Lunar Tunes for a Blue Moon

Happy Blue Moon day, Western Hemisphere. Everyone else, Happy Thursday! That's nothing to scoff at; Thursdays are my favorite day of the week. It's also the last day of the month, but Happy End of May sounds like a cruel party celebrating someone's death.

Nada Surf's wonderful cover of Big Star's "Blue Moon" is posted among the blue and other moon tunes below. Absent: a certain better-known song also called "Blue Moon". Big Star's "Blue Moon" is the classic "Blue Moon" in my book, have never cared for that other one. "Oh, stop whining" is my usual reaction to it, no matter how much I like whoever's singing it.

Yet while I bypass a song many others regard as a classic, I am posting a Corey Hart song truly shocking in its awfulness. It's not dated-awful or campy-awful, and it's not just fun to mock because it's by Corey Hart. For me, there is one moment, when with about 55 seconds left, when it gets just a bit -- not melodic -- but less painfully unmelodic. It's then when you too might wonder whether the song is about to get better. No, it isn't. And having hope makes it hurt all the more when it immediately gets worse again. With the exception of that moment, it's an almost constant cringe. Props to the man for not using any audio sweetening, unless he used audio souring. That wouldn't be keeping it real. Rather like a colorized blue moon. We are going to get a genuinely bright blue one tonight, aren't we?

Nada Surf - Blue Moon (Big Star cover, on A Tribute to Big Star)

Everything But The Girl - Blue Moon Rose (on Idlewild)

David Kitt - Dancing in the Moonlight (on Dancing in the Moonlight)

Gomez - Blue Moon Rising (on Liquid Skin)

Corey Hart - Water From The Moon (on Boy In The Box) Warning: Unpleasant

Brian Eno's 77 Million Paintings Are America-Bound, Already in Monitors

Wired brings news of the first time Brian Eno's 77 Million Paintings exhibit will travel to America.

The 77 Million Paintings are formed by a randomly-selected, constantly changing combination of high-resolution images. To match the concept of the artwork, Eno's ambient soundtrack also continually changes.

If you won't be in the San Francisco area to catch the show, or just have an aversion to the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, there's also a home version, which you can run on your computer.

Even if you've got an extremely large monitor, seeing Eno's artwork there won't feel quite like seeing it in a museum setting. In a video interview made to promote the home version, Eno calls it "a little bit like the difference between going to a performance of music and putting on a record of that music."

Home version: the user is able to alter the speed at which the art changes. Museum: not so much. Home: you can shut the computer off. Museum: they'll get quite cross with you if you try that. (Also, alas, home: some reports of technical glitches, possibly most likely with Macintosh owners. Museum: probably less likely to have glitches.)

The blink-and-you'll-miss-it exhibit over at The Yerba Buena Center runs June 29th and June 30th, 8 PM to 2 AM (general admission) and July 1st, 7 PM to midnight for charter members of The Long Now Foundation, which is presenting the exhibit. Charter memberships are available, and it should come as no surprise that Brian Eno is a charter member of the non-profit organization, which advocates a "slower/better" mindset as well as thinking in terms of the next 10,000 years (that'll slow you down, alright). Tickets are $25 each; $20 for students and seniors. I'm a math atheist, but if this was on a per-painting basis, that would probably... be... a really good deal.

Eno's promotional video:




In the spirit of the controlled-randomness of the home version of 77, a selection of 7 songs selected, described (or not) with a sort of controlled randomness:

Architecture In Helsinki - Tiny Paintings (on In Case We Die)

Ursula Points - Gone To Stay (on Light Up a Galaxy) Pretty song bridges the gap between alt-pop and alt-rock... or possibly travels that bridge during the song.

1 Giant Leap (feat. Michael Stipe & Asha Bhosle) - The Way You Dream (on 1 Giant Leap, etc.) Mellow, Stipey trip-hop/world/electronic

The Aluminum Group - Sweet Child O' Mine (On Wonder Boy Plus) Beautiful cover of, yes, the Guns N' Roses song. The Aluminum Group has contributed stellar covers to several compilations, including albums paying homage to Kate Bush and The Human League. They're rather good at originals too.

