CMJ Tuesday: Sian Alice Group at The Knitting Factory

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

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

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

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)