Friday, September 25, 2009

why I am so happy

the Arctic Monkeys are just a few short hours from hitting the First Avenue stage.

they just played a live in-studio with Mark Wheat.

Wheat said he asked Alex what his favorite Beatles' record was, he said Rubber Soul.

Wheat speculated that the lads "might just do a Beatles cover tonight."


!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Moz-like?

ok, so maybe they were right...I read several references to Moz when it came to this beaut of a song...(actually did take a bit to grow on me) then I got finally got the joke of it, and went with it. (the Moz melodrama of how Alex draws out the line, "I eeelooong-ated my lift home"... I'd like to hear that old man cover that shit.

Cornerstone

I thought I saw you in The Battleship but it was only a look alike
She was nothing but a vision trick under the warning light
She was close, close enough to be your ghost
But my chances turned to toast when I asked her if I could call her your name

I thought I saw you in The Rusty Hook, huddled up in a wicker chair
I wandered over for a closer look and kissed whoever was sitting there
She was close and she held me very tightly until I asked awfully politely
"please can I call you her name?"

I elongated my lift home
I let him go the long way round
I smelt your scent on the seat belt and kept my short cuts to myself

I thought I saw you in The Parrot's Beak messing with the smoke alarm
It was too loud for me to hear her speak and she had a broken arm
It was close, so close that the walls were wet
And she wrote it out in Letraset
"No, you can't call me her name"

Tell me where's your hiding place
I'm worried I'll forget your face
I've asked everyone
I'm beginning to think I imagined you all along

I saw your sister in The Cornerstone on the phone to the middle man
When I saw that she was on her own I thought she might understand
She was close, well you couldn't get much closer
She said "I'm really not supposed to but yes, you can call me anything you want"

no, it's not Bah...

inevitably, I am fully hooked to the newish (got it at midnight on August 23...) Arctic Monkeys' record, "Humbug." The title is a name for a popular hard candy found 'cross the pond. From what I hear, it involves peppermint and is said to have a "warming effect" -- cause it's a Christmas candy. (nothing to do with Mr. Scrooge, although the lads are "fully aware" of that connotation.

It's so layered and dark and sexy. Alex Turner really has matured. His voice is deeeeeper, sexier, more measured...he takes his time now, musically and vocally... teases it out. Which, goes behind the idea of the album title and feel as a whole, really -- take your time with it and it slowly reveals itself to you -- this was what they are saying their intent was. For me, I sunk in pretty hard quite fast. The melodies were infectious almost right away. Helders' drumming is even more impressive and unrelenting than ever before -- driving the frenzied beats behind the heavy dark geetars. That makes it sexy, too. More than they ever were before. I like this. It's something I actually didn't foresee... well, that and the possibility of drugs in the desert with Josh Homme. Turns out it's a brilliant move and I love hearing that adventure in the music.

I was probably able to digest this one more quickly because we had JUST seen them (twice!!) in Chicago for my birthday weekend, at the Metro and at Lollapalooza.
[A monumental and magical weekend, full of amazing music and love... James and I got engaged. Lou Reed serenaded us as we made the decision to get hitched. pretty spectacular...whew.]

So, the Arctic Monkeys played heavy on the new stuff (seemed like hardly any songs from the debut record) and I wasn't into it immediately...but the second go, at the festival -- they had a certain, far more urgent and intense and grand-scale vibe to it, They pushed it out on the huge crowd hard and heavy. The people were diggin it. Lot of range of ages over there, too. My favorite image was a tiny tot bouncing with his fist in the air to the rockers. It was precious.

"biggest crowd we've played to in America..."