Alasdair Roberts - When A Man's In Love He Feels No Cold (on Farewell Sorrow) Gentle, pretty folk/rock sung with a dang charming accent, which at least across the pond, where we like that, might help him "get away" with singing, "So bake for us the bridal bread" without preceding it with "please" or following it up later with "So sorry for not saying 'please' before/Was totally caught up in the excitement of/my impending nuptials."

Björk - Desired Constellation (on Medúlla, etc.)

J Xaverre - Ex Wonderboy (on These Acid Stars) A gorgeous song about alienation and self-deception. Hmm. That isn't much of a "pitch", and I really love this song a lot. (Let's try again:) I love this song a lot. I'm tired. Why did I save this one for last? Is it related to the reason I've been meaning to post this song for so long but haven't found the right post for it?

In case I don't get a chance to say so tomorrow, enjoy the Blue Moon!

U.K. Gives U.S. Gnome Frenzy; Canada Acts Politely

In the U.K., it seems gnomes can barely catch a break these days. They've been banned from the Chelsea Flower Show, deemed "rather gaudy". 67% of British people surveyed said a garden gnome on a property gives a bad first impression that would deter them from buying the place.

This is not to say that gnomes aren't respected in the U.K. Large crowds are turning up to a Beckenham house, where 40 painted gnomes are on display, each flashing its backside.

Across the pond, we're not at the gnome-mooning stage. In the States, the Detroit Home Press encourages its readers to "Bring home a gnome for the summertime", possibly leaving them to later wonder "Why can't I sell my house?"

The Press can always run articles with helpful tips to answer that question down the road. Why take a crack at solving a problem that doesn't exist? First they have to create the problem, silly! I predict one suggestion will involve buying something cinnamon-scented, like candles, from a Press sponsor. For now, the paper has endorsed a garden gnome sold at Target (though not the one pictured below).



I don't know how many gnome items Target used to have but they now have a whopping 9 (1 more than 8!) It's a veritable frenzy. Where goes Target goes the nation? A solar-powered gnome is "Darling during the day, enchanting at night", and yet for some reason they chose to photograph their solar-powered gnome during twilight of the damned.

They even have gnome sheets for kids, which one reviewer raves "do not have any strange odors". Do her sheets usually have strange odors, or did she just expect them to smell like gnomes? (It should be noted that the sheets are filed under "blue" and boys' sheets" but not "kids", so they're not necessarily technically for kids. Use them on a girl's bed at your own risk. Gender confusion or sudden strange smells may result.

Meanwhile, Oregon State University agriculture sophomore Eric Dinsfriend attracts attention for going barefoot and bearded. More on point for our interests, Dinsfriend has also carved his own garden gnome.

His school newspaper makes it sound as though it might be the only one he's carved, so writing he "carves garden gnomes" makes me wonder whether gnome fever has spread to US News & World Report. (It's not their only mistake and it's a very short blurb. I think they must have a lot of gnome-related sponsors and/or the flu.)

Creating an increased demand for gnomes is a clever idea though. America has taken a shine to gnomenappings, and encouraging more people to buy gnomes, which, to their surprise, will only be stolen, is great for the economy. People might even replace their gnomes once or twice.

In Canada, when someone gnome-naps, they announce their intentions, which include renovation. Oh Canada, you're so adorable! You seem like the kind of country that wouldn't act like something smelled strange, even if it did. Whereas those Chelsea Flower Show people might act like something smelled strange, even if it didn't.

The Monkees - Teeny Tiny Gnome (on The Missing Links)

Aereogramme Ignores Your Heart's Wish, Goes Separate Ways

It can't be a good sign when it takes the press nearly a week to notice your band has announced its break-up. Then again, by the time you've reached that stage, everyone already has a good inkling there's a problem.

Aereogramme announced their split May 11th, saying "the never-ending financial struggle" played a large part in their decision, having contributed to their feeling of not having "any fight left".

Powerful stuff, but still, NME only noticed today. It seems like word has spread slowly.

