Show Me the Music
THE MORNING BRIEF, Vol. IV, #47 (November 19, 2001) --- Hear you go.
CONTENTS
Actual Proof
Control Factor
Presidential Report Card
Light Bulbs Going Off
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Amoeba Records
Progressive Marketing
Brain Twister
New Theory
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TOONAGE: U2 @ Staples Center
Here's a Hint
TOONAGE: Sasha/Digweed @ The Mayan
FLICKAGE: "Amelie"
The Buzz
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SIX DISK CHANGER
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CONTRIBUTIONS
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UPCOMING
CONCERTS
ACTUAL PROOF >>> It would be easier to prove to everyone that God exists than that he doesn't. Because even if you could prove unequivocally that God doesn't exist, people would still believe. Such is the nature of faith.
CONTROL FACTOR >>> It's not so much the flag-waving, anthem singing, public praying propaganda itself that I object to; it's more the chance that someday it'll all be used to rally the troops for the wrong cause. America is surprisingly good at quelling its masses. Not always a good thing.
PRESIDENTIAL REPORT CARD >>> Ten months into President Bush's term, let's see how America's doing...
The economy is trashed, unemployment skyrocketing, and we're at war. But it's not really his fault, is it?
LIGHT BULBS GOING OFF >>> How is it that five different light bulbs at various locations in my house and car all bought the farm inside of one week? It's a little freaky if you ask me.
AMOEBA RECORDS >>> Pardon the hyperbole, but the new Amoeba Records in Hollywood (Sunset at Cahuenga) just may be the greatest record store in the world. Amoeba's formula: unparalleled selection smartly organized in a no pretenses warehouse, makes the store a treat for the casual buyer and the serious collector alike. None of the harsh lighting or super-busyness of a Tower or Virgin Megastore. While Aron's (Hollywood) and Rhino (Westwood) are still great stores, you could easily fit both of them, along with Moby Disk (Santa Monica) inside this Amoeba. It's about time the home of the music industry had an ultra-uber-store.
Amoeba has spent months buying up L.A. area collections, and the result is a truly wondrous stock. All of those music industry types with stacks and stacks of promo CDs have been given incentive to trade for the most generous store credit in L.A., or simply cash in. And they did. The selection is staggering. You can elect to buy almost any disk virgin, or pre-played; there's separate but virtually equal New and used rock sections side by side in the heart of the store.
Music is divided into genres and sub-genres; the ska section is almost ridiculously huge, and techno lovers can search through specific House, Drum and Bass, Dance, and Electronic categories. And not only are the used racks stocked with tons of rarities and finds, but there's a huge, loosely alphabetized bargain section with rows and rows of titles - lots of out of print stuff - available for for $1-5.
New CDs weigh in a little high for an indie store: $15-17 apiece. Still lower than Tower and Virgin. But the exhaustive selection and all of those used disks in a great space make going to Amoeba the premiere record shopping event in Southern California. The only thing I've ever seen that compares is Amoeba SF, but L.A. gets the nod for all of that used stock. Finally, a worthy temple for the music worshipper in all of us. It's the triumph of the Amoeba.
PROGRESSIVE MARKETING >>> Not only does American business value the ability to market cleverly, but further, the ability to find new ways to sneak more marketing into increasingly obscure places. Logos on hockey boards, postcards in restrooms, those inevitable pop-up ads. Perhaps someday marketers will be able to buy commercial space on dollar bills themselves. There's a lot of blank space there. Might as well plant the suggestion directly on the thing that does the actual buying. Next stop: ads on finger-nails.
BRAIN TWISTER >>> What happens when you're in the supermarket aisle looking at those little impulse-buy bags of cookies and chips clipped onto the shelves and you realize you actually want something specific, like a snack-size bag of Abba-Zabba? Which aisle do you go to? You have to check them all.
NEW THEORY >>> Do you feel that the relationship between the size of a cel phone and the size of a pack of cigarettes is ironic, symbolic, or incidental? Sometimes it seems that they're each doing the very same thing.
TOONAGE: U2 @ Staples Center >>> In two previous U2 experiences, at the L.A. Coliseum and New Jersey's Meadowlands, I was struck by how much attention the band's leader Bono demanded. There's nothing that takes me out of the music quicker than a front-man in love with himself. Hear that, Sting? Last Tuesday's gig at Staples Center really rocked.
