research, much of which I can do at home thanks to university library online catalogues. So, I'm sitting hear watching Love & Rockets' videos on VH1 Classic as I type in one vague keyword after the next trying to find scholarly research in my field. Let's just say that there isn't much. However, whilst searching for things related to the thesis, I came across what could possibly be the best scholarly article I will ever read. I say possibly because my school's library does not have it and so my eyes have read no more than the first page on Google Scholar.
Let me just give you the title:
"Dancing on Bela Lugosi's Grave: The Politics and Aesthetics of Goth Club Dancing"
Oh, dear reader, it does not get better than this. Somebody has actually published on the art of dropping one's contact on the dancefloor of the goth club. I would say that this could be an illuminating piece, but nothing about goth is illuminating. Well, maybe the blacklights are. There should be a better word, something that conveys the heavy, dark fabric of all those dresses my friends and I acquired at thrift stores back in 1996.
I don't even know if this would pertain to my thesis, but I am so genuinely excited that someone has actually paid serious attention to the scene that got so many of us through our teens that I must read it. Plus, it breaks up the ungodly tedium of reading more books on political economy.
As I wrote this, I watched the video for my favorite Nick Cave song, "The Mercy Seat." As I proofread, I was treated to Kate Bush's video for "Running up That Hill" (Martha Graham for goth dancers). Perfect.

This weekend, I was cleaning out my room, which was not as uneventful as it seems. I came across a folder of keepsakes-- concert tickets, cool notes and drawing from friends. In it I found a cartoon made for me by Kar3n the Webmistress roughly nine years ago. The cartoon is hysterical, but would mean absolutely nothing to anyone who is not us and, perhaps, a few other members of our inner circle during our sophomore year of college. Next, I found a wonderful sketch of one Steven Patrick Morrissey signed by this guy and dated 1994. I don't remember the whole story behind the sketch, but I can tell you that it is on notebook paper, leading me to believe that he probably did it during class sometime in the midst of the two-hour school days that followed the earthquake that rocked an otherwise uneventful junior year of high school. I propped the sketch up on my bookcase, where it currently awaits a frame, and then started to feel bad for missing Jeaux's art show last month on account of the fact that I was DJing that night.
I started to feel better when I found out that Jeaux is going to be part of the Third Annual Marginalia Festival: A Night of Illustrated Objects and Live Sound to occur at the Smell in Downtown Los Angeles on March 19, 2006. I'm going to feel like absolute shit if I can't make it to this, which means I might have to forgo other activities and get enough of ye olde thesis done so that I can go out that night. You should attend to. It will be fun.

P.S. Here's a picture of Jeaux and I at the late, great Spy Club that I just found online.

A few days ago I bumped into an online comic strip titled Questionable Content. Ironically, there was no questionable content contained within (at least not as far as I've read up to) but I did discover something else: a comic strip I could actually relate to.

Take the following strip, for instance:



Panel 3 = my current lot in life. It is both funny and sad.

QC focuses on Marten Reed, a self-professed indie music geek (his favorite band is Mogwai) who lives with his pet robot PC, PintSize, and his roommate Faye. The main plot centers around the relationship between Marten, Faye and Faye's boss, Dora.

The comic is littered with references to bands such as Mogwai, Wilco, Ladytron, Mercury Rev and so forth. There is also the occasional Emo/Hot Topic bashing and video game reference.

Every strip comes with a blog-style sidebar were Jacques provides insight into the background of the days' strip. I personally enjoyed Jacques blog on Strip 72: Failure Was Awesome.

Jacques art and writing has steadily improved over time and his hard work earned him the 2005 Web Cartoonist's Choice Award for Outstanding Romantic Comic.

Questionable Content is updated every weekday.

Poor George Michael. Maybe he didn't have much of a career left in 1998, but if he did it was flat out destroyed by the bathroom incident. So he disappears for years upon years, resurfacing only on a rare and unpublicized occasion to release charity singles. Then, today, he pops up on MSNBC for possession of Class C drugs. Class C drugs include various pills and weed, which, in the UK, means an unlimited fine and/or up to two years in jail, according to the story. Hey, isn't getting caught with weed in California cheaper than a parking ticket?
To offer my own support for Mr. Panayiotou, I will be listening to Wham! as I steadfastly attend to matters of a master's thesis. Specifically, I shall listen to Make It Big and Music from the Edge of Heaven, paying close attention to the following songs:
"Everything She Wants"
"Freedom"
"Careless Whisper"
"I'm Your Man"
"Wham! Rap 86"
"Last Christmas"

If you know me (or a few of the other contributors and friends) you probably already read this. If not, then keep scrolling down.

I'm working on starting a podcast series for this website. The goal of said podcast is to provide exposure for local artists because: A) There are some really incredible bands working the LA scene these days; B) Said incredible LA bands seem to be pushed aside in favor of more coverage for Nicole Richie and everyone she has ever dated; C) I love radio.

So here's the plan. The first podcast is, at this point, scheduled to go online at the end of March. Once a month, the old pod will disappear and a new one will rise in its place. Any band that is featured on the pod will be listed with a link to its website and a link to the site where one can purchase said band's CDs, MP3s or other related merch.

That said, if you are in a band and think I might like your stuff (read previous posts herein for references), contact me. There is no set genre for the show. Good music is good music. However, you must be local. By local, I mean your band must be based in one of the following counties: Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Riverside, San Bernadino. If you plead a good case (like you are from Santa Barbara but you play LA every other weekend), I might extend the boundaries a bit.

There is no guarantee that everything sent to me will be played, but I will contact anyone who submits something and let you know what I think. MP3s and hard copies are okay.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

Here's the email: lizziegolightly@gmail.com

This monthly roller disco party is a world of it's own. The $10 cover includes skate rental and your ticket into a land that time has forgotten. Boys wearing shorts so short their junk might fall out, girls with crimped hair and pink lip gloss, backwards skating and the infamous Couple Skate, Xanadu being shown on the projectors as DJs Dennis and Riley Moore spin some of the best '80s hits (new wave, pop, rap, et al) on a wooden floor. I didn't know people still roller skate. It was such a trip to see the bad fashion on the rink as Chaka Khan's "I Feel for You" and Madonna's "Holiday" blared on the speakers. I don't know when I've had a better time. Towards the end of the night, some of the skaters removed their skate and danced in the middle rest area. Below is a shot of that madness and the bad fashion. Photo by yours truly.

Since my gig for Friday was cancelled, Megan the Water Moccasin and I had intended to go to Underground to get photos of Anthony for this project we're working on together (you'll see it here soon). Then Anthony had to go and get sick. So I went to Underground solo where I ran into my friend Jim the proprietor of Teenacide Records.
After catching a very tight set from the Clean Prophets, Jim kindly gave me cds from two of his bands, The Checkers and Rocket. Both bands are definitely worth the precious time of your ears.
The Checkers have that vintage sound of rock somewhere between the time when punk became new wave. Rocket's sound is Shangri-Las meets the Go Gos and there new cd features a gender-altered rendition of "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" by the Ramones and a cover of Iggy Pop's "Funtime."
Rocket is playing at the Key Club with the Holograms this Tuesday.
The Scene in Glendale will host The Checkers record release party on March 18, 2006.