Aereogramme's own website still hasn't announced the break-up. (Maybe they don't read NME.com.) "Yes, rumours are true," begins the most recent update (from February 13th). The big scoop there is about a North American tour in April. An unloved band website is a form of anti-promotion, but when a group names themselves Aereogramme, it looks like they embrace anti-promotion as a sort of strategy.

NME's headline: "Aerogramme split up" says volumes. Because they misspelled the group's name. Still, the group is probably kicking themselves now, saying, "If only we wrote it upside down, it would have worked..."

They're so talented at the "music" part; it's a shame that for whatever reasons they couldn't make the business part work.

The group has 8 shows left, all in Scotland, from May 30 at Aberdeen Music Hall, concluding at Inverary Connect Festival on August 31st. However, they prefer to view their June 16 Glasgow QMU concert as their farewell show rather than the festival sets that follow it.

Aereogramme's Farewell Message:

"It is with heavy hearts that we tell you all that Aereogramme have decided to split up. Reasons are multiple and complex. It is however fair to say that the never-ending financial struggle coupled with an almost superhuman ability to dodge the zeitgeist have taken their toll, ensuring that we just don't have any fight left in us. We are immensely proud of the four albums that we made over the past seven years. We hope that they continue to grow in your hearts. We plan to honour and celebrate the beautiful friendships we have made along the way with (our) final shows over the summer.

"We would like you all to consider our headline show at the QMU in Glasgow to be our farewell UK show and to view the Connect Festival in Inverary as a damn fine opportunity for everyone to see The Jesus And Mary Chain. Finally we want to thank you all for listening to our music and coming to our shows over the years. You have given us a glimpse of something truly special. Aereogramme. x."

Aereogramme's Remaining Shows:

May 30 - Aberdeen - Aberdeen Music Hall
May 31 - Edinburgh - Potterow
June 1 - Glasgow - Barrowlands
June 16 - Glasgow - The QMU
June 23 - Scheesel - Hurricane Festival
June 24 - Neuhausen - Southside Festival
July 27 - Grossefehn - Omas Teich Festival
August 31 - Inverary - Connect Festival

The video for "Barriers" (on My Heart Has A Wish That You Would Not Go):



Aereogramme - Wood (on Sleep & Release)

Aereogramme - The Ocean Red (on Glam Cripple EP)

The World Is Thirsty For Danish Pop

Danish synth-embracing alt-pop bands named after Americans who gain wealth and fame from terrible acts might be a dime a dozen, but something tells me Oliver North Boy Choir might be special. I'm not sure that it's someone from the band telling me, because they talk about themselves like this: "Mikkel played the guitar and as Ivan couldn't play anything he became the singer."

I'm collectively ascribing this wit to Mikkel [Max Hansen] (vocals, and the vaguely-descriptive "instruments"), his high school friend Ivan [Petersen] (ditto), and Ivan's wife Camilla Florentz (vocals). Their wit is endearing, as is their explanation of their name:

"Because we thought that the face of one of the ugliest, dirtiest and filthiest affairs in American foreign policy through the years (Oliver North) ought to have a choir to his appraisal, a.k.a. us.
The Iran-Contra scandal involved the US supporting the Iranians (while also supporting the Iraqis) in their mutual war, supporting the Contras in Nicaragua to overthrow the democratically elected government AND financing the whole charade with a deadly mix of guns and drugs. Much like us. We just make an equally deadly cocktail of pop and indie and support both Kylie and Dat Politics."

It's good that they're not that self-effacing. A dollop of confidence is helpful in the music business (if they can keep it to sub-Oasis levels, it would be helpful in life.) The bit of confidence may be especially helpful because they've chosen a slightly unconventional strategy for pop success.

Oliver North Boy Choir is bypassing albums, instead releasing download-only singles and EPs (their EP Shell for the mourning will be released May 27). It may be a risky approach, even in our modern age with its new-fangled MP3 players, microwave ovens, ice-dispensing refrigerators, and other techno-gadgetry snapped up by those who embrace change for the sake of it (not that I judge).

