Indichik

Official Folklife Q&A is Trampled by Turtles

2010-09-13T17:01:00.001-04:00

Official Folklife Q&A is Trampled by Turtles

I live everywhere now

2010-08-17T21:07:00.002-04:00

Men is a Brooklyn band that, like everyone promoted by Indichik's friends at Arthur, are a lot psychadelic. Plus, Joshua Tree? My gosh?
OFF OUR BACKS by MEN

Margaret Atwood Twitter contest

2010-07-23T11:17:00.004-04:00

Margaret Atwood herself posted this press release on her blog today. Instead of wasting time grousing about "what-has-the-world-come-to" I'm going to get busy tweeting. I suggest you do too, because the prize is unbeatable: MA's entire Virago back catalog, which are gorgeous.

Virago/ The Year of the Flood Twitter competition – announced 19^th July. Opens 29^th July

Margaret Atwood has one of the largest literary Twitter followings with 66,718 followers to date. To celebrate her Twitterati and the publication of the Virago edition of The Year of the Flood, Virago are delighted to announce the ‘Publisher for a day’ Twitter competition.

The competition – be Publisher for a day…

Margaret Atwood considered five titles for The Year of the Flood before choosing ‘The Year of the Flood.’ You: Propose a different but appropriate title. Then write an imaginary back cover quote — from a newspaper, from a celebrity, from one of your friends, from your cat — it’s wide open! Word limit: 140 characters each for title and for quote. (Like Twitter!). Then email your entry to the Virago website.

What to do…

The competition opens 29^th July. On this date, head to http://www.virago.net where there will be a special page for the competition as well as the original cover blurb. The competition closes on 12^th August.

The prize…

Virago will then decide the winner and the runner ups. The cleverest tweeter will win £100. The second and third prize winners will receive copies of Margaret Atwood’s backlist with the new Virago jackets. Honourable mentions, as well as the winning three, will be posted on the Virago website and shared via Twitter.

For further information please contact Zoё Hood, Virago, 020 7911 8070, zoe.hood@littlebrown.co.uk

I'm probably the least qualified person in this lineup

2010-07-21T23:49:00.003-04:00

Vol. 1 Brooklyn’s Birthday Party: The Greatest 3-Minute Record Reviews Ever

Vol. 1 Brooklyn Presents

The Greatest 3-Minute Record Reviews Ever

With special musical guests: Xray Eyeballs

Aaron Lefkove (LiveFastDie/Creator: Summer of Megadeath)
Adam Wilson (The Faster Times)
Andrea Bartz (Stuff Hipsters Hate)
Ben Greenman (The New Yorker, new book called What He’s Poised to Do)
Bill Pearis (Sound Bites NYC/Brooklyn Vegan)
Brenna Ehrlich (Mashable/Stuff Hipsters Hate)
Brandon Stosuy (Stereogum/The Believer) Canceled/had a baby/mazel tov!
Claire Shefchik (The Faster Times)
Emma Straub (Author)
Jared Bloom (The Full Ginsburg)
Jason Diamond (Vol. 1 Brooklyn)
Jason Orlovich (Brooklyn the Borough)
James Yeh (Gigantic Mag)
Jed Smith (My Teenage Stride)
Jens Carstensen (Limewire/The Giraffes)
Jeremy Krinsley (Impose)
Jesse Hlebo (Swill Children)
Maggie Serota (New York Press)
Maris Kreizman (Slaughterhouse 90210)
Marisa Meltzer (Author of Girl Power: 90′s Revolution in Music)
Marty Beckerman (Online features editor at Esquire/author)
Maura Johnston (The Awl)
Rob Tannenbaum (Playboy Magazine/Rolling Stone)
Sara Jaffe (Writer/musician)
Scott Lindenbaum (Electric Literature)
Tobias Carroll (The Scowl/Vol. 1 Brooklyn)
Zachary Lipez (Freshkills/Author of “Please Take Me off the Guest List”)

At: Bar Matchless – 557 Manhattan Ave. Greenpoint, Brooklyn

7 PM, no cover

Reunited

2010-06-26T15:34:00.003-04:00

Not only is author Eric Davidson an accomplished music journalist who's written for CMJ and the Voice, he is, in fact, a member of the legendary New Bomb Turks, who are reuniting tonight at the Bell House for one night only to celebrate the release of We Never Learn, Davidson's firsthand account of the punk underground of the '80s and '90s. So you get to see him read and play. And if that's not enough, I'll be selling the book, so you can keep me company. There's nobody lonelier than the merch girl during a good show. And wait, what's this about gourmet barbecue?

If he can't catch it, nobody can

2010-04-14T22:32:00.004-04:00

So the good old boys at Underwater Peoples' records, they of all of your favorite vaguely folksy indie rock acts -- Real Estate, Woods, Islands, etc. etc. are planning some epic hootenanny up in the mountains this July 24 featuring all those bands and more, but they need your pledge or it won't happen. I'm broke so I can't help, obviously, but maybe you can make this happen. This event is all but guaranteed to feature flannel shirts and beards galore-- how could you say no?

Also, I don't have a car and have no idea where Saratoga Springs is, but if I'm really lucky, maybe I'll be able to hitchhike up there in the Woods Family Van. I'm stoked.

Take the plunge

2010-03-03T12:15:00.005-05:00

Friday night, possibly for the only time in history, you'll be able to experience me, Ben Greenman, David Hollander, shipwrecks, burlesque theater pieces, the 19th century maritime painter Thomas Chambers, and the mournful gothic-roots music of Richard McGraw (whose album Burying the Dead is out now on Non-Utopian Records, and whose single "Hurting Heart" is stream-able below), all in one place. Plus more, all in celebration of the wacky and vaguely disturbing, in some cases, objects lurking beneath the waterways of New York.

It's a reading-theatre-music-art blowout at the American Folk Art Museum, and it starts at 5:30. The museum is located at 45 W. 53rd St, between 5th and 6th Avenues. Did I mention that it's free? More information can be found at the official UNY site.

Stream - Richard McGraw - Hurting Heart

We all scream for Japanther

2010-03-03T11:30:00.005-05:00

Friend and well-wisher of Indichik Lauren Cerand, a leader and pioneer in literary publicity (think Roxana Robinson and Diana Balmori), is branching out into punk rock, and we here couldn't be more excited about it. Her first project is the latest album from Brooklyn tongue-in-cheek punks Japanther (who were, appropriately enough, one of the first genuine DIY shows I ever saw, shortly after moving to New York). And I'm not just saying this to make Lauren happy, those of you (like me) who have recently been disenchanted by a music scene increasingly full of bland indie poseurs doing more of the same nondescript, overly-mannered electronic shit. This is one of those rare albums you always sort of assumed existed ever since sometime in 1981, but it wasn't until you actually heard it that you realized that it didn't, until now. Please take a minute to get yourself excited about music again by checking out the Mp3 of "Alone in the Basement" below, then go live it up at the Mercury Lounge tomorrow night. I'll see you there.
Mp3 - Japanther - Alone in the Basement

What's the deal? Your weekly Publisher's Lunch deal snark (Beloved Childhood Series Edition)

2010-02-20T00:17:00.004-05:00

Publisher's Lunch says: Francine Pascal's SWEET VALLEY CONFIDENTIAL, following her iconic identical blonde twins and full cast of characters into adulthood, now in their late twenties and early thirties, "where the real world intrudes," to Dan Weiss at St. Martin's (who created the original series with Pascal when he was a book packager), with Hilary Rubin Teeman editing, for publication in early 2011.

Indichik says: In a departure from my usual attitudes about PM deals, I'm kind of genuinely excited about this. I wasn't a big Sweet Valley girl (meaning I probably only read about 10 of the 8000 books in the series), but this fills me with joy if only because I love that no attempt whatsoever is being made to market this to children. I hope it's the beginning of a very successful trend

In fact, Ann M. Martin, god bless her, is already getting in on the act by reissuing the first Baby-Sitters Club book as a semi-ironic graphic novel that will deliberately not update the circa-1983 story, and that's a good start. But please consider going a step further. We as a generation need to know whether Mary Anne married Logan, whether Claudia ever learned to spell, and whether Jessi and Mallory finally embraced the love that dare not speak its name.

R.L. Stein? K.A. Applegate? Donald J. Sobol? Kathryn Kenny? David A. Adler? Judy Delton? Anybody else want to get in on this?

RAAWART Presents Click

2010-02-20T00:02:00.003-05:00

On February 24, RAAWART gallery presents an new exhibition of edgy photography and an afterparty at Juliet in SoHo: Click is so chic.

We all miss our loved ones and gases

2010-02-16T15:52:00.003-05:00

Get a breath of fresh air by checking my review of Diary of An Oxygen Thief and its very mysterious anonymous author in the books section of The Faster Times, a new-ish online-newspaper site that I love because it's full of fresh-faced young go-getters like myself (see for yourself, our pictures are right on there) and covers things that people actually want to read about. Take that, Panorama.

Mardi Gras Madness

2010-02-16T15:32:00.004-05:00

We heart Hank & Cupcakes here at Indichik, and we especially heart the chance to see their new video for "Pleasure Town" FREE at Brooklyn Bowl.
On Friday, there's also this, which seems like it might be huge and unfortunately is not free, but that you can RSVP for ahead of time to get reduced admission:

Also The L Magazine, who I hate to promote because the evidence is mounting that they're all a bunch of misogynistic, self-important dicks, is sponsoring a Mardi Gras parade in Williamsburg tonight followed by a free show from Wavves at Brooklyn Bowl. I have absolutely no clue what Nathan Williams has to do with Mardi Gras and it's snowing, but whatever, it's free, and people will go, especially if there's any chance that the Black Lips will show up, shit could get ugly

Nikki & Rich are big and skinny (and soon to be rich, I'm sure)

2010-02-03T18:50:00.004-05:00

Pop-soul is big, and Nikki Leonti is literally the "son of a preacher man" (daughter, whatever) and sings some wicked neo-pop-soul accompanied with Rich Velonski boutique beats. They even sample the Shangri-Las on their first single "Cat and Mouse." You can see them free next Tuesday at the Highline, courtesy of Giant Step, rsvp'ing here.

What's the deal? Your weekly Publisher's Lunch deal snark: New Year's Roundup Edition (plus: Jane Austen Must Die!)

2010-02-02T20:55:00.008-05:00

Since I'm just now getting my snark back after the deep freeze, we're going to take a long trip down What's the Deal? lane. You won't miss a thing!

February 2, 2010

Publisher's Lunch says: Jojo Moyes's THE LAST LETTER FROM YOUR LOVER, searching her newspaper's archives for a story, a woman is surprised to discover a letter from 1960, written by a man asking his lover to leave her husband; despite, or perhaps because of her own romantic entanglements with a married man, she can't help but investigate; in 1960 a different woman wakes up in hospital after a car accident; she can't remember anything - her husband, her friends, who she used to be; and then, when she returns home, she uncovers a hidden letter, and begins to remember the lover she was willing to risk everything for, to Pamela Dorman of Pamela Dorman Books, for publication in summer 2011, by Sheila Crowley at Curtis Brown UK (NA).

Indichik says: Seriously, guys? Amnesia? We're talking about a plot point that even the writers for "Days of Our Lives" would dismiss as "too big of a cliche."

Publisher's Lunch says: Cindy Jone's debut I'LL FIND YOU IN MANSFIELD PARK, about a young woman who flies to England to re-enact scenes from Mansfield Park at a Jane Austen Festival and must confront whether she is a protagonist in her own life or merely a secondary character repeating foolish mistakes, to Lucia Macro at Avon, at auction, for publication spring/summer 2011, by Laura Rennert at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (NA).

Indichik says: You know, I don't even know what to say about these anymore. I'll continue running them because it's becoming too hilariously awful to resist. But I'm at the point where, if you could see me, I'd just be pulling a John Stewart, by putting up a portrait of Jane Austen in the upper corner of the screen and making a face.

Also: the long-awaited(?) Tucker Max sequel.

