Unicorn Power to Defeat Bush

I know this is not Music related, but this is an important issue for all publications and artists.
My friend Lisa and I are leaving this Friday to drive to Reno, Nevada (a major swing state) to make sure that the Democrats in that state get out and vote! I am giving up celebration of my favoriate holiday, Halloween, to try and ensure Democracy for the coming year. Please help me!

I just found out yesterday that we have a reservation with the organization planning this action, and I need your support to make this a reality! Donate $5-20 to our unexpected trip, to help pay for food and gas and ensure that Bush is not Re- Elected! Please click on the Unicorn to make a donation and get your name added to the list!
Thank you.
*niki



List of Donors
Felisa Ihly
Suzie Selken
Gabriel Gilder
Bruce Horn and Robin Witmore
Ariel Morgenstern
Linda Garfield
Lea Scarpelli
Daniel Silverman
Tom Beckner
Philip Johnston
Jo Plante
Indre Vida Viskontas
Adam Bristol

And The Winner Is....

Megan
Jason Martin
Daniel Silverman

These are the real winners of the Break My Heart and Step on it Twice Contest.

I will be mailing out cds this week..

Runners up (or by default winners)
Joseph Maristella
Shakina Nayfack

Moldy peaches, Black Eyes, and Overbites: My Worst is Their Best

I have always tried to avoid schoolyard fights that lead to black eyes, my braces and headgear, which I wore to correct my overbite, and well.. moldy peaches. These have been the stuff that bad childhood memories were made of. But as I am growing up, I realize that maybe all of these things are not so bad after all. Maybe I should welcome some music which defies the sickly sweet nature of pop, and the delicate softness of folk. And I am going to face my demons, in music and in life.

As a child, my favoriate book was James and the Giant Peach. I can only imagine what would come of a peach that size, were it to, um, rot. I don't believe it would be good. I have been convinced though, that the band The Moldy Peaches is in fact not really rotten, but somehow in defiance of that which is too perfect, pretentious and sweet. Supported in their rise to success by some in the family connections with the band The Strokes, The Moldy Peaches has made significant progress in American and especially European charts over the past few years. I can best describe their sound as AFNY or, anti-folk new york. anti-folk is to folk what no wave is to new wave; it is a retaliation. Anti folk is a movement of bands out of the beat cafes which would not accept them, and into the clubs that saw the potential of energetic and sometimes abrasive music. One song that particularly strikes my fancy is Jorge Regula, a song with a strange off key trumpet, and a sing along verse. It is like a campfire song for downtrodden 20 somethings, who are living in cities, who would rather not see the future.

The Black Eyes are a bit of a mystery to me. I am not sure where they live, or why they exist, but they do, and I am glad about it. Their song Deformative Has a discopunk feel, in line with bands like the Rapture and the Moving Units. the vocals are something like the Taking Heads versus Le Tigre in a mighty duel. Deformative is not the type of song your mother would like, it grates on your soul, and moves you to action. A perfect dorm dance party song. It makes me wish I had given Marchelle Miles two black eyes in the 7th grade, when she deserved them instead of being chased through park all the way home, but at least now I can dance my revenge.

It could be The Overbites that will wreck social havoc upon our youth, or maybe just play stange happy songs to annoy the grumpy majority. And so they will challange the music scene of New york. I would watch out, because Snap Rabbit and Dee Cup are out to change the face of the boring Pysche scene. These two ladies are jamming with fancy xilaphones, bells, and tamborines. they have some neat rythmic harmonies and a lo-fi sound that compares to both forementioned bands. I especailly like The Long Ride For the magical harmonies.

Yea.. I guess my childhood bad memories aren't so bad, now that I have some positive outlook on past pain. Thanks bands.

