Whateveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer!

Terrible things and great things! On the way to No Fun Fest I was accosted by a deranged gentleman singing "When A Man Loves A Woman" and asking for money. He told me to get pizza, but I went for falafel anyway! Delicious falafel at Orchard and Rivington! Like WOAH!

I am hardly a noise expert. I like the stuff and even play in a noise band, but I would hardly give tests to my class at the Y. I will say, I can tell what's good and what sucks! Burning Star Core falls into the first category. One dude playing violin and electronics. Nothing sounds like it should, but everything sounds like it really really should! Growing pulses that shake concrete rooms and violin howls that make Thurston Moore look at Kim Gordon and realize he really loves her after all these years (True Story!). This young man made one of the scariest noises I've ever heard when he turned into a monster aided by two microphones and God knows how much processing. Still, it's best if you close your eyes. 1. No noise musician is that interesting to watch, unless they resort to horrible theatrics (see below). 2. The dark is always scarier than the light!

Burning Star Core - A Brighter Summer Day

Consume!

Onward and downward!



Mr. Prurient falls into the second category! Imagine if Trent Reznor had blown out speakers, barely functional cables and pedals without a single intact capacitor. You have just imagined the abomination of Prurient. I don't really like writing bad stuff about people when there is so much good out there, but I am still reeling from how horrible this was. Those of you familiar with Bloomington, IN's Filth Beast should join in my class fucking action lawsuit against Prurient. Filth Beast yelled over shitty industrial beats. Prurient yells over shitty distorted industrial beats. End of day. Here's the interview I did on site:

Josh Millrod: How are you?
Prurient: Great! How about you?
JM: Terrible. The only part I liked about your set was the time when you nearly pulled all your equipment off the table which would have prematurely ended it. How can you suck so bad?!?
P: Fuck off!

Venturing out of the world of noise, The Dirty Projectors are coming to NYC on March 30th. If you are not there, you are a dickhead. Hella might be the headliner, but that's no excuse to miss one of the most wonderful bands in NY and the world! I shouldn't give Hella shit, because they used to be really good. C'est la vie. Dave Longstreth might be a bit of a procrastinator, but he's a hell of a genius. I've been a fan for a while and it such amazing dudes to have watched him grow from super simple songster with an ear for harmony to full out math-rock, glitch wonder. His latest release New Attitude is made up of some of the most disparate sounds ever, but it so unbelievably fucking pleasing. You will find cello ensemble, ring modulator, intense male harmony, 10,000 computers, drum pads circa 1980 and plunky microtonal guitar. Please check him out at Europa on March 30th.

The Dirty Projectors - We Can't Win (Live)

Consume!

Cute Girl of Week:
I saw this girl on the train and could not talk to her! AHHHHHHHH! Someone teach me how to talk to girls! Once I get past the first sentence, I'm fine, but shit that first one is hard!

First is the Worst

I like stuff as much as the next guy. Here are a few things: Love Connection pt. II, I Was the Dancer, Ohh Daughter/Disaster, One Father Another, The Weight She Fell Under, Survived By Her Mother, Keyholes and Curtains, Forward to Forget, The Four Platitudes, Stolen Children, The Fragile Class. "Safe as Houses" by Parenthetical Girls came out a few moons ago, but it still haunts my dreams. It's the most eeriely beautiful thing to be etched onto a cd in a long while. Imagine Xiu Xiu, but less histrionic. Tons of swirling noise, heavy delay, piercing synth, busted drums and a voice that floats above the world singing some of the most disturbing lyrics ever. Plus, Zac is cute and the band dudes are crazy nice.

Parenthetical Girls - Love Connection, Pt. 2

Consume!

Speaking of cuteness extreme!!!


I read about Fancy Nancy in Paper Magazine. She hosts a public access show called "Fancy Nancy's Funny Hour". Suck Island doesn't get NYC public access so I'm stuck watching youtube bullshit. I don't know her at all, but she seems like a cool dude so I think this is how an interview with her would go:

Josh Millrod: How are you Fancy Nancy?
Fancy Nancy: I'm pretty great.
JM: I saw the write-up in Paper in their beautiful people special section. They flagged you as a person to expect great things from. What's it like being a famous public access star who's on the brink of changing the world?
FN: Well... It was all very flattering at first, but now I can't leave my apartment without being hounded by reporters. Day and night they follow my every move. I actually found a photographer hiding in my kitchen cabinet taking pictures of my oatmeal.
JM: That sounds horrible.
FN: Seriously! I knew things were getting out of control when I saw a cup I used at Starbucks on eBay.
JM: Aside from being stalked by the press, what have you been up to?
FN: I've been napping a lot and working on a cure for cancer in between filming episodes, but my results haven't been very promising. I just can't seem to figure out the Gatorade-to-cumin ratio.
JM: Sounds very interesting. Any plans for the future of the show?
FN: Emril Lagassi's manager contacted me about Emril appearing as a special character, but I had to turn him down. I'm really trying to stay true to my roots and keep the show the way it is.
JM: Good to hear that you're keeping true to the fans. Thanks so much for taking the time to talk to me Fancy Nancy. It's been a pleasure.
FN: No problem Josh!

Paper also did a feature on my other new love.



It's like St. Valentine's Day in my heart. I saw this awesome band at the Cake Shop pretty recently. Brooklyn dudes Flying do it quartet style. Lots of cymbal rushes creating more tension than you could ever imagine. Totally unpretentious experimental twee stuff (if such a distinction exists). Cutesy, but not too sugary. The double drum/double keys action works so well, but the lone female needs to do more vocals. Her voice has this awesome lilt that makes you feel like your heart might burst. Life gets a whole lot prettier when she sings. I haven't had a chance to check out their full-length, but myspace is pretty great, most especially Falling Leaves (Even though it sounds a bit like Cheers).

Flying - Minors

Consume!

Segue to a little more pretentious, but still great and actually only pretentious if you don't know better. I saw Beautiful Weekend a while back. I was really unimpressed, but I came away really wanting to like it. Months later, I'm so glad that my brain posted this virtual stickie note somewhere amidst the awesome stuff going on in my cranium. They are all crunchy harmonies and plunky guitar counterpoint. Morton Feldman's babies fall asleep listening to this music. It ebbs and flows and flows and flows. Even their most dissonant harmonies fill me with peace and inner joy. Please give this band many chances as they may not sit well at first.

Like Woah. That's enough out of me. Buy Parenthetical Girls!!

Like Woah

Blogs are coming back like unbelievable zombies in the Mall of America. Serious. My bones are constantly strengthening and filling with water from the top of a mountain. This blog is for talking about music, monsters and the most deepest parts of life. I want to have a serious dialogue. Forever!