January 20, 2010

Publisher's Lunch says: Bloggers and journalists Andrea Bartz and Brenna Ehrlich's STUFF HIPSTERS HATE, based on their popular Tumblr site, an anthropological guide to the buzzed-about subculture, featuring analysis of the mating habits, habitat, theology, grooming practices and preferred entertainment of the modern-day hipster, with helpful graphs and charts to understand the elusive character of the trendy beast, to Kelly Reed at Ulysses Press, for publication in Fall 2010, by Jason Allen Ashlock at Movable Type Literary Group.

Indichik says: The people writing this are not hipsters. The people who will read this (if any) are not hipsters. Where are the hipsters? Tsk. You have to ask?

Publisher's Lunch says: Laura Spinella's BEAUTIFUL DISASTER, in which a sheltered college girl's life is forever altered by the motorcycle-riding stranger who blows into town followed by a trail of secrets, to Leis Pederson at Berkley, by Susan Ginsburg at Writers House.

Indichik says: Motorcycle-riding strangers ceased to be edgy around oh, 1956 or so, so for her sake, I'm really hoping Spinella has something else up her sleeve.

And finally, going back even another week, to January 12, 2010 and making this a true New Year's Roundup:

Publisher's Lunch says: Founder of www.myparentswereawesome.tumblr.com Eliot Glazer's MY PARENTS WERE AWESOME, an anthology of humorous and endearing writings from children about their parents -- before the fanny packs and Andrea Bocelli concerts -- when they were fashion-forward and super awesome, to Ryan Doherty at Villard, by Hannah Brown Gordon at Foundry Literary + Media (NA).

Indichik says: Blog books. Feh. But more relevantly -- seriously. If your parents really were awesome, why would you need to go on the Internet to share that fact? And run the risk finding out that somebody out there has parents that were even cooler than yours? Seems foolish, personally.

P.S. Apparently, the Y2K bug hit Publisher's Marketplace after all, albeit 10 years late. Today's blast was dated February 2, 1900. Here's to a capital 20th century, good sirs.

Sunday: We're all fans

2010-01-30T21:08:00.002-05:00

Watch the Grammys on The Hill courtesy of my friends at ChiChi212, and see if the Academy throws a nod in the direction of indie rock by awarding Best New Artist to the Silversun Pickups. Not bloody likely.

Thursday: Release party for Haiti

2010-01-26T11:48:00.005-05:00

Send help to Haiti, drink Colt 45, and check out my feature article on The xx. You can't ask for more in a night, right?

Tuesday: Mad tatts at Cameo, courtesy of Brooklyn Royalty

2010-01-15T14:31:00.001-05:00

We just have to keep the memoir debate going until I finish mine

2010-01-08T15:14:00.004-05:00

I'm devastated to have missed Ben Yagoda, author of Memoir: A History on Wednesday at Freerange Nonfiction Reading Series (see previous post) but on Poor Your Soul, Freerange proprietor Mira has a breakdown on the lecture he gave, in which he assigns and subtract points to various memoirs for criteria like "Dialogue" and "Rips on People", revealing that St. Augustine is currently beating Sarah Palin by around 40 points (surprisingly?) He also sets out to explain the insatiable current hunger we as a society have for "true stories" (translation: "untrue stories"). It's worth reading.

Northern Sky

2010-01-08T14:27:00.003-05:00

So Flavorpill has "The Ultimate Hipster Reading List," which is, yes, about as obnoxious as it sounds. It's a list about of dozen white male writers you have heard of (Keith Gessen, Nick Flynn, et al. plus Miranda July thrown in for color) recommending about 50 white male writers you haven't heard of. I don't know whether FP thinks that there are actually people out there who will take these recommendations seriously, or whether it's all some elaborate, ironic joke. I'm not sure FP themselves want to know. The truth would probably horrify them, at any rate.

Oh, and also I'm in the frozen north right now, and have been for weeks, and will be for another week. All of my NYC information is coming from Facebook, mailing lists, and press releases, and I don't go anywhere. Which means that on Sunday I will unfortunately be missing the Improv Everywhere No Pants Subway Ride, so if you do go, make sure to take off an extra pair of pants for me. (Also, for my peace of mind when I come back, please don't tell me which train these people were on. I already don't like to think about who's occupied those hard plastic seats before me).

The word banish'd

2009-12-31T18:55:00.004-05:00

Each New Year's Eve Day for the last 35 years, Lake Superior State University has provided a great service by present a list of words that, by their estimation, must be banned immediately from all dialog, public and private. This year one of my suggestions ("too big to fail") is featured. This is my contribution, I feel, to making the world a better place.

Overall, LSSU's choices are sometimes predictable and always overdue: this year it's "tweeting," "friending," and my favorite, "Obamafication." (Actually, don't ban that one yet. Our work isn't done there).

But just you wait, "amazing." Next year. Next year.

It's the hap-happiest season of all

2009-12-21T17:09:00.005-05:00

Standard fare are Sheffield, England trio who deserve more renown than they have. Emma Kupa's songwriting puts a dry, postmodern spin on the kind of classic female singer-songwriter style influenced by Ani DiFranco. I don't know whether releasing a Christmas song will help them, but it couldn't hurt. So will the March release of their first full-length album on Bar/None.

"Tinsel Politics" is no Bing Crosby; Kupa's tone is that of someone who's scratching her head about why she's writing about Christmas to begin with. Among carefree mandolins and jingle bells (naturally) she waffles about where to spend Christmas Eve and harping on her partner about trivialities. By the time she gets around to adding "I don't even know why this is on my mind/I'm not even a Christian," she's probably come closer to capturing the peculiarities of 21st-century Gen-Y holiday angst than anything else you'll hear this December.

Mp3 - Standard Fare - Tinsel Politics

Cookie monster

2009-12-16T17:09:00.004-05:00

One unsung benefit of the holiday office party, as it turns out, is finding out just who your co-workers actually are. (Yes, I know that sounds odd, but I work in a rather odd business). This past Sunday, I learned that one of these stealth ghosts happens to be the legendary Matt Timms, Brooklyn impresario of various Takedowns (chili, fondue and otherwise). The next one, concerning cookies, is on Sunday the 20th at The Bell House. Not that anything would keep me away from all-you-can-eat cookies, but in this impersonal city, it's always nice to have a personal connection with someone you only see once a year.

Get wrecked

2009-12-12T15:35:00.005-05:00

Indichik says:

UNY, who I've mentioned before here once in passing and am now going to go ahead and all-out pimp, is a vast collective of artists and writers celebrating and exploring all that lies beneath NYC waterways. I am part of them; my short story "The Last Days of the Princess Anne," about a steamship that sank off Rockaway in 1920 and the crew who remained aboard it for 10 days, was published in their online anthology, and you can go the site and read it now (if you so chose of course).

They've just announced a writing contest in connection with the American Folk Life Museum, so now you, my friends, providing you have the wherewithal to spin a story about a local shipwreck, real or fictional, can be a winner. Note that if you win the contest, you'll be reading alongside me at the Folk Art Museum on March 10, which let's face it, is reward enough.

The Underwater New York Shipwreck Story Contest:

In conjunction with the American Folk Art Museum

Sunken on the floors of NYC's waterways are no fewer than 170 lost and wrecked ships. Underwater New York invites you to dive in and mine the wreckage. Draw your inspiration from their gallery of shipwreck images and tell a story—fiction, creative nonfiction or poetry—that brings these ghost ships back to life in 3000 words or less. The winning story will be published in Underwater New York, and its author will have the chance to read at Underwater New York Free Music Friday: Shipwreck Stories at the American Folk Art Museum, on March 5, 2010.

Submit contest entries online at www.underwaternewyork.com/submission

Deadline for entries is February 12, 2010.

The Fifth Annual PaperMag Nightlife Awards (yes, ChiChi lost, but who cares? Free bottle service!)

2009-12-10T16:55:00.010-05:00

Amanda Lepore and Ladyfag present an award.

Mr. Mickey and Ladyfag.
Co-emcee and Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Michael Musto (he's much funnier in person than in his Voice column, which avoiding, for me, is practically a third part-time job).

The crew from Santos Party House, winning for the 87th year in a row.

The crowd up on the back of the sofa during The Drums' set.

Since ChiChi212 received a much-deserved People's Choice Nom for Best Nightlife Blog (it's one of those links over in the sidebar that you never look at, but includes the occasional item from me, like encounters with Ed Westwick that I would be too embarrassed to post here), I got a ticket to the show, which took place at the aptly-named M2 Ultralounge (formerly Mansion). It's quite large. This post is only a small, tantalizing slice of the freakishishness and various levels of fiercely bad taste on display, (two words: drag queens) but luckily retro-pop band The Drums (filling in for much-more-polished Ting Tings at the last minute) with their crew cuts and windbreakers looked like they ought to be hanging out at a malt shop somewhere in 1955, ended the night feeling less like the city's chrome-trimmed jungle and more like the vast wilds of Brooklyn; in other words, this Indichik felt right at home.

The recap over on the ChiChi212 site and the Papermag.com article have even more red-carpet photos, decadence and random celebrity sightings, including my editor Brittany getting all cute about presenter Taylor Hanson (yes, of those Hansons).

Mp3 - The Drums - Let's Go Surfing

A very prosperous loft party

2009-12-10T14:56:00.005-05:00

With its high-energy, ska-influenced take on Southern indie rock, the Black Taxi live show is not to be missed. Plus, it's Meijin's birthday!

Mp3 - Black Taxi - Up Here for Thinking, Down Here for Dancing

Dave Eggers in the news

2009-12-08T17:52:00.009-05:00

I hope that if today's release of the San Francisco Panorama, Dave Eggers' adventure in print journalism , accomplishes anything, it's to disabuse Dave Eggers of the notion that any one single person can save print journalism, and even if someone could, it will definitely not be Dave Eggers.

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Espers @ The Bell House, 12/5/09

2009-12-06T15:28:00.007-05:00

For a band based in Philly, an NYC visit by Espers is tragically rare, which explains why their show at The Bell House last night was so well-attended. Singer/guitarist Greg Weeks is an unapologetic, all-out hippie, complete with fringed buckskin belt-bag, moccasins, round glasses and bell-bottom trousers. The lightning rod of the band is singer Meg Baird (her first solo record, 2007's Dear Companion, would be a shoo-in if I was making a "Best of the Oughts" list, which I'm SO not). Her voice is instantly recognizable on every record she makes, and even though people like to compare it to Vashti Bunyan and Sandy Denny, she doesn't really sound like either of them. It's just that her style of singing doesn't have much of a context that current audiences can relate to. Which is sort of why it's great.

Much of Espers, in fact, is rooted in past styles that may or may not ever be relevant again. Their earlier recordings were more acoustic based and more or categorizable as freak-folk or freak-folk adjacent, but they've expanded. Their October release, Espers III, incorporates as much electric as it does acoustic (not to mention precise work from Vetiver drummer Otto Hauser) and achieves a kind of late-sixties psych-pop feel, reminsicent of Fairport Convention or even Fleetwood Mac. It's the type of music that you never really hear anymore, ever. It's too bad, too, because a couple of songs they played last night, like Tomorrow from 2005's The Weed Tree, "Children of Stone" from Espers II or "Caroline" from III, I could actually see being radio hits at a very, very specific point in musical time.

Mp3 - Espers - Caroline

Tonight: Help a brother out

2009-12-04T13:26:00.004-05:00

I don't have health insurance anymore either, as I'm sure a lot you don't, so I'm, certainly sympathetic. And it's always nice when the Brooklyn music community come together to help out one of their own. Plus, I love the White Suns, and when are you going to get to see Genesis Breyer P-Orridge at Dea,th by Audio? Probably never.

Literary folk

2009-11-28T17:31:00.007-05:00

Since I'm reading Rick Moody as we speak (Garden State, his first) I was interested when I learned that if I want, I can listen to him, too, being that The Wingdale Community Singers, his Brooklyn-based singer-songwriters collective, just released their second album, Spirit Duplicator, on Secret Shame. Moody and the rest of the foursome share the songwriting duty equally. This includes Hannah Marcus (who's played with American Music Club, Red House Painters and Godspeed You Black Emporer), David Grubbs (of Red Krayola, Squirrel Bait, and Bastro) and Nina Katchadourian. Moody also recently served as guest editor for an issue of Magnet Magazine.The album manages to sound remarkably old-timey without being cloying, exemplified by "Give it a Kiss," with its instantly memorable hook.