Break My Heart And Step On It Twice: A Contest

This is a serious contest for any participant who wants to recieve an amazing mix mix cd. The following short story is comprised of song titles and lyrics from the mix cd, Break My Heart And Step On It Twice The song titles are underlined, and in sequencial order of the mix cd. Send me a list of tracks and the artist who sings them, and I will send you Break My Heart And Step On It Twice as a prize. Remember to include your mailing address in the email. Just click on the picture above to send me the mail. (Incomplete lists are OK, this is basically a chance for you to hear new music, so take it! )

Chaper 1: Nonesense
I don't like your company, so sick of you. Don't want to be your friend no more, leave me alone. Or maybe, you be you and I'll be me, close but independently. Perhaps, some velvet morning when I'm straight, you will open up your gate and we can talk about the remnants of Percy Bass and Irma. I hear she waits by the window, vaguely looking down at her socks for the calendar that hung itself... But I really wonder does she kiss your eyelids in the morning when you start to raise your head; does she walk around all day at school with her feet inside your shoes looking down every few steps to pretend she is with you? I know we're both sorry that you always seemed to lose the spark when you were only half undressed, but at least when you shake the dog's howl.

Chapter3: All your Women Things
I know I will miss all your hardness, all your softness, and your mercy. But I prithee send me back my heart, because this plane is definitely crashing and I have shit luck. I know we shall overcome if the machine wool can clean the mess. However, I am falling out of love (with you), because I was horse, you were mean and we designed drum machines. I want you to know that I love the valley OH! (It's the heart and the both of you made it, and I won't rest until I break it) I tried to make it work, you in a coat tailed skirt, and me in a suit, well it just wasn't me. Take your hands off me, I don't belong to you, take a look at my face for the last time, let's just say hello and wave goodbye.

Chapter 5: Who loves you now?
I ask myself: does anybody love you, do you think that anybody is in love with you? And as the reality sets in, I head down to the place where lovers go to cry their troubles away, lonesome town, where the broken hearts stay. There I will make my "tons confession", amidst a sea of doubt. Now I play the "Shouting in a Bucket Blues" on my stereo, on repeat. I sing, "sometimes I get to drunk, and feel so god damned low. I have no place to go, no one to turn to."

Chapter 8: Sea Shore and Horizon
Now I see the trees are thinning, my eyes see the sea shore there. Shimmering, the sea is pretty, shimmer salty air. Now I see a world beginning, but I will always remember, forever.

The Psychedelic Manifestation of Simon Finn

Simon Finn is a fascinating musical genius from an era where a musician "could eat for three days on a pound." His one and only release to date is an album called "Pass the Distance" originaly released on Mushroom Records in 1969. Some legal action and drama surrounding the cover of his album caused it to be held from the market, and so it became a scarce commodity. But as the law of supply and demand requires, someone (ie Durtro Records)rescued it from relative obscurity and pretentious collectors mark ups and is beginning to resell it to us, in 2004. Thank god Durtro rereleased his record, because It fills the gap which Syd Barrett and Jefferson Airplane left. Although no where as prolific as Mr. Barrett, Mr. Finn manages to capture some energy of the sea at it's stormiest and Jesus as his most feminine. I can't call this pastoral pop, I can't call it rock, maybe it is some strange breed of folk. But his track Jerusalem, has become something which helps me understand the love some may have had for Jesus, before the Christian right existed. It fills me with a Bacchic frenzy of passion and organs and lust. I feel like this man captures the real spirit of 1969, the year of Dionysus. "DId he imagine at that moment 200 million hypocrites would praise his name? And were he now to come down, those hypocrites would crucify him again. And through the sweating crowds, tears streaming down my face, and I am going insane!"
He manages to fuse the body and blood and abjection of sound as he falls into a incoherant cry for retribution, like a man possessed.

A more recent movement of Psychedelic music has overtaken the little wooden corners of the indie scene. One such artist live(ed) (and may still live) in my very own town, Santa Cruz, CA his name is Ben Chasny aka Six Organs of Admittance. I ran into his music, via a close friend who shopped at streetlight records Prog Rock section. Ben , who managed that section, befriended her as she was the only girl who ever shopped there (at least that was our guess). I suppose due to his new found success, this strange man, who used to trip out on guitar, his feel barely touching the floor as he sat on a folding chair at our little local rock shows, is on to bigger and better things. I did manage, however to capture one of his limited release tracks, unfortunately, I have no idea as to the title of the track.. but here is the track. Enjoy your trip.