It might be a clever strategy, though. If they can produce songs quickly ("phase 1"), and, well, create sufficient demand for them, they're in like Flynn.

They've already sussed out that people love supermarket videos and responded with one of their own, for the blippy (naturally) single "Adrenaline":



Hansen is also in epo-555, and he's less mysterious about his role with them - he's credited with vocals, guitar, bass, and electronics. Florentz is either a current or former member, depending on whose website you believe. She's credited with vocals, synth, and... melodica. A-ha, maybe that's the "something" that makes ye ol' Boy Choir special.

And wow, are all epo-555's songs as good as the fuzzy bliss-pop of "Dakota"? They've released a couple albums; streaming audio of songs is available at their website and they have a few videos at YouTube including the comic-strip video for "Dakota":



Correction: Camilla Florentz is married to Mikkel Max Hansen. She is not also married to Ivan Petersen, which is probably a very good thing for band harmony (in both senses of the word). More on epo-555, whose second album, Mafia, has just been released in the United States, to come...

Aqualung on The Tonight Show

If you can briefly endure Jay Leno's unctuous presence, you might want to do so in order to check out Aqualung performing "Outside" on the program this evening. Matt Hales (a.k.a. "Aqualung") is currently on tour in support of his recently-released album Memory Man.

Live video of "Outside":

Top 10 Worst Song Lyrics: People Like Bad Rhymes/About As Much As Mimes

They say awards chosen by fans mean the most. Then again, this shadowy "they" is always saying something. "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." "Never go to bed angry." "'I don't want to see a ghost/It's the sight that I fear most' is a bad lyric." Know-it-alls. How many hit records do they have?

Perhaps these sorts of bitter thoughts might comfort Des'ree, who today won a trophy for writing the worst song lyrics of all time for her 1998 tune "Life".

It was a hit, so maybe like terrible rhymes. BBC 6 listeners like dissing them anyway, as they chose a lot of songs with questionable rhymes for their "top" 10 list of the worst lyrics. The shortlist was chosen from listener suggestions, taken by deejay Marc Riley, who also conducted the final poll. He counted the top 10 worst offenders on his show, which has been archived online.

Tenth-place finisher "War Pigs" by Black Sabbath pulls off the gutsy rhyming-a-word-with-itself move by rhyming "masses" with "masses".

Not all dishonored lyrics needed awful rhyming to stand out. Take Razorlight's 3rd place finisher "Somewhere Else", which strikes me as more underwhelming than truly horrible:

"And I met a girl
She asked me my name
I told her what it was"

But many of the songs contain amusingly bad rhymes... including the "winner", "Life", singled out for lyrics such as:

"I don't want to see a ghost,
It's the sight that I fear most,
I'd rather have a piece of toast,
Watch the evening news."

ABC's "That Was Then This Is Now" (4th place) contains the snazzy pairing of "grumble" with "apple crumble". Reached by phone during the program, ABC singer Martin Fry asked if this was going to be done every year, "because I'm writing songs every day and I think I can get to 3." He said he's mixing more ABC music today and that he'll have to write more about apple crumble. After being told what song came in first and hearing some of it, Fry said, "I'm gutted" at the realization that he can't compete with that.

Still, being a good sport, Fry agreed to give Des'ree her prize, the Taxing Lyrical trophy... should he see her. Deejay Marc Riley's friend Ian Morris, formerly of The Smirks, accepted the Taxing Lyrical trophy and duly promised to pass it on to Fry.

The Top 10 Worst Song Lyrics:

1. Des'ree - "Life"

2. Snap - "Rhythm Is A Dancer"

"I'm as serious as cancer when I say rhythm is a dancer"

3. Razorlight - "Somewhere Else'"

4. ABC - "That Was Then But This Is Now"

"More sacrifices than an Aztec priest
Standing here straining at that leash
All fall down
Can't complain, mustn't grumble
Help yourself to another piece of apple crumble!"