Since I spent the better part of semester researching the NYC folk scene for a grad school class, I've taken personal interest in the survival of folk music in New York, After the '60s revival waned, it seems most folkies have moved far away from this admittedly hyper-ironic scene. The Wingdales (like Sharon van Etten) are an incredible treasure located right here, and I'm glad they're carrying the folk torch for New York.

Actually, after, a while I realized that the Wingdales' music, springlike and rustic , full of old-fashioned harmonic singing, doesn't exactly match up to Moody's book, with its gloomy industrial spaces and early-twentysomething ennui set to the backdrop of northern New Jersey in the '80s. But hey, I prefer The Carter Family anyway, their beautiful, spare cover of which is below:

Mp3 - Wingdale Community Singers - Death is Only a Dream

What's the deal? Your weekly Publisher's Lunch deal snark (Blogiana Edition)

2009-11-28T16:53:00.003-05:00

Publisher's Lunch says: Comedic writer and former radio host April Winchell's REGRETSY, based on the popular blog of the same name; featuring a collection of the oddest, most humorous, and most disturbing crafts the world has ever seen, along with commentary provided by the author, to Jill Schwartzman at Villard, for trade paperback publication, in a pre-empt, by Meg Thompson at LJK Literary Management (world English).

Indichik says: So yeah, speaking of regret? Books based on blogs. Whatever happened to that one based on Stuff White People Like? I think I saw it in the 75% off bin at Urban Outfitters, like six months ago? There's a reason online media is taking of while print is (arguably) dying: disposability. Blogs are, quite rightly, written to be transient. When you spend good money to try to convert that concept to glossy covers and acid-free paper you lose what makes them work. Not everything is meant to be printed. Let's let blogs be blogs, okay? An end in themselves. (Confidential to book agents: contact me for my 78-page proposal for Indichik: The Novel.)

Princess Tiana revisited

2009-11-28T16:31:00.006-05:00

The Princess and the Frog, after months of criticism, retconning and hand-wringing, has opened, and as of today has an 88% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Of course I'm using this opportunity to invite you to revisit my PopMatters article, contrasting Princess Tiana and her predecessor, Uncle Remus, and encouraging viewers to revisit the latter. All cultural controversies aside, I'm just happy that today's kids finally get to see a Disney film made the way it was MEANT to be seen: in flat, glorious 2-D.

Road map to pop stardom

2009-11-18T02:37:00.010-05:00

Behold: the "Fame 500" map, a nifty little scientific tool to map which British counties have the most talent per capita. Probably the most surprising revelation (those those of us of a certain age, perhaps, and by that I mean 23) Merseyside and London, the homes of The Beatles and Bowie only finished second and third, respectively, behind the relative isolated northern county Lancashire, home of Oasis and Morrissey. Imagine if this were transposed to the U.S.: While New York and California would obviously have strong showings, I would expect that Minnesota would naturally emerge somewhere near the top, what with Prince, Bob Dylan, and one of the dudes from "Dude, Where's My Car?"

Lately, with the debut in the UK of "Pop Idol," which later gave birth to, of course, "American Idol" with its cattle calls throughout Middle America, and the current British, Simon Cowell-driven talent show juggernaut, "X-Factor," has essentially democratized the achievement of national exposure and fame for aspiring performers. Now UK grocery chain Tesco is taking it one step further by introducing the 1Click2Fame talent competition. Using HD Green Screen technology placed in specialty audition pods inside Tesco stores during a national tour, residents of even the smallest hamlets can create professional quality audition videos, and not only send them instantly to friends, but upload them to the Web site for a chance at winning cash prizes, recording contracts and other goodies. Case in point: the first round winner was Lucie Evans, an impossibly lovable 16-year-old Lily Allen-esque pop singer who went from making her own audition video to recording in L.A. and auditioning musicians there for her touring band:

There's hundreds of videos already available to vote on, and a quick visit to the site proves there's a lot more where Lucie came from. You know it's only a matter of time before this hits a Stop 'n' Shop near you. So could this mean the end of "if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere?" Personally if it means the New Yorks and Londons of the world will lose their strangleholds on the entertainment industry, and no longer compel hopefuls to pay outrageously high rents for the privilege of being spat upon by talent agents and record execs, then 1Click2Fame may be the best innovation in entertainment scouting since FM radio. Long live the democracy of talent.

Mp3 - Lucie Evans - No Blue Sky

Join me Thursday for story time in Greenpoint

2009-11-17T23:32:00.004-05:00

Here's your chance to hear me tell whatever stirring story I come up with between now and Thursday night (and that will most likely involve a penis, because as I've come to realize, at readings, much like in kindergarten, penis references are invariably gold) and if you're so inclined, join me and the other talented readers before and/or after for a drink and a hang. It happens this Thursday, November 19 at 8 pm at Bar Matchless, 557 Manhattan Ave. in Greenpoint. Detailed directions can be found here: http://www.barmatchless.com/about.html.

Vol. 1 Brooklyn Storytelling Series

Come wish us a happy winter break as we present our final Vol. 1 Brooklyn Storytelling of 2009. This month, we present two contributes to our site, and three newcomers to the Matchless stage.

:Porochista Khakpour
::Clay Mcleod Chapman
:::Tobias Carroll
::::Aaron Hartman
:::::Claire Shefchik

Hosted by Jason Diamond
http://www.vol1brooklyn.com

What's the deal? Your weekly Publisher's Lunch deal snark (God Bless America Edition)

2009-11-17T23:04:00.005-05:00

Publisher's Lunch says: Todd Gitlin's UNDYING, about a philosopher, who is diagnosed with lymphoma while struggling to write a book contending that Friedrich Nietzsche's thought stemmed from his ill heath, and who is also compelled to contend with a severely errant daughter, as well as the trauma of George W. Bush's 2004 victory, to Jack Shoemaker at Counterpoint, by Ellen Levine at Trident Media Group.

Indichik says: That second obstacle (after the daughter) is priceless. Or maddening, I can't decide which. In any case, eight years of Bush were bad enough -- do we really need to start reliving them through fiction?

Hartzveytik roundup, plus: The Shondes at SLC

2009-11-17T22:06:00.008-05:00

First, over on Jezebel, Niina did an unbelievably complete job with recapping last Saturday's Hartzveytik: A Survival Society Social, a charity fundraiser at Southpaw, featuring the Low and the Lonesome, Royal Pink, Soft Power and of course, The Shondes (shown here).

Also: You can see The Shondes! But only if you go to Sarah Lawrence College. Or possibly, if you formerly went to Sarah Lawrence, as I did a relatively short time ago in another life, and still know your way around really, really well and/or still carry your expired student ID around in your wallet. If that's the case, they play Saturday, November 21 at 9 p.m. in The Blue Room.

Ben Yagoda writes in praise of the memoirist

2009-11-16T18:31:00.005-05:00

Salon's Laura Miller has a long review of Ben Yagoda's new Memoir: A History (Riverhead) up. The book delves back in history to explain the motives of memoirists as early as St. Augustine. I suppose there are those who are interested in such things, but to me, the more intriguing aspects are Yagoda's arguments in defense of the current craze for memoirs of all types, and all levels of quality. One of these is that the current popularity of memoir now allows mediocre writers to get published. And that astonishingly, this is somehow a good thing.

Now missing The Shondes

2009-11-16T17:55:00.004-05:00

I've now managed to miss Brooklynites The Shondes twice: once before Rasputina's last show at The Knitting Factory, and once Saturday at Southpaw at Hartzveytik: A Survival Society Social, because I had to leave before their set for a very oddly-timed work-related thing. If heir brand of riot-grrl-meets-traditional Jewish music appeals to you, than you must feel my frustration. I was however able to see Royal Pink, a shamelessly gimmicky '50s girl group throwback band (complete with pink poodle skirts) that got a little less gimmicky at the end, and a very small part of Soft Power, who play lovely laid-back pop. However, when The Shondes' album comes out (soon I'm told), Louisa has promised me VIP status (or something resembling it) and I'll have to be satsified with that. Meanwhile, here's their video for "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow," courtesy of Niina.

If I ran the circus, it would look a lot like this

2009-11-13T16:38:00.002-05:00

Photos from the cave of daring freaks and spectacular wonders, courtesy of testosterone-heavy email newsletter Thrillist party, Friday at Carnival. In the top photo are the beginnings of the balloon Elmo I had so generously mademe, complete with googly eyes (that kept popping off before he was finished). You could also win live goldfish by tossing ping pong balls in their bowls. The whole event was sponsored by Jolt Energy Mints and Canadian Club Whiskey, complimenting each other perfectly.

Small Black at Market Hotel, 11/7/09

2009-11-09T00:29:00.021-05:00

Saturday night, the four members of Small Black spent so much time setting up their various electronic tools and toys onstage at Market Hotel that you couldn't help but bristle with anticipation of what sounds these local dudes (whose self-titled EP came out this fall on CassClub, and who I kept trying and for various reasons failing to see during CMJ) might come up with. Happily, they energetically run the gamut from cute, plinking piano trills and chippy electronic riffs, with the lyrics unintelligible most of the time. The showpiece being "Despicable Dogs," not nearly as neat as it sounds on the record, but rather a lilting drunken Irish pub-crawl melody, punctuated by a dizzy merry go round calliope accompaniment.

Mp3 - Small Black - Despicable Dogs

The cool kids

2009-11-08T15:54:00.008-05:00

How often do you get to hear fiction writers read entire stories in one sitting? In my experience, almost never. But last night at NYU's Lillian Vernon House was different. Contributors to the past and current (shown above) issues of Epiphany defeated the Curse of the Fiction Reader (i.e., when you can only read three pages of a 12-page story, nobody knows what the hell you're talking about).

Editor Jeffrey Gustavson plays emcee.

Lara Tupper steams things up with "Ting!," a tale of hot encounters between cruise ship crew.

April Naoko Heck gets in our face with her non-confessional confessional poetry (note that's an index finger, not a middle!).

Your next chance to experience current Epiphany work will be Wednesday at 7, upstairs at Pianos, during the official issue release party. Rumor has it there will be people reading, but it will be business as usual, at only about 5 minutes each, so, alas, poets win again. But as always, we fiction writers have liquor to make up for that.

Saturday Night Lit

2009-11-08T15:20:00.000-05:00

UPDATE: See corrected date for issue release party below:

Grab this chance to hear writers read their selections from the past two issues of Epiphany Magazine; last spring's Naked Psyches and this fall's Who's Still Alive, at the Lillian Vernon House at NYU, 58 W. 10th St. It's the first of two Epiphany events taking place this week; the second one will be Wednesday at 7 at Pianos. The lineup tonight is as follows:

Part 1
7 - 9 P.M.
Last Spring’s Classic:
NAKED PSYCHES Issue

Keith Hendershot, “I Heart You Past August”
Susan Ruel, “Medium Shuffle Blues in E”

Part 2
9:30 P.M.
The New Issue:
WHO’S STILL ALIVE . . . / (l)ove = (o)cean
Lara Tupper, “Ting!”
April Naoko Heck, two poems
Michael Ferch, four poems
H.V. Chao, “Jewel of the North”

It's all curated by Epiphany editors Jeffrey Gustavson, Willard Cook and Karol Nielsen. Who knows, maybe next issue it will be YOU reading. Or even me.

As Elvis would say, it's Girls Girls Girls

2009-11-06T16:48:00.005-05:00

Grass Widow seem a lot like the Vivian Girls. There's three of them. They play rather lo-fi, melodic punk. Most of them are refugees from various other bands. They're even playing with the Vivian Girls tonight at 8 at Market Hotel. But the song"To Where," a terrifically melodic track which accomplishes more in a few minutes than I thought any lo-fi track could, goes from spare and dissonant to lofty and meditative, and kind of beatific. In an-ever-more crowded club of Me Toos, it's a lovely standout. With new records on out this month on Captured Tracks and Make a Mess, they're they're poised to distinguish themselves from every other Girl out there.

And speaking of Girls, if you weren't one of the lucky ones to who gets to see Girls at Bowery Ballroom tonight, maybe you're luckier than you think, because there's a Girls afterparty going on at Market Hotel after the show, so if you see Grass Widow, you can get the best of both worlds. Though I'm not sure if Girls themselves will be up for making the trek all the way over to Bed-Stuy, (Market Hotel is a pain in the ass to get to even for me, and I live in what's technically the next neighborhood over). But the good news is no matter what, there will be Girls in some way, shape or form. Plenty of 'em.