The band is still on top of things musically, and their songs have aged well, with classic rockers and sap-free anthems blending easily with new material from their latest, "All You Can't Leave Behind." Highlights included "Beautiful Day," "I Will Follow," "Pride (In the Name of Love)," and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For." Bono's ego remained pretty much in check all night, with a healthy smattering of banter, some of it topical, peppered throughout.
The dramatic highlight was a list of the names of those lost in the September 11 attacks which rolled on multiple screens behind the band as they played "One." A fitting tribute played without irony by a band who cares enough to try to make a difference, but knows well enough that rock and roll is still about the music. As good an arena rock show as you'll ever see. Opening act No Doubt managed not to get lost in the Staples Center mix, occasionally rising musically above Gwen Stefani's formidable eye candy.
HERE'S A HINT >>> BRITNEY ISN'T SINGING!!!
She's whispering along to a backing track. The girl wouldn't get her hired to be her own back up dancer. What a struggle for her. It's like Mary Anne trying to be Ginger.
Her live HBO concert was just a mess.
TOONAGE: Sasha and Digweed @ The Mayan >>> I was wondering when the monster dance club trend would begin to show its age. Thought I spied a few cracks in the armor on Thursday, when Sasha and Digweed spun for a packed house at The Mayan. A $50 show that ran from 9 to 3, the sounds that seemed so fresh at New York's Twilo, and even during Digweed's solo outing earlier this year (also at The Mayan) began to seem a bit ordinary.
There's a phenomenon in techno music whereby a song will sound like The Song, a generic techno song with a monotonous beat that simply goes on forever. While Sasha's show had its moments, and Digweed's a few more, I had difficulty discerning these guys' set from recent shows by Groove Armada and Rainer Truby Trio. The beat's still there, maybe a little too there.
The sound and the scene are far from last legs: superb house DJs Deep Dish are pioneering live and on record, and artists like Crystal Method and Basement Jaxx bring tremendous passion and some great musical moments to their live sets. And granted, Thursday was a bear of a day for me, but I was ready for greatness on Thursday night, and the whole thing felt tired. All of those exxing twentysomethings standing stock still in the middle of the dance floor don't do much for me, either. Give 'em a Blow-Pop and a space out of the way so the rest of us can move. How long can any drug make watching a DJ spin seem interesting? Just show me the music, and let's take it from there.
FLICKAGE: "Amelie" >>> Simply the sweetest, most optimistic, beautifully written, wonderfully paced, delightfully original movie of the year. Makes life's challenges seem a little less terrible; a gentle reminder of how great the simple beauties of our every day lives can be. In French with subtitles, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, who's previous credits include "Delicatessen" and "Island of Lost Children." The best film I've seen in 2001.
THE BUZZ >>> On "Harry Potter": thumbs up. Money rolling in. And a franchise is born.
@ @ @
SIX-DISK CHANGER >>> The plastic stack of whack.
1. Radiohead, "I Might Be Wrong"
8 live tracks from a great modern rock band, including the brand new, "True Love Waits".
2. Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, "Amelie"
Everything about this film delights, especially the music.
3. Mr. Scruff, "Keep it Unreal"
Quirky instrumentals from Manchester, England, featuring the sublime, "Get a Move On."
4. Zero 7, "Simple Things"
My vote for record of the year; beautiful, thoughtful, soaring. Simply perfect.
5. Deep Dish, "Moscow" Disk 2
Beat that moves body and mind from the world's top house DJ team.
6. Sparklehorse, "Vivadixiesubmarinetransmission"
Keep going back into this amazing artist's catalogue, and it's all good. Could be Radiohead's moody, musical cousin.
7. Ben Vaughn, "Rambler '65"
Straight ahead roots rock, recorded entirely inside the artist/producer's '65 Rambler. True driving music, made inside a car.
@ @ @
Have a great week.
Your pal,
David.
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Great weather, the beach, and our very own Amoeba.
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The Morning Brief can be read every wwweek @ www.smmirror.com -- in the Web Stuff section.
You can also find prior Briefs at www.morningbrief.net if you've got the time. Or load it up from www.avantgo.com and get your Briefs to go.
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DISCLAIMAGE >>> Please feel free to forward The Morning Brief to whomever you like. If you do, in part or in segments, or if you'd like to re-publish, please copy me or just let me know. Thanks for reading!