5. U2 - "Elevation"

"I've got no self control
Been living like a mole now
Going down, excavation
High and high in the sky
You make me feel like I can fly
So high
Elevation"

6. Toto - "Africa"

"The wild dogs cry out in the night
As they grow restless longing for some solitary company
I know that I must do what's right
Sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti"

7. Oasis - "Champagne Supernova"

"Slowly walking down the hall
Faster than a cannonball
Where were you when we were getting high?"

8. Duran Duran - "Is There Something I Should Know?"

"And fiery demons all dance when you walk through that door
Don't say you're easy on me you're about as easy as a nuclear war"

9. Human League - "The Lebanon"

"Before he leaves the camp he stops
He scans the world outside
And where there used to be some shops
Is where the snipers sometimes hide"

10. Black Sabbath - "War Pigs"

"Generals gathered in their masses
Just like witches at black masses"

Cake's John McCrea on the meaning of life, Barack Obama, and sandwiches

The forthcoming Cake compilation, B-sides and rarities, includes their George Jones cover, "Subtract One Love (Multiply the Heartaches)". There's something natural, almost poetic, about the combination of heartbreak, country music, and math. (And the wit adds a nice touch.) Many of the songs Cake covers blend the melancholy and the humorous, and the same is true of many of their own lyrics, which are written by frontman John McCrea.

I spoke with McCrea by phone Wednesday, and asked why he thinks this mixture is so potent.

"Isn't that what life is actually like?" he began. "There's never pure tragedy. There's always some strange mixture of elements. I think that's just sort of nature maintaining balance."

"Do you have to be sad to write sad lyrics?"

"Well, yeah, but I mean, everybody's sad," he said. "Everybody's got a lot happening inside of them. Can you be happy and sad at the same time? Yes."

He continued, with a shout-out to Buddhist philosphy, "Even in your most amazing moments in your life, you still, somewhere in your consciousness, have to be aware of your impending death. The happier you are, the sadder your death is."

For McCrea, "life is not about acquisition, it's about being at peace within. So I think it's okay to have a sad song that's going to connect you to the rest of the world in a way."

McCrea also connects with the world via his group's very active website. One of several frequently-updated areas on the site is the news section, which on any given day, may include a game or movie recommendation (the band likes Quiddler and Blades of Glory). A brief description and commentary often accompanies links to articles or YouTube clips. McCrea provides the site's political and environmental content.

Environmental topics are often mentioned, so it's no surprise that McCrea cites climate change as the first domestic policy issue he'd address if he was in a position of power. Specifically, he says would first "remove the unfair tariffs on Brazilian sugar-based ethanols." McCrea says he's "completely disappointed" Barack Obama voted to maintain the "protectionist" tariffs given how "serious" the issue is. Given that so few climatologists - a dozen out of thousands - dispute the role of humans in global warming, what could Obama's motive be other than "playing politics"?

Cake recorded Black Sabbath's anti-war anthem "War Pigs" for the new collection, leaving little doubt as to the band's stance on the Iraq War. ("Time will tell on their power minds, making war just for fun.")

A live version of the song, recorded with Steven Drozd of The Flaming Lips, is available on a limited edition disc (which comes with a scratch and sniff CD cover in one of these color/scent combinations: red/fresh-cut roses, yellow/banana, brown/leather, green/fresh-cut grass, or purple/grape). Pre-orders for the disc, which costs $10, are being accepted now. It's currently in production and is expected to be available at the end of the month.

Sample MP3s of all the songs on the disc can be downloaded at Cake's website. One of the tracks on B-sides and Rarities, "Short Skirt/Long Jacket", was a hit single, prompting the question: "'Short Skirt/Long Jacket': B-side or rarity?" He seemed taken aback by the query, and answered, "Neither!" then said the version on the disc is live, and was recorded in Australia. (There is no indication that the track is anything other than the studio version in the press materials or in their website store.) I told him that made it a rarity. "We're not liars!" said McCrea.

Something that isn't that rare is for McCrea to speak out against file-sharing. At a concert, he recently asked "since everyone feels music should be free, shouldn't other things in life, like sandwiches?"