Mp3 - Grass Widow - To Where

If friending the author of bad-ish review of your book on Facebook is inappropriate, then I take everything back

2009-11-05T14:43:00.005-05:00

So my review of "How to Be Inappropriate" by Daniel Nester went up early this morning on Vol. 1 Brooklyn, and before I'd even gotten a chance to look at it, the author had already posted a link on Facebook and sent me a message thanking me for writing it, apparently before I'd even woken up. Indeed, not everything in the review is glowing, but for the record, he perhaps thought I disliked the journalistic pieces more than I actually did. In any case, he was gentleman enough to not take it personally. Is that the ultimate impropriety? Or is it perhaps, actually, old-fashioned politeness? In any case, well played, Mr. Nester.

Chikpiks (Halloween is overrated, who's with me? Edition)

2009-10-30T15:07:00.005-04:00

In honor of the day, I bring you the 20 Worst Vampire Costumes, no doubt inspired by all of the quality vampire literature in bookstores these days. Since I couldn't find any Jane Austen/Mr. Darcy costumes on the webs, feel free to submit any you spot while you're out in the Halloween trenches tomorrow night.

Oh, and here are some scary Halloween events/parties, some of which I may actually appear at (no costume guaranteed).:

And at Mercury Lounge, featuring the insane live show of garage rockers Black Taxi (keeping ska alive in the best possible way), and awesome electro-glam duo Hank and Cupcakes, both of whom I've covered here:

Are you missing the Vivian Girls? Seems like they've fallen off from their previous 5 shows a week schedule since their sophomore album came out. Well here's your chance. I'm sure they'll be doing something scary.

SACRED BONES RECORDS HALLOWEEN

Wooden Ships
Vivian Girls
Crystal Stilts
Religious Knives

:: dj Keegan Cooke

| 171 LOMBARDY ST @ VARICK AVE |
171 Lombardy St @ Varick Ave | Greenpoint, Brooklyn
| 8pm | all ages | $12

| curated by Caleb Braaten |

And yeah, this is 20 bucks, but the description makes it sound pretty impressive. Plus, it's "secret." Yeah right.

The Last Masquerade

From the site: "Three vast spaces in the dark heart of Brooklyn have been re-imagined for
this all-night adventure. Over three dozen artists and performers will
infuse these forgotten structures with a pre-apocalyptic fairy-tale built
on music, mischief and a heavy dose of the unexpected."

260 Meserole St., Bushwick Brooklyn
and continues at two indoor loft spaces steps away...

7pm through 7am : Saturday October 31st.
$20 : Costumes will be rewarded : 21+
Arrive before 8:59pm and you pay only $10.

And for those who have far, far more endurance than I for looking at more bad vampire costumes:

Afterparty at Market Hotel

Starts at 1:30 a.m., immediately following the Mt Eerie/Liturgy show.

Djs include Veronica Vasicka (founding member of East Village Radio and electronic label Minimal Wave, lover of new wave, italo-disco, and house music) & Steve Summers (whose Back From The Future mix is below):

80% chance of smoke machine, $5 at the door (free for Mt Eerie/Liturgy showgoers).

Mp3 - Steve Summers - Back from the Future

And finally, Bobby "Boris" Pickett is sadly no longer playing in New York or anywhere else on earth, but the sole act of hearing "Monster Mash" once is enough to call my Halloween a success. So, via Audio Muffin, I present to you:

Mp3 - Bobby "Boris" Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers - Monster Mash

May he rise as a zombie in peace.

What's the deal? Your weekly Publisher's Lunch deal snark

2009-10-27T18:41:00.003-04:00

Publisher's Lunch says: Hannah Pittard's THE FATES WILL FIND THEIR WAY, about a girl who goes missing on Halloween and how her disappearance unexpectedly transforms the lives of those who knew her, in particular, the neighborhood boys, whose memories, curiosity, and teenage lust keep them searching for information, rumors, theories about her disappearance for the rest of their lives, revealing their stumbling paths to adulthood, their tragedies and devotions, and her relentless enduring significance to them and the possibilities of her fate, to Lee Boudreaux at Ecco, for publication in Winter 2011, by Jim Rutman at Sterling Lord Literistic (NA).

Indichik says: Enough with the missing-kid books already, okay? It isn't just that this sounds exactly like The Lovely Bones, which it does (and I swear I've already used this feature to talk about a previous ripoff of that book). But it's that the national "media" continuing to hyperventilate every extremely rare instance of this, causing perfectly reasonable parents to live in fear because they, ridiculously come to believe that this is some kind of epidemic. And I don't hold fiction writers above that standard, no matter how literary they claim to be. It's all a form of exploitation and pandering; like mysteries and thrillers, violence and death and grief ; people are (let's face it) sick and it's what they want to read about. I almost might remind you that traditionally, most successful novels featured children who didn't go missing. David Copperfield, anyone?

CMJ Saturday: Sini Anderson and The Roulettes at Bruar Falls

2009-10-25T23:53:00.000-04:00

Bruar Falls' unofficial CMJ day show/BBQ (lovely in the garden during the five or so minutes it didn't rain) Saturday. Sini Anderson, formerly of feminist spoken word collective Sister Spit, is up to her old tricks with new friends. Violins literally play, whenever she speaks about her search for a place in the sun.

Portland transplants The Roulettes are back big (frontwoman Rebecca (Keith) Roulette is a poet and also co-hosts the Mixer Reading and Music Series). The four-piece are riot grrls for a less riotous age, their old-fashioned musical grammar taking us back to when groups like The Ronettes were tough and so, so pretty (it's no coincidence that The Roulettes covered Phil Spector), while underneath concealing comically voracious sexual appetites (case in point: "Hot Ticket," below). Disbelief St. and Red Wire Black Wire performed afterward, but no photos, alas (too many $3 Bloody Marys?)

Mp3 - The Roulettes - Hot Ticket

Chikpiks CMJ Day 4 Lightning Recap/Going Crazy Edition

2009-10-23T18:20:00.004-04:00

So don't hate The xx for being the Official CMJ Buzz Band (TM), because they're all bunch of sweet, black-clad likely London lads (and birds. Do they still say "birds" in England? Did they ever?) I talked with Oliver and Romy before the show at the Apple Store, which was packed, predictably, with Steve Jobs' Nazi minions prohibiting any kind of photography whatsoever. But Brooklyn Vegan has a bunch of pics from their show at Mercury Lounge on Wednesday that are almost as good. They also play tonight at the Music Hall at 10:40 with School of Seven Bells, and later at Tribeca Grand.

Tonight Grooms play at 7:45 at Littlefield, a show I probably have no chance of making, and there's the Polyvinyl showcase at The Bell House, featuring Motel Motel, Cale Parks, and Japandroids, which is likely to be packed (what isn't likely to be packed?)

Also the Underwater People's showcase is tonight at the Delancey, where lo-fi pop bands Holiday Shores (is this band named after a retirement community in Coral Gables, or what?) and Real Estate are playing, and that I am going to try to catch (I didn't have the same luck with NME at the same venue last night, but that's a long story.)

And then will be heading to Spike Hill (yes, Spike Hill) at 11:10 for Sissy Wish, a Norwegian electro-pop princess whose voice is good for your soul, and whose single "Dwts" is probably #1 right now on the Norwegian music charts, because, what else would be?

Mp3 - Sissy Wish - Dwts

CMJ Wednesday: Broadcast and Atlas Sound at Music Hall of Williamsburg

2009-10-22T21:53:00.003-04:00

My entire Wednesday night ended up devoted to this show, and it didn't disappoint for comprehensiveness or novelty. Though Atlas Sound (Deerhunter's Bradford Cox) seemed to be the draw, Broadcast was first on the bill. The English band (a boy-girl duo, now), behind them, projected choppy, vaguely creepy abstract film clips in time with the music, a result of their latest collaboration with graphic designer Julian House (The Focus Group), "Broadcast and The Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults of the Radio Age." Together it all resembles the soundtrack to a 1970s children's TV show -- from Neptune. The strange and talented songwriter behind Microcastle and the recently released Logos, Cox, when his acoustic guitar string broke halfway through, proved himself a wizard of patter, joking about CMJ coke parties and striking "sensitive" and "rock star" poses for the cameras. He remained upbeat, even when the show had gone way over schedule and the half the hall had walked out. Also, I, meanwhile, still have a bruise on each kneecap from falling down two stairs at the Music Hall. Believe me, it was a long night.

Mp3 - Broadcast and The Focus Group - The Be Colony

Mp3 - Atlas Sound - Criminals (Electronic)

Chikpiks CMJ Day 3 Edition

2009-10-22T13:33:00.005-04:00

Damn you, College Music Journal. I don't have enough time to upload anything from last night's show before I have to start touting what's going on today. Sigh. So, but first:

On Chichi212, recap of Tuesday's New Zealand showcase at Red Bull Space, which featured Die Die Die, below.

The xx play at the Soho Apple store at 7 tonight, right after a photo shoot and interview with...me. It's free and I'm not aware that this is an official CMJ show, but of all the buzz bands in town right now, The xx are by far the buzziest, so it's a must-go.

Then, of course, if you're looking for some double-o soul, there's this:

Finnish band Rubik plays at 8 at the Arts and Crafts showcase at Union Pool. I missed out on them last night, but I have it on good authority that it was a huge, huge mistake.

Lastly, this has nothing to do with CMJ, but over at the Village Voice, Rob Harvilla has written a Pulitzer-worthy essay on how, despite what the mainstream publications tell you, "Brooklyn hipsterism," is not a movement, of any sort. In fact, it's hardly even a thing, like, at all. Thank you, Rob.

Mp3 - The xx - Basic Space

CMJ Tuesday: Sian Alice Group at The Knitting Factory

2009-10-21T23:23:00.000-04:00

So in case you didn't know, The Knitting Factory is my new favorite Brooklyn venue (and not only because of its proximity to the G train, I promise), and seeing Sian Alice Group, a band freaky-hippie Brits with a flute, at The Social Registry showcase was a great way to chill out at the end of the night. Hell, even the bouncers, in contrast to wherever else I'd been, seemed jolly and rotund rather than enormous and threatening.

Mp3 - Sian Alice Group - Through Air Over Water

CMJ begins, I follow (Chikpiks CMJ Day 1 Edition)

2009-10-20T15:48:00.007-04:00

So...so Grooms are just The Muggabears with a different name.

This is one of the many, many fun facts you can learn at this year's CMJ Music Marathon, which begins today. Grooms, in fact, are playing right now, at the Pop Tarts showcase at Cake Shop, along with, among others, Surfer Blood, Small Black, and Holiday Shores, all tinted various shades of pop. However, don't fret if you don't happen to be there, because Grooms will also be playing tonight at Death by Audio. And again tomorrow. And again on Friday. And finally, on Saturday, at the After the Jump party at Brooklyn Bowl. But that's just CMJ.

Deerhunter side project Atlas Sound plays tonight at 10 at (Le) Poisson Rouge.

Gritty, Kings of Leon-influenced rockers Black Taxi also plays tonight at 10:45 at Arlene's Grocery.

The Social Registry showcase is tonight at the Knitting Factory, headlined by British psychedelic experimentalists Sian Alice Group at midnight.

To be sure, I'm dubious about the effectiveness of CMJ passes for actually gaining admission to CMJ shows, considering that larger ones like Atlas Sound already sold out to the norms ages ago. However, they certainly are useful for partying with a bunch of New Zealanders at the opening night soiree at Red Bull Space. Pity the girl with the press pass.

Mp3 - Black Taxi - Head on a Pike

When Justin Vernon of Bon Iver breaks up, we all break down (The New Yorker Festival 2009)

2009-10-18T22:50:00.010-04:00

The story of Bon Iver is already approaching the level of myth: the mono, the cabin in the woods, the primitive recording techniques, the crack band he assembled upon his return to civilization. Not to mention the identity of the mysterious Emma. For Emma, Forever Ago is one of those rare albums that carved out a space for itself in the world, and then filled it.