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Notable shows in and around Southern
California.
Highly
recommended shows this color.
Red
alert; must see!
11.19.01 - U2
w/ No Doubt @ Staples Center
11.20.01 - Jaffa (Café del Mar) / DJ Krush @ Fais Do Do
Ballroom
11.21.01
- Frank Black (acoustic) @ The Mint
11.23.01 - Mike Watt @
Knitting Factory Hollywood
11.23.01 - Weezer w/Tenacious D @ Long Beach Arena
11.24.01
- Stereolab @ The Palace
11.24.01
- Dark Star Orchestra @ El Rey Theatre
11.24.01 - Nikka Costa w/ Miranda Lee Richards @ Knitting Factory
Hollywood
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11.26.01
- Nortec Collective @ El Rey Theatre
11.27.01 - Natalie Merchant @ Royce Hall
11.28.01 - Delbert
McClinton @ The Roxy
11.29.01 - India Arie and Mystic @ House of Blues
11.29.01 - Poe @ Roxy Theatre
11.29.01
- Diamanda Galas @ Royce Hall
11.30.01 - Goldfrapp @
Knitting Factory Hollywood
12.01.01
- Bebel Gilberto @ House of Blues
12.01.01 - Goldfrapp @
Knitting Factory Hollywood
12.02.01 - Eels @ Roxy Theatre
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12.03.01
- Mercury Rev @ The Troubadour
12.03.01
- DJ Food / Four Tet @ Knitting Factory Hollywood
12.04.01 - Tweaker @ The Troubadour
12.04.01 - Robert Earl
Keen @ The Roxy Theatre
12.05.01
- Wilco @ El Rey Theatre
12.05.01
- Starsailor @ The Troubadour
12.06.01
- Wilco @ El Rey Theatre
12.07.01 - Man or
Astroman? @ El Rey Theatre
12.08.01
- Charlie Hunter Quartet @ McCabe's Guitar Shop
12.08.01 - Jane
Siberry @ Knitting Factory Hollywood
12.08.01 - Warren Miller's Cold Fusion @ Wadsworth Theatre
12.09.01
- Etta James @ House of Blues
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12.10.01
- Aimee Mann @ House of Blues
12.12.01 - Elton John @ Universal Amphitheatre
12.14.01
- Zero 7 @ El Rey Theatre
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12.21.01
- Sensefield @ El Rey Theatre
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12.28.01
- Karl Denson's Tiny Universe
12.29.01 - Karl Denson's Tiny Universe
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12.31.01
- Macy Gray @ House of Blues
12.31.01 - Sasha /
Paul Van Dyk / Jimmy Van M @ Giant/Coliseum Gardens
12.31.01 - Paul Oakenfold / BT @ Hollywood Blvd
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1.11.02
- Calexico @ Knitting Factory Hollywood
1.12.02
- Blind Boys of Alabama @ Royce Hall
1.18.02 - Buena Vista Social Club (Gonzales/Ferrer) @ Royce Hall
1.19.02 - Buena Vista Social Club (Gonzales/Ferrer) @ Royce Hall
2.07.02
- Baaba Maal @ Royce Hall
2.09.02
- Laurie Anderson @ Royce Hall
2.17.01 - The Coen Brothers and Down from the Mountain @ Universal
Amphitheatre
__________________________
HAVE YOU seen something amazing? HAVE YOU figured something out? HAVE YOU found a new haven? HAVE YOU changed your mind recently? HAVE YOU got a bug in your butt? HAVE YOU been remembering to breathe?
RE: AOL ENCROACHMENT >>> I was at Burke Williams Sunday (finally succumbing to the pleasure of paying lots to have someone pound me to pulp) when I overheard this women rather loudly sign that today's news were depressing her, and that even the decision to have a child is a loaded one. Our very "bright" front desk attendant, then proceeded to explain that she hasn't read the paper/watched the news since 9/11 because she just simply couldn't handle it. Apathy...that's got to be in the top 10 ugly things to have arisen from recent events. I just wanted to slap her glowing exfoliated cheek!
-- Sue-Meng Lau.
RE: AOL ENCROACHMENT >>> You can make those pop up messages stop! Just click keyword, type in marketing preferences, and then pop up. Then you can choose to not have the pop-ups pop up anymore.
-- Zarla.