He repeated the sandwich comparison when we spoke. He cited the cost of renting a studio and hiring musicians and said despite the expense, "I'm fine with music being free as long as we can be consistent and have sandwiches be free."

It's a faulty analogy in my book. I'm down with the Jeff Tweedy "A piece of art is not a loaf of bread" school of thought.

With a nod to Tweedy, I noted that a sandwich is gone when one person takes it, whereas thousands, even millions of people can take a piece of music and they haven't even changed it, let alone taken it away.

To McCrea, the difference is in the cost of labor. "What I'm saying, indirectly, is it's somewhat childish to make someone else's job free if you're not willing to do the same yourself," he said. "What you're doing is making one person's labor free and another person's labor valuable."

I told him musicians need to be supported.

"Well, musicians aren't being supported and no one gives a shit about them."

He said he "sees Jeff Tweedy's point" but he's concerned with boiling things down to a "more basic point". He's concerned about musicians being kept "desperate, and touring" an excessive, unhealthy amount. He's concerned about musicians not having health insurance.

I told him we're not on opposite ends, that I agree that touring is a harsh lifestyle, one that, as he's said, can lead to problems with addictions. We disagree on how to help musicians, on who's to blame.

I think it's unjust, and unhelpful to blame those who file-share (i.e., music fans) for musicians' economic struggles. Establishing a climate of hostility between musicians and music fans helps no one. Even the President has MP3s ripped from CDs on his iPod.

Artists, especially those who don't want to spend a lot of time touring, should think creatively when it comes to new sources of revenue. Addding value to traditional CDs with a bonus DVDs or bonus tracks or with clever packaging like Cake's 5 "collectible" scratch and sniff covers is a common avenue these days. Merchandising in general is often an underexploited source of revenue. Increasingly, artists are selling exclusive digital downloads and licensing their songs for use in advertising. Hopefully, more clever artists will succeed through innovation. They'll have the help of those nice people who buy concert tickets, funding artists' sandwich purchases.

Cake left (their most recent) major label but when we buy RIAA-member CDs, we help fund RIAA lawsuits. When the RIAA is ordered to pay the attorney's fees of someone they sued, they pay with our money. Meanwhile, the RIAA thinks songwriters are overpaid.

It's songwriting that McCrea's currently currently working on; Cake has been in the studio "a little bit" working on their next studio album, but he needs to finish writing the songs. He says there probably won't be any covers... "well, maybe one."

The band's also on a tour, supporting the B-sides album. Another album, Cake Live At the Crystal Palace, recorded in 2005 in Bakersfield, California's Crystal Palace, is set for a Fall 2007 release. Their next studio album is expected to be released sometime early next year. It may or may not contain a cover, but characteristic Cake instruments such as the vibraslap and trumpet, and that certain mixture of sorrow and wit that echoes life seem likely.

Cake's B-sides and rarities: Track Listing:

1. "War Pigs"
2. "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town"
3. "Mahna Mahna"
4. "Excuse Me, I Think I've Got a Heartache"
5. "Conroy"
6. "Strangers in the Night"
7. "Subtract One Love (Multiply the Heartaches)"
8. "Never Never Gonna Give You Up"
9. "Thrills"
10. "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" (Live, recorded in Australia)
11. "It's Coming Down"
12. "War Pigs" (Live, featuring Steven Drozd, bonus track on limited edition)

Cake Shows:

5-11
Baltimore, MD - Pier Six Pavilion

5-12
River Front Park

5-25
Council Bluff, IA - Stir Cove

5-27
Sparks, NV - John Ascuaga's Nugget

6-02
Atlanta, GA - 99X Big Day Out

6-03
North Charleston, SC - The Plex Charleston

7-06
Brugge, Belgium - Cactus Festival

7-07
Evreaux, France - Le Rock Dans tous Ces Etats

7-08
Weert, Netherlands - Bospop Festival

7-10
Utrecth, Netherlands - Tivoli

7-12
London, England - Indigo2 Theater

7-13
Henham, England - Latitude Festival

7-15
Istanbul, Turkey - Massitval Festival