A. Sussman / Getty Images

So is it any more meaningful to get up close and personal with the man who created such songs as "Flume," "Skinny Love," and "Blindsided"? For New Yorker music critic Sasha Frere-Jones, who readily admits he broke down weeping during Vernon's live show at the Bowery Ballroom, and who wrote about it in his feature on Vernon in the December 12, 2008 issue, it is.

Me, I know I could do without the Bon Iver groupies (yes, it's true they exist) squawking about how "'Skinny Love' is so about me and my boyfriend," or the pretentious college undergrads going out of their way to impress Vernon with knowledge of Vernon's own music -- how, exactly, do they expect that to work, again? Personally, I enjoy Vernon's music more when I'm somewhere where I don't have to think about these idiots liking it, too. When I can pretend I'm the only one in the world who also knows what it's like to be snowed in at a cabin in northern Wisconsin, and thinking about another time and place entirely.

A. Sussman / Getty Images

But the good thing about this music is that when Vernon starts playing, you kind of forget there's anybody else in the room, especially when he plays a song he insists will "never be heard again" (Michicant), or Springsteen-esque working-class love ballad like "Hayward," which was in consideration for inclusion on Emma but didn't even come close to making the cut, according to Vernon. And then there's "Flume."

div>Listening to Vernon play, and sing in a falsetto that you must hear live because it sounds Brian Wilson-level impeccable no matter how many Leinies he's supposedly drunk, did NOT make me love everybody in the room. It did perhaps though make it a bit easier to relate to the girl who, when it came time for audience questions, walked up to the mic and asked "I'm just going to ask what I most want to know...who is Emma?" And of course, Vernon's answer was what we all sort of knew..."she's a composite, based on a relationship I couldn't get over." But then he went on to add something that we also sort of knew: "It's really about not being able to move on from a time in your life."

A. Sussman / Getty Images

Vernon said of "Flume," just before he played it, that it was a song, and not just a song but a concept, a feeling, that he woke up to one day, and he's still trying constantly to understand, to swim toward (he really did say "swim," I'm sure of it). And that, I think, is what Frere-Jones understands about making the intensely personal experience of Bon Iver just slightly more public. Because so are we, and Vernon is letting us take that journey with him.

Mp3 - Bon Iver - Flume

Ian Hunter and Graham Parker tell us how it's done (The New Yorker Festival 2009)

2009-10-18T19:39:00.012-04:00

Assembled with an assortment of wannabe glam rockers and aging punks inside (Le) Poisson Rouge Saturday night, listening to '70s British rock legends Ian Hunter (of Mott the Hoople) and former "Angry Young Man" Graham Parker (of Graham Parker and The Rumour) talk to The New Yorker's Ben Greenman (also a fellow contributer of mine to Underwater New York), I couldn't help but think of Spinal Tap a couple times. Actually, imagine Spinal Tap if they'd actually been successful.

"What were you like as a child?" Greenman asks Hunter.

"We didn't have personalities in those days," Hunter (imagine heavy deadpan British accent) replies.

Both, in their days, were compared and collaborated with legends like Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen and pioneered the glam and proto-punk scenes, and both continue to take influence from them as they've continued their careers in the new milennium. They're both currently churning out excellent solo work, which I'm not sure how many people are listening to these days (I admittedly wasn't aware of it, although I was also the youngest person in the crowd, so who knows?)

Both played all-acoustic sets, with Hunter's "I Wish I Was Your Mother," from the 1973 album Mott one of those songs that come along and introduces you to an emotion or desire you know you've felt somehow all along but never realized it until someone else articulates it so perfectly: only so you could have known that aspect of them, and seen them from those eyes. Incredibly moving. Both of these guys, as aging punks/glam rockers, could so easily devolve into cynicism, but neither have, as far as I can tell, even though their interview answers might indicate different sometimes.

Hunter reunited with Mott this year for two shows in England, but if you're hoping for long, drawn-out reunion tour, you might be out of luck. They had a couple of decent hits (the Bowie-penned glam anthem "All the Young Dudes" being one). Parker claims he couldn't retire even if he wanted to. But at least he doesn't have to open for Styx to shouts of "go home English faggots" anymore. So really it all worked out.

Below is Hunter performing "Man Overboard," from last year's album of the same name, his 13th solo release:

Brooklyn hip, New Yorker-style (2009 New Yorker Festival)

2009-10-17T14:50:00.001-04:00

There are thousands of bands in Brooklyn, but if The New Yorker swoops in one night a year to choose a handful of them to spotlight, it's more of a career boost than being gushed about on Brooklyn Vegan and Pop Tarts combined. And that's just how it is, my friend.

A.H. Walker / Getty Images

It's easy to describe the The New Yorker's showcase at the The Bell House on Friday your standard attempt to expose the New Yorker's middle-aged readership base to what "those crazy Brooklyn youngsters are listening to these days," but Sasha Frere-Jones and Kelefa Sanneh (above) are no dilletante slouches, and showed some serious cred in curating "Brooklyn Playlist: A Special Concert Featuring Bands from the County of Kings." (Especially if you ask Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, but I'll get to that in a later post). Granted the Dave Longstreth-led Dirty Projectors are hardly unknowns, having already collaborated with David Byrne and Bjork, and having released their fourth full-length studio album, Bitte Orca, to gushy reviews in the usual online media, as well as an EP, Temecula Sunrise.

A.H. Walker / Getty Images

(FYI: The Bell House, while a cavernous and lovely place to hear music, has just about the most aggravating location of any venue I know. Note: if you take the G train to Smith-9th Sts. in order to get there, after you exit DO NOT TURN RIGHT. For the love of God, do not turn right.)

I was surprised to hear, live how much their sound resembled that of the most recent incarnation of Animal Collective; being it's one of those few handfuls of bands with sounds that manage to be both un-melodic and pleasantly beautiful. Their live show relies heavily on acoustics (in every sense of the word); the tight harmonies of singers Amber Coffman and Angel Deradoorian, whose voices, like Gabriel's trumpet, tend to explode out from heaven at all the right moments.
A.H. Walker / Getty Images

I didn't get to catch much of black-metal band Liturgy or House of Ladosha, described as a "dark-crunk collective," but I had to post about them anyway because their "glam-terror" posturing is unironically weird. (Or maybe it is ironic. It's hard to tell).

A.H. Walker / Getty Images

In any case, we spoiled hothouse flowers living in Brooklyn tend to believe that as we go, so goes the nation. But when you think about the circulation of the The New Yorker (which even includes lonely, pretentious 7th grade girls in Stillwater, Minnesota, which I know from a long time ago in another life), it all starts to become clear. Frere-Jones and Sanneh's blog post about their selections is on the New Yorker site, and even includes Mp3s from each act (I'll start you off below).

Mp3 - The Dirty Projectors - Temecula Sunrise

What's the deal?

2009-10-09T22:37:00.004-04:00

Publisher's Lunch says: 26-year-old Iowa Writers Workshop grad Benjamin Hale's THE EVOLUTION OF BRUNO LITTLEMORE, the fictional memoir of the world's first chimpanzee to attain the power of speech, whose big, brash, bestial narrative shows us what it is to be human -- to love, to learn, to hope, to reach, and to fail, to Cary Goldstein at Twelve, at auction, for publication in winter 2011, by Brian DeFiore at DeFiore and Company (NA).

Indichik says: There were no less than two Iowa MFA grads with deals in the newsletter this week, and much as I would like to heap derision on that fact, I don't really have the heart to rip on a guy who has had to deal with every acquaintance he's encountered for the last few years greeting him with: "So, still working on that monkey book?"

Home-grown Brooklyn showdown

2009-10-09T13:47:00.003-04:00

Vol. 1 Brooklyn have been good friends of ours at Indichik from the very start, and now they're finally going to settle a debate that's been raging for ages: North Brooklyn or South Brooklyn? It might get ugly.

Going live with The Giraffes and Hank and Cupcakes

2009-10-07T15:40:00.021-04:00

Did you know you can watch indie rock bands play full sets every Saturday night at 12:30 AM on Fox, and then vote on them? Well, you can. Or you can just go to Crash Mansion every month and see them in person, which is what I did last night.

Fearless Music is a critter hosted by Jamie Lamm, who interviews the bands onstage (although Tuesday it usually devolved into a lot of name-calling and anatomical references, but that probably won't get aired). Brooklyn hardcore-ish boozers The Giraffes headlined, which kind of explains that, as well as why everyone, including singer Aaron Lazar, were smoking inside during the show. I have my own theories about Lazar, who according to legend (i.e. Wikipedia) suffered two heart attacks in 2005. At age 26, that has to put him near the top of the Keith Richards scale of hard living. But I strongly suspect, for all of his larger-than-life swaggering, that he must have some background in musical theater. Or maybe that's only because he reminds me of Adam Lambert. Or that guy who played Sky Masterson in that Arizona Repertory Theatre production of Guys & Dolls I worked on, a long time ago in another life.

In any case, his singing voice rips it up, especially last night, and on "Prime Motivator," 2008's fourth full-length album, a nothing-to-lose, edge-of-death collection of songs that make you think that maybe it isn't all just an act.

Mp3 - The Giraffes - Done (via Metal Injection)

Then we come to Hank and Cupcakes. They're just two people, Cupcakes, a charming girl and Hank, a handsome guy, from Israel-by-way-of-Australia. When they get onstage, and she starts commanding her drumsticks and shimmying her shoulders, presiding over her drum kit like a Greek temple goddess, they become so much more. They just now released the EP "Pleasure Town," a truly fearless record that plucks up handfuls of good-time soul and darkened '80s pop, stringing them all together with Cupcakes' ribbonlike vocals and Hank's masterful manning of bass-gone-electro, creating so much sound you wonder just how they pull it off. Maybe with a little magic lipstick?

Even better, as an exclusive treat to Indichik readers, they're offering us the chance to stream three tracks from "Pleasure Town." Click below to listen!

Hank and Cupcakes - Pleasure Town, Sweet Potion, She's Lost Control (Joy Division cover) (from Pleasure Town EP)

They play again later this week, Thursday at 9 at Death by Audio.

Maze's End

2009-10-03T22:40:00.034-04:00

The last night of the Maze came in bursts of rain and color, while the Dome Theater denizens hoisted a red umbrella to meditate on themes of politics and religion, Reagan and Jesus in a reinvention of participatory theatre, perfectly unexpected and perfectly suited to the unexpectedness of the Maze.

As were the face-painters, and for the record, I was surrounded by genuine painted indie-rock revelers, all in glittering silver, red and gold.
Emcee BJ Rubin seemed to appear out of the ether after every act, filling the dead air between sets with rambling anecdotes.

One of these was the ethereal Sarah Lipstate, who performs her one-woman act under the name Noveller. A former member of longtime Brooklyn noise legends Parts and Labor, her album "Red Rainbows" came out earlier this year. Her music is full deep, alluring layers guitar noise, stacked harmoniously over each other like some magnificently organic landscape of trees and bushes. Live, she plays her guitar alternately like pedal steel or like a violin, baffling the rapt crowd, who equate the beauty of her music with the mystery of her person.

"What makes her so alluring?" a painted girl asked her male companions, but they had no answers -- they were too busy staring.

Mick Barr (of Connecticut metal band Ocrilim) has the endurance and speed of a superhero on his guitar, delivering a 20-minute set, fraught with layers of crushing distortion, his fingers flying over the fretboard in what I would call a post-modern version of classic metal shredding.

I asked DBA's Edan what would happen at the place after the Maze closed, since I found his upcoming shows page, when I looked at it on Thursday, rather disturbingly blank.

"I'm going to bed," he said. It's not exactly what I meant, but it seemed somehow apt. (By the way, in case you were worried, the page has been updated since then. Whew.)

Mp3 - Noveller - Brilliant Colors

The late show: It's a-Maze-ing, uh, so a-Maze-ing

2009-10-02T18:59:00.043-04:00

By the way, in case you were thinking the Maze is just a name, and that it's probably just another art installation, you could not be more wrong. It is a Maze in every sense. You will turn wrong corners, you will get lost. You will not know who's playing next or where they are playing. You will not know what the hell is going on. At one point in the night I turned around a corner and met a wild-eyed guy who asked me if I knew whether White Suns had played yet.

Also I am NOT the first person to come up with the clearly brilliant and original pun used in this post's title. That was all Nicole Schneit, whose set with Air Waves was so breezily beautiful and laid-back that I couldn't believe I wasn't missing something pretentious somewhere in there. Schneit's pop songwriting is enigmatic but revealing, showing slices of a rich inner life you know she has.

Poor Emma Kupa of Standard Fare needs a pat on the back and a reassurance that had, in fact, an absolutely brilliant set. I was informed by her rep at Bar None records that it was one of her first-ever solo shows, which explains why seemed a bit upset afterward. She doesn't have anything to worry about should she choose to do more in the future. Her confessional songwriting, tongue-in-cheek humor and Dido-esque singing voice, with songs about such things as missing long-distance friendships and sleeping with younger boys (how old is she, 25? She should know I can totally relate to that).

Of course the showmen-and-women of the night were Eskalators, a pack of about ten or more people in farm animal costumes, literally bombarding everybody with their pop-punk-ska-jazz insanity, consisting of songs entitled "Hand Jobs?" I was informed later by DBA's Edan that they were lucky nobody was killed, being that the flimsy Maze walls aren't designed to support the weight of a full-grown cow-man.

If you haven't gotten lost in the Maze, yet, you've got one more shot: tonight at 8, with Zs, Excepter, Mick Barr, and no doubt a bunch of weird shit it would be impossible to try to predict. Let's get lost.

Mp3 - Air Waves - Knockout

The early show: Red lips, Blue Bloods

2009-10-02T18:29:00.006-04:00

Melissa de la Cruz and Disney Hyperion celebrated the release of Blue Bloods IV: The Van Alen Legacy" Wednesday night, which I wrote about at more length for ChiChi212.com.

Jenny Ko (second from left) and fellow Barnes and Noble YA buying execs (minus the fake blood makeup) hang out in the gothic living room lounge of MEET at The Apartment on Crosby Street, Soho. On their advice, I'm considering revamping my novel into a YA roman a clef.

De la Cruz spent the evening night drinking "blood cocktails" in blue goblets and hang out with burlesque dancer and "Danger Dame" Veronica Varlow, who complimented my carefully-selected vampiric outfit. Yes, that is me in the second picture. On the left, naturally.

Let's see if Little Women and Werewolves can beat that.

Vampires in Soho

2009-09-30T17:50:00.005-04:00

Want to know the key to writing best-selling fiction these days? Well, Melissa de la Cruz has found it. It's Gossip Girl and vampires, all under the same cover. (I'm not aware that Mr. Darcy appears anywhere in this book, but it wouldn't surprise me.)

Anyway, de la Cruz writes the YA series Blue Bloods, and the third installment is being launched tonight in Soho. It's a vampire-themed costume party. Photos (probably embarrassing ones) guaranteed.

This weeks Chikpiks: Featuring The Mazex2!

2009-09-28T15:48:00.007-04:00

Photo via Nate Dorr via E4E1

Wednesday, September 30
You Are Here: A Maze
Death by Audio

How do you decide between your children? Well, you can't, and it's a little like deciding which night of You Are Here: A Maze to go to. Every night is different, and like it or not, you're going to be missing something whichever night you don't go. Luckily there are intrepid writers and photographers (like Nate, who has more beautiful photos where that came from) documenting it religiously. So far, I have not been one of them. But luckily, I've been struck with a stroke of brilliance (or as you might call it, e-mail) and have decided that Wednesday, Sept. 30th, will be the day. Not only will that night feature Emma Kupa of the UK-based, Camera Obscura-influenced indie-poppers Standard Fare (below) playing solo, but lovely, laid back, local lo-fi lady Nicole Schneit and Air Waves. Not to mention Nymph, Ava Luna, Eskalators, and Aldertone, all playing in one spontaneous, messy explosion of sound.

8 PM
All Ages
$7

Mp3 - Standard Fare - Dancing

Friday, October 2
You Are Here: A Maze
Death by Audio

But (and this is where the 2x comes in) I decided that it's not enough, having waited for this last week, to take it in once and be done with it. No, the Maze of course lends itself, like the medieval carnivals in the mazelike streets and canals of Venice, to mysterious midnight rendezvous, exotic elixirs and one-time-only discoveries of dark and glittering secrets.

So I will also attend the noise-infused finale on Friday, Oct. 2, when Zs, Excepter, Mick Barr, DJ Rubin, Noveller (members of Parts & Labor) and Dome Theater will be present, with delicious beverages aplenty. And then it will be finished. And then I can sleep.

8 PM
All Ages
$7

Mp3 - Excepter - Kill People

The late show: Wavves and Ganglians at Market Hotel, 9/25/09

2009-09-26T15:44:00.019-04:00

Ganglians, regarded as somewhat lo-fi pioneers among the current trend, if that's possible, proved the professionals of the night, if not in their stage persona, then at least in their more mature sound that drew on influences beyond the pop merry-go-round, like early '70s album rock and r&b, freeing them from the distortion-heavy lifelines others have used.

I hesitate to use such an obvious metaphor, but there was a moment last night when the hot, drunk, good-naturedly violent crowd that had swelled up around Nathan Williams just seemed to break and fall away backward, toward me, and it was awe-inspiring and sort of scary, like watching a killer wave at La Jolla in Williams' native San Diego crash down over you. Like even though his vocals were virtually inaudible throughout, his blog-happy lo-fi surf pop had gotten to the point where it had taken on a persona that's beyond even Williams' control, and one that the crowd embraced with a breathless, panting familiarity. His hit "So Bored" was the first song he played, and barely recognizable.

"Chill the fuck out!" he had screamed at everybody earlier, before having to have Todd Patrick lumber paternally onto the stage to scold the crowd, particularly the three drunk chicks who'd scrambled onstage and somehow unplugged Williams' mic in the process.

"If someone falls down, pick 'em up," he exorted. "Otherwise, people die."

Nobody died that I know of, although, as evidenced above, it was viciously difficult to get a decent photo of Williams when it was all I could do to keep my camera from being knocked out my hands and shattering under someone's combat boots.

Wipe out.

Mp3 - Wavves - Mickey Mouse (courtesy The Fader)

Updated: If you like your indie rock news sleazy, check out PopJew's account of Jared from The Black Lips beating up on Williams at Daddy's afterparty.

The early show: It's the acoustics, stupid

2009-09-26T13:57:00.012-04:00

First, props to 303Grand in Williamsburg for being the cleanest, most well-lit, best-smelling DIY venue I've seen. And on top of that, FREE BEER. It's kind of amazing that it even exists.

Stephanie Carlin, despite being a dead ringer for a young Barbra Streisand (and I mean that in the best possible way, Stephanie), is hardly a diva. Her blues-infused voice is Janis Joplin reinvented for a more cynical age, with none of the angst or heartbreak missing. in fact, her self-deprecating stage patter is really quite charming.

Nick Howard is an exceedingly pinup-friendly Brit with a butter-smooth singing voice, his tailored acoustic pop songsmithing playing circles around all those other stool-sitting coffee-shop poseurs you've seen around the city. James Blunt, the most famous subway stalker of all time, wherever he is right now, should probably take notice.

Mp3 - Nick Howard - A Better Man

Chicken soup for the ears

2009-09-25T18:12:00.004-04:00

Tonight, for the recovering infirm (i.e. me) the prescription is this:

Involves free PBR with admission. Also BRM nepotism via promoter TJ Olson. Wish Voyles were still around.

Followed by this:

(Photo courtesy of NYCTaper)

====| FRIDAY 9/25 @ MARKET HOTEL |====

:: WAVVES
:::: Ganglians
:::::: Beach Fossils

| MARKET HOTEL |
1142 Myrtle Ave @ Bdwy | Bushwick, Bklyn
JMZ-Myrtle, L-Jefferson, G-Myrtle/Willoughby | 8pm | all ages | $10

But first, this:

What's the deal? Same as it was last time, apparently

2009-09-24T15:52:00.008-04:00

It seems that while I was off making a living, and then recovering from the trauma of making a living, the world has continued to spin without me.

Sigh.

But happily, I'm back to bring you the latest installment of What's the Deal?, your very own weekly Publisher's Lunch newsletter deal snark.

Here's the latest developments in the exciting and ever-changing world of publishing:

Publisher's Lunch says: Sarah Gray's WUTHERING BITES, a retelling of Wuthering Heights in which Heathcliff is a vampire, to John Scognamiglio at Kensington, in a very nice deal, for publication in September 2010, by Evan Marshall at Evan Marshall Agency (World).

Publisher's Lunch says: Literary critic Bill Deresiewicz's EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT LIFE I LEARNED BY READING JANE AUSTEN: One Man, Six Books and the Secrets of Life and Love, an exploration of what Jane Austen's books can teach us all about growing up, the importance of the little things, the blinding glitz of wealth and class, being a good person, finding true friends, and falling in love, to Ann Godoff at Penguin Press, by Elyse Cheney of Elyse Cheney Agency (NA).
Translation: Nicole Steen at Elyse Cheney Literary Associates

Indichik says: So...vampires and Jane Austen. Never mind.

John Hughes Night at Vol. 1 Brooklyn,Thursday 9/17

2009-09-18T14:52:00.010-04:00

Some background: I was born the year Ferris Bueller came out. Thus, I was privileged enough to discover the John Hughes canon all over again around the time I thought I was the only one to ever discover it. So (By the way, I don't care what anyone says, the existence of Some Kind of Wonderful does NOT make up for Duckie and Andie not ending up together at the end of Pretty in Pink. But this does:

Okay, maybe not. But we tried (so did Hughes, for that matter, but that's another story). Anyway, I was delighted to be able to attend Vol. 1 Brooklyn's tribute to the late director, tragically relocated from its usual location at Bar Matchless, to the loft at Public Assembly. Some highlights:

The emcee - somebody want to help me out with his name? I sure appreciate his encouraging us to ponder the eternal question: Jake Ryan vs. Ferris Bueller vs. John Bender? Guess which one I picked? No really, guess. I promise it will be an amusing diversion for you. And me.

Jesse Sposato (Sadie Magazine) on how Hughes films ruined her love life.

Susie Hwang being adorable and a very talented accordionist and singer as well, especially working from the Hughes songbook: "If You Leave," "Danke Schoen." No Simple Minds, alas, but maybe next time.

Newly minted authoress Ivy Pochoda (The Art of Disappearing) who by the time I got there, was already having way more fun than I've had in weeks.

Chelsea Hodson, an classmate of mine in an undergrad English class, a long time ago in another life, writing from the perspectives of each of Hughes' main characters.

And of course, Jason Diamond of Vol. 1 itself, himself a native of Hughesville (aka North Shore of Chicago) who is the most self-deprecating talented guy I've ever met. Jason, write more fiction (And I'm not only saying that because he links to me a lot).
'
"When you grow up, your heart dies."

- Allison

Uncle Remus redux on PopMatters

2009-09-17T23:46:00.005-04:00

PopMatters, as of this morning, is featuring, on its front page, my essay on the historical implications of Disney's upcoming return to 2-D animation (which is originally what drew me into the topic, but the controversy surrounding the first black Disney princess was too juicy to ignore) . All I know is that those hours I wasted as kid popping in Disney VHS after Disney VHS have turned out to be good for something, sort of. So which is is it: pop-culture minutiae or trenchant commentary on the state of American race relations? OR BOTH? You decide.

The Maze has begun

2009-09-16T16:15:00.002-04:00

Yeah, so this has started. I won't go so far as to be arrogant and pick a night in which you Absolutely Must Go, because quite frankly, it'll probably be great regardless. I mean, it's a maze! At Death by Audio! I myself have not yet been, and it's mostly because I can't decide which night sounds best. But here are the promising possibilities yet to come:

:: WEDNESDAY - 9.16 ::

white suns | chaos majik
little big | buckets of bile | invisible circle

:: THURSDAY - 9.17 ::

grooms | videohippos | starring
pc worship | anamanaguchi | dome theater

:: FRIDAY - 9.18 ::

ty segall [goner records, mem sic alps] | the mantles [san francisco]
the holy experiment | bj rubin | worlddancearound | dome theater
w. delicious beverages

:: SATURDAY - 9.19 ::

hi red center | alexis gideon [portland, OR]
make a rising [philly] | shelley short [portland, OR] | ribbons
w. delicious beverages

:: SUNDAY - 9.20 ::

vaz | clan of the cave bear [cleveland]
necking | baby birds don’t drink milk [lawrence, KS]
w. delicious beverages

:: MONDAY - 9.21 ::

sam mickens & mike pride duo | jantar
nsumi

:: TUESDAY - 9.22 ::

mike pride’s drummer’s corpse | hunter gatherer [philly]
aaron siegel | meredith arena

:: WEDNESDAY - 9.23 ::

shooting spires [mem parts & labor] | legs
graffiti monsters | crime novels | lord easy

:: THURSDAY - 9.24 ::

sam hilmer & arrington dionsyo duo | charlie looker
daniel carter quartet | total bolsheviks

:: FRIDAY - 9.25 ::

effi briest | electroputas | regattas
chuck bettis w. mario diaz de leon | bj rubin | dome theater
w. delicious beverages

:: SATURDAY - 9.26 ::

sleepy doug shaw | hannah marcus & tianna kennedy
screaming females | cheap ventilators [bloomington, IN] | the weird fantasy band
w. delicious beverages

:: SUNDAY - 9.27 ::

symbol | laurel halo
the slowest runner in all the world | post abortion stress

:: MONDAY - 9.28 ::

telecult powers | syn toffs
bassoon | alterazioni video collective

:: TUESDAY - 9.29 ::

the coathangers [atlanta] | nervehunt [mems wavves, teeth mountain]
xray eyeballs [mems golden triangle] | swimmingcitiesoceanofblood

:: WEDNESDAY - 9.30 ::

nymph | emma kupa [UK]
ava luna | aldertone | air waves

:: THURSDAY - 10.1 ::

crash diet crew | cntrl top [mem these are powers]
hotchacha [cleveland] | island’s eyelids | deborah karp & meredith arena

:: FRIDAY - 10.2 ::

Zs | excepter | mick barr
noveller [mem parts & labor] | bj rubin | dome theater
w. delicious beverages

Nick Cave appears tonight at Barnes and Noble

2009-09-14T17:49:00.006-04:00

Before I post the recap from last night's Rasputina show, I feel the need the call your attention to this event, which starts in less than an hour but sounds well worth dropping everything for. Dark and moody (and needless to say, multi-talented) songwriter Nick Cave will be on hand to read from and discuss his novel, The Death of Bunny Munro, which is just out. My views on artists/celebrities from other disciplines crossing over into fiction are well known, but Cave is a born storyteller and an established novelist (having published 1989's And the Ass Saw the Angel) and those familiar with his prose have told me that his gift for language and morbid humor is no less evident there. He'll hopefully be discussing that gift with Katherine Lanpher, a talented writer and media personality herself, and a family friend of mine from the Twin Cities, a long time ago in another life.

The event starts at 7 PM at Barnes and Noble Union Square,

33 East 17th Street.

Mp3 - Nick Cave - Dig!!! Lazarus, Dig!!!

Old times at the new Knitting Factory: Rasputina, 9/14/09

2009-09-14T17:37:00.010-04:00

Over time, I've come to the conclusion that the cello was probably my instrument. Not only because I enjoy its sound probably more than just about anything this side of the French horn intro on "God Only Knows," but because several mercifully brief childhood attempts at the flute and clarinet, I realized that my lung capacity is that of an asthmatic gerbil and should never have even bothered with the woodwinds. Why I overlooked the strings completely and went straight to piano and guitar (whose practice I've enjoyed without particularly excelling) and thus missing that tiny window at ages 9-12 where you can actually take up an instrument and have a chance of being great at it someday, I'll never know, but I should probably just make it easy and blame my parents.

Which brings me to the fact that Melora Creager of Rasputina must have had parents who wholeheartedly supported her choice to play the cello, being that she later went on to play on recordings by Nirvana and form Rasputina itself, who did indeed play an all-request show Sunday night at the shiny new Knitting Factory, at which I got to spend an hour or more enjoying the rich, dark sound of what for me, alas, will always be the Cello that Could Have Been.

My fuller, less self-indulgent review of the show can be found at Beyond Race.

Trying to do 5 things at once is not actually as fun as it sounds

2009-09-13T14:34:00.005-04:00

I've been laid up for the two and a half days with an actual 48-hour-virus (or to make it more interesting, let's call it the 48-hour swine flu) and am now tragically, bitterly behind on absolutely everything, including Fashion Week (for which I'll be writing dispatches over on ChiChi212, look for updates later), Chikpiks, reviews, the Brooklyn Book Festival, and pretty much all things related to this blog . On the bright side I'm completely caught up on the first two seasons of Lockup: Raw. (Next big smash for XBox = Prison Riot: The Video Game.)

So, Thing One: The Brooklyn Book Festival is already half-over as I write this post, but because I'm clever and innovative and make lemonade and all that, I've decided to make this a If You Do One Thing At the Brooklyn Book Festival...post. Of course it just so happens to be an event that takes place at the very end of the day, but anyway:

Photo courtesy Miriam Berkley

If You Do One Thing At the Brooklyn Book Festival...make it Inside Music. From the Chicago avant garde to audiophile zealots to the New Weird America, three writers from across the musical spectrum explore how the world of music is connected to everything else: politics, ethnicity, technology, topography and culture. Featuring George E. Lewis (A Power Stronger Than Itself), Greg Milner (Perfecting Sound Forever), Peter Terzian (editor, Heavy Rotation) Moderated by Sukhdev Sandhu (Night Haunts). 5 pm, North Stage, Borough Hall Plaza.

Greg Milner's (pictured above) book, Perfecting Sound Forever, is presented as a "history of recorded music" from Thomas Edison to the Mp3. I am not by any means an audiophile (has anyone ever actually met a female audiophile?) but I am certainly intrigued at Milner's theory that Californication is the worst-sounding record of '90s. (Considering it happens to be one of the first albums I ever bought. Oh, god, I'm a fraud). Anyway, to the BBF to find out why!

Plus:

And if you happen to have time to do one more thing at the Festival (this is cheating I know), stop by the SLC Lumina booth in Borough Hall Plaza, to pick up deep discounts on the utterly fantastic and engrossing 2009 issue, for which I served as fiction co-editor, and meet some friendly, fresh-faced Bronxville literary gals from this year's staff (and maybe a guy, but the odds aren't good).

Speaking of the perfecting of sound, it brings me to Thing Two...tonight! Rasputina! Three cello virtuosos in metal bustiers plan an all-request show! At my formerly-least-favorite NYC venue (see top right) which may finally redeem itself by moving to Brooklyn! (But it's too late to make requests. Sorry. I missed the deadline, too, if that makes you feel any better).

Rasputina plays with The Shondes tonight at 7 pm at The Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue, BROOKLYN). $15.

Mp3 - Rasputina - Wicked Dickie (via eashfa)

Knight School, Dream Diary and Fluffy Lumbers @ Bruar Falls, 9/7/09

2009-09-08T13:37:00.012-04:00

Although my continuing obsession with arriving everywhere fashionably late (not to mention that I decided to walk, for some reason) I of course missed the Labor Day burgers personally grilled with love by Mike Balla, I thankfully didn't manage to miss any of the bands.

Knight School is an enthusiastic bunch with a pogo-stick tempo surfacing every once in a while, and the occasional practiced boy/girl harmony adding welcome texture. I caught a Flaming Lips-type vibe at a couple of moments.

Dream Diary, especially, was a pleasant surprise, their hooks standing out as a cut above most of the lo-fi bands distorting their hearts out these days. Fans of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart should take note.

Mp3 - Knight School - Pregnant Again

Save your Labor Day, go see a show

2009-09-07T17:23:00.003-04:00

Boy am I behind - I'm supposed to posting this week's Chikpiks in this space, but I'm running out of time, so for now I'm just going to post a flyer for the show I'm planning to make an appearnace at tonight so you'll know about it, just in case you weren't one of the lucky Labor Day holidaymakers and want to take your day off from being a total waste by coming out to join me at Bruar Falls (245 Grand St. btwn. Driggs and Roebling, since I guess whoever drew the poster assumes that's common knowledge by now) in Williamsburg to see three terrific local lo-fi-ish bands and eat BBQ and drink beer. For FREE. I mean, I know that's what I'm going to do. And just in case there are any doubts, I'm finally posting a Fluffy Lumbers Mp3.

Mp3 - Fluffy Lumbers - Cruisers

The late show: Everyone's favorite TV jingle-writers rise above

2009-09-06T16:50:00.008-04:00

I hadn't planned on coming to this show at the Bowery Ballroom until a couple of days ago when my new roommate Meredith offered me a free ticket (yes, an actual ticket! I'm actually guaranteed to get in!) Here We Go Magic, with Luke Temple's psychedelic, expansive, sound-effects laden electronic pop has apparently attracted more fans than I'd been aware of (and I can't say that I'm necessarily one of them, although he's certainly touring with a bevy of competent instrumentalists).

I was more interested (I admit) to see whether fellow Brooklynites Chairlift have anything going for them other than the ability to make Apple admen drool. The verdict? They do: and it's Caroline Polachek's voice. The sad, hysterical whooping on "Bruises" doesn't even come close to capturing what she can do, but the best example being the band's encore offering "Make Your Mind Up," showing that she has the velvet growl of Nico, but is also capable of packing enough emotion in her voice to be worthy of Kate Bush. She's a pretty damn good songwriter too -- in French as well as English. Good show, Caroline.

And Aaron Pfenning is just plain good to look at.

Their video for "Evident Utensil" has been nominated for a VMA award this year, but since some irritating copyright-obsessed person has decided to make it unembeddable, I'll post a link to it.

Mp3 - Chairlift - Make Your Mind Up

The early show: At-Large packs 'em in, literally

2009-09-06T15:36:00.007-04:00

Editors and emcees Rohin Guha and Niina Pollari, the latter looking rather indignant.

Benjamin Dickerson.

Rebecca Keith and the crowd.

Kaveh Bassiri.

Rena Priest.

The scene: S. 6th St. in Williamsburg, in the doorway of a quaint, and shall-we-say intimate little space on the site of a bike repair shop-turned-DIY-venue, or so my investigative work turned up (i.e. talking to the bartender). Plus his outspoking curly-haired blonde companion, who, while flipping me the bird, wasn't shy about making her jealousy known about my plans for the second part of the evening-- seeing Chairlift at the Bowery Ballroom (see above). A stackful of PBR from the (as-promised) cash bar made things start to seem all right, while Rohin and Niina drew names out of a hat, and Rebecca Keith (look for an Mp3 from her band The Roulettes coming here soon) reading Craigslist ads encountered (like many of the rest of us) during her search as an underemployed writer and musician, and Brett Saxon (whose photograph eluded me as I crouched in a corner, but my opinion, but who I recall looking somewhat like Carrot Top, his musical talent notwithstanding) played with his beautiful cellist, and I reclined inreadings, events, recaps, At-Large Magazine, lit mags, the warm, dark sylvan sound of the instrument I love so much. Twenty minutes later, I dashed. Could it be, perhaps, time to rethink my strategy all this time for wearing out my welcome?

Continued above.

Ars bohemia

2009-09-04T14:00:00.006-04:00

Over on Scallywag and Vagabond , Marushka Mujic rhapsodizes reverently about the August 27 Art Salon at Gilles Larrain's studio in Soho. Larrain is best-known for photographing Miles Davis playing in his studio for several of his album covers, as well as John and Yoko's Bed-In, and his partner Louda is a painter and fashion designer whose work was displayed at the Met in June. Now attendees to his salon cavort with brooding artists and shirtless male models Louda apparently snatched off the street, to adorn a sort of modern-day Moulin Rouge, where the rich and powerful cavort with the young and beautiful creatures of the night. Oh and the model in these photos is me.

More photos can be viewed via the link to Scallywag above (including of the work-in-progress from Louda, David Kassan and Sarah Bieda, which is now hanging on my living room wall).

Special thanks to Richard Mark for some of the photos.

At-Large Magazine parties in Brooklyn, possibly in an abandoned storefront

2009-09-04T13:35:00.003-04:00

If you'd like to come hear various friends and enemies of mine present very excellent work from the storied history of At-Large Magazine, then this event is for you. Despite advertising a "cash bar," investigation has revealed that it does not actually take place at a "bar" per se. But wherever it is, I can almost guarantee you there will be some degree of penis-related humor. Because I don't know if you've noticed this, but at readings, penis-related humor never fails to draw laughter.

What's the deal? Your very own weekly Publisher's Lunch deal snark: "Jane Austen is dead, get over it" Edition

2009-09-01T14:59:00.007-04:00

Publisher's Lunch says: Lynn Shepherd's MURDER AT MANSFIELD PARK, a mischievous and clever reimagining of the Austen classic, to Hope Dellon at St. Martin's, by Ben Mason at Conville & Walsh (NA). UK/Commonwealth rights to Simon Petherick at Beautiful Books.

Indichik says: It started relatively innocuously in the mid '90s, with "Sense and Sensibility" and "Emma," not to mention "Clueless," and continued on into the 2000s, with the overhyped Keira Knightley version of "Pride and Prejudice" the fourth film version up to the point, and the subsequent bizarre transformation of Fitzwilliam Darcy into some kind of Georgian-era Edward Cullen, minus the bloodsucking. Then because female audiences couldn't get enough of sexless, nonthreatening, cravat-wearing antiheroes, and Hollywood had had run out of actual Jane Austen novels to film, we had "Becoming Jane," which was a biopic attempting to reimagine Austen herself as one of her own beautiful and feisty romantic heroines, despite the fact that she was a plain-looking recluse who never married and lived at home until she died at the age of 42.

That couldn't be all, of course -- not when chick lit remains a viable market. So what did we have then? Why, "Jane Austen chick lit"! A match made in heaven! A quick Amazon search reveals that we've got "Jane Austen Ruined My Life," "What Would Jane Austen Do?," "Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict," and for the DIY-ers, "Create Your Own Jane Austen Adventure." Then there's "Austenland," and "Me and Mr. Darcy," the latter two of which are essentially the same book, in which a modern-day thirtysomething woman from the big city, frustrated with romance, blah blah blah, ends up touring some bizarre Jane Austen-theme park in England, and, much to her surprise, ends up meeting none other than...Mr. Darcy! It could so totally happen. Not to mention the apparently very successful "Jane Austen Mysteries" series, casting Jane herself as the intrepid gumshoe, of which Shepherd's book appears to be an offspring. Then at last, we come to the dozens or so unauthorized sequels, retellings and "companion novels" to "Pride and Prejudice," all astonishingly by different writers bearing vaguely English-sounding names that all seem to eventually boil down to something like "Alexandra Willoughby" -- "Mr. Darcy's Great Escape," "The Other Mr. Darcy," "Marrying Darcy," "Darcy's Temptation," "Darcy and Anne," "The Plight of the Darcy Brothers," "Mr. Darcy's Dream," "The Darcys and the Bingleys," "The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy," and, inevitably, "Mr. Darcy, Vampyre," proving, not for the first time, that we, as a society, are doomed.

Jane Austen is dead. Get over it.

Where the Wild Things Aren't: Here

2009-09-01T14:45:00.007-04:00

Death by Orphans posted a thorough review of Dave Eggers' New Yorker short story based on Where the Wild Things Are, which is also, of course, the basis for the upcoming film. Paul manages to approach the topic from an admirably fair and balanced perspective that we here at Indichik would, naturally, never attempt to replicate.

Grizzly Bear? More like Fizzly Bear.

2009-08-30T23:48:00.007-04:00

It's okay, Grizzly Bear. I didn't really want to see you anyway, and neither did the roughly 400 or so other eager young faces who came from all over the city to find the line already mincing along 5 city blocks, including down one side of N. 11th St. and up the other, and those who'd already been in line for an hour before being told the park was over capacity. And neither did the two girls behind me who accidentally got into the "VIP" line and after being told so, scratched their heads and asked -- "But I thought it was free!" And neither did the four Magic Hat summer beers I had folded so lovingly into my knitted cowichan sweater and stuffed into my tote bag, to be saved for at-home drinking. And neither did June and Laura with whom I went and bought some jumbo-sized styrofoam cups of "soda" from the Turkey's Nest in McCarren Park, watching a bunch of punks play softball. And neither did the sunset (which isn't really visible in the below photo but whatever). And neither did the guy naked except for a flesh-colored Speedo merrily greeting concertgoers on N. 7th. Actually he probably did.

This week's Chikpiks

2009-08-24T21:33:00.005-04:00

Hate to break it to everybody but summer is (yes, I'm about to say it) almost (here it comes) over. (There. See that wasn't so bad.) As a wise friend of mine once said, summer means nothing more to him than unfulfilled promise. When certain people go on and on about their idyllic beachfront romances and wistful summer memories, I blink and go "Yeah. Am I supposed to have some of those?" To be honest really seem to recall about this particular summer at least right now, with my heat-melted brain, is taking a bath on a steel tub on the roof. And sticking a spoon into my fan blade to get a face full of dust. But the optimist in me says the shows coming up this week will do nothing less than fulfill the promises of all the summers past.

Tuesday, August 25

My Teenage Stride

Appropriate from a show curated by Brooklyn DIY up-and-comer PopJew, Jed Smith's My Teenage Stride are poppy and earnest and oh-so-much-fun. Their latest EP, Lesser Demons, though, is a little on the serious side. It's nice to know he also has feelings. Oh yeah, and I just noticed there's an upside-down guy in the photo above. Massive. With Bright Lights, Surfer Blood and I'm Turning Into.

Silent Barn
8 PM
All Ages
$7

MP3 - My Teenage Stride - Theme from Teenage Suicide

Friday, August 28

Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt

It's easy to say "the picture says it all," but when it comes to this electronic dance-rock "band" (and even that term is used with the loosest possible definition) it kind of doesn't. These are a bunch of kids from SUNY-Purchase (holla!) with a single-minded goal -- to do everything within their power to get you to dance, even it means dressing up as a gigantic foam slice of pepperoni pizza. They apparently have songs, but who cares? It's the "New Saturday Night." New York Magazine said so. With True Womanhood, French Miami and Santino Santino.

Death By Audio
8 PM
All Ages
Price TBA

Saturday, August 29

Psychic Ills, Screaming Females, Sharon Van Etten (Impose Magazine Party with Tables)

Have I written about Sharon Van Etten yet? I haven't? That's...that's unbelievable. Okay, well, I guess it's okay because on Saturday you'll have a chance to go see her in person, which you absolutely should do because her songs are so beautiful I spent a clear 45 minutes one night in February, listening to her play in a liquid trance, falling in love with the guitar-playing boy sitting across from me at a table at Zebulon because her music entranced me into thinking I should. Later we left together and sat on his guitar case and kissed on a deserted north Williamsburg street. (I got my heart broken eventually, of course, but that has nothing to do with Sharon). If you like Vashti Bunyan, Ani DiFranco, or any chick singer who puts every ounce of herself into her music every time she plays, go and maybe her magic will happen for you, too. With Zs, Silver Summit, Future Islands, Air Waves, Boogie Boarder, plus local vendors and a performance by Julianna Barwick to projections of Joel Schlemowitz’ 1734 and Francis Thompson’s NY NY.

MP3 - Sharon Van Etten - For You

Brooklyn Yard
1 PM
All Ages
$10

Sunday, August 30

Grizzly Bear, Beach House

Well, this is it: the last JellyNYC Pool Party and your last chance to seize the infinite but elusive promise of Summer 2009, before it's gone, gone forever and you can never get it back. These two summer-perfect bands offer a particularly lovely way to sit back and let the whole season slip from your grasp. Beach House's oceany vocals are beautifully self-explanatory, and GB delivered more of their unpindownable, idiosyncratic folkish music with this year's Veckatimest. Now hurry, start relaxing before it's too late!

Williamsburg Waterfront
2 PM
All Ages
Free

MP3 - Grizzly Bear - Cheerleader

Beach Fossils and Fluffy Lumbers, Underwater Peoples showcase, Market Hotel, 8/22/09

2009-08-23T20:06:00.011-04:00

No personal slight to the performances of the bands not pictured above; everyone who played last night contributed to the all around awesomeness of this show (and there were 12 of you, after all, and though I didn't catch everyone, I did witness Liam the Younger, Frat Dad and Andrew Cedermark, whose hard rock rasp of a voice I found particularly stunning). I just decided to shoot Beach Fossils and Fluffy Lumbers because I've previously covered them here (although Mp3 review for Fluffy Lumbers is still forthcoming).

Beach Fossils' Dustin Payseur is even littler in person than I might have expected, but like any celebrity (and he probably will be one someday) he looks bigger onstage. (As a side note, the Underwater Peoples lineup has to be the youngest I've seen for a local label, and if I didn't know they were bands, If I'd seen them all lined up probably would have mistaken them for most of the male members of the Hampshire College freshman class). He played with a bigger band than his records would indicate, farming out a lot of the heavy lifting; however the acoustics in Market Hotel served the bright, enormous guitar sound on "Vacation" well, it was quite thrilling.

Fluffy Lumbers, meanwhile, did NOT sound like Grandpa's ham radio (not that I ever said they did, but rather were several steps removed from it), and not only showcased Sam Franklin's classic songwriting skill, but provided the highlight of the night by playing "Dreams" by The Cranberries, as one of those blow-you-away choices for cover songs where everyone starts looking at each other, silently thinking "are they really playing this?" Then it starts to dawn on everybody that "Yeah, they're totally playing this." And then everyone goes nuts and is happy.

MP3 Review - Beach Fossils

2009-08-22T00:51:00.004-04:00

I've been wanting to write about Dustin Payseur, for weeks now, but due to getting stuck in the kind of technological hell I won't drag you into, have been unable to, and now have likely missed the boat completely on him. For all I know, he's scheduled to be on "Last Call with Carson Daly" next week. But nevertheless, here we go! What's exciting about Payseur is his guitar playing -- both aesethetic and technique, both recalling the vintage jangle of 1960s folk rock, back when "folk rock" wasn't a laughable term -- one simple, tasty hook was all you needed to please, bumping up and down like a reconditioned merry-go-round horse. The vocals on "Vacation" aren't much more complicated, and boast a quavery, drowning-man quality, which recalls the lo-fi character of Wavves, but remains its own ingredient. Getting lost in this song, you might just think you forgot to turn off the AM radio.

For some reason I keep wanting to declare Payseur, who lives in Brooklyn, reclusive, although I may be just saying that because I haven't found myself standing next to him in line at the grocery store (yet). He's actually been playing a decent number of shows lately, one of which will take place tomorrow night at Market Hotel. It's a showcase for Underwater People (the label, not the people) and among a dozen or so up-and-coming bands, and, recluse or not, Payseur will undoubtedly be the best in his class.

MP3 - Beach Fossils - Vacation

What's the deal? Your very own weekly Publisher's Lunch deal snark

2009-08-20T14:43:00.008-04:00

Publisher's Lunch says: Stegner Fellow and Stanford/UCSF creative writing professor Alice LaPlante's TURN OF MIND, pitched as having a Patricia Highsmith-esque mystery at its heart, in which the narrator, a brilliant surgeon with Alzheimer's-related dementia, is suspected of killing a neighbor who was her best friend and most worthy adversary, to Morgan Entrekin and Elisabeth Schmitz at Grove/Atlantic, for publication in Winter 2011, by Victoria Skurnick at the Levine Greenberg Literary Agency (world). Foreign rights to Goldmann in Germany and Orlando in Holland, in pre-empts.

Indichik says: I know virtually nothing about Alice LaPlante and I'm so totally sure she's a wonderful writer and an even better creative writing professor blah blah blah, but ANOTHER STEGNER FELLOW? This has to be the fourth or fifth one this year I've read about having sold a first novel. I daresay it's getting to the point where Tobias Wolff and a handful of his Stanford cronies are dictating the entire future of literary fiction in this country. Yes, This Boy's Life was a good read (and no one loves picturing young Leo DiCaprio's face more than me), but seriously.

There are writing programs all over the country with different faculty who embrace different styles and methods, some of whom charge their students an arm and a leg to attend. Maybe we could throw a few scraps their way? Huh? At the very least, you'd be getting gratitude.

As for LaPlante's book itself, it sounds like The Thirteenth Tale meets The Lovely Bones. Yawn.