ITV on the Radio’s Seeds was a no brainer for Tuesday’s KPCC session — it’s a fine release, and I’m fresh off a weird and lengthy SPIN cover story in its honor. I also spoke about French A/V wizard Mr. Oizo (shout-out Brainfeeder) and cracked Nick Jonas jokes. Paid in tote bags.
They’ve been my favorite band since I heard the Young Liars EP in the old Filter offices back in 2003 (shout-out Wired‘s Steven Leckart for passing me the promo back then) and I’ve spilled ink on them every release since. This week, TV on the Radio and I reunite for a SPIN cover that’s all about growing up. No, that sounds boring. It’s actually about being unafraid to don Bermuda shorts and grin at a roiling sea made of pure liquid fear. It gets surreal somewhere between the Cheech & Chong reference and the Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance citation, and Kyp Malone makes a couple of semen jokes along the way. The new album is called Seeds, after all.
For pure posterity’s sake, here’s a brief 2013 interview with Tunde Adebimpe.
Posterity Post: I wrote thousands of articles while on staff at SPIN and blogged none of them.
Here’s the most graphic installment in this series. Don’t worry, it’s all (most?) safe for work. These are posts involving the art of illustration. And, yes, that is Kanye West as Steve Jobs glaring at you above. We commissioned Penelope Gazin to bring the man’s boasts to life.
READ IT AT LOS ANGELES MAGAZINE
You’ve heard of #HotTips? Well, I went to CoffeeCon 2014, got super jacked up on third wave brew, and came back with a few #HotSips for ya. One of them involves butter. Enjoy.
Posterity Post: I wrote thousands of articles while on staff at SPIN and blogged none of them.
Today’s entry rounds some funky listicles from SPIN, starting with a Fiona Apple-inspired selection of artists who’ve been caught holding in Texas (from Puddle of Mudd to Misfits, and Snoop Dogg to Randy Travis). Next up: Pop Goes the Super Bowl; 30 Thriller‘s Pop Culture References; and 10 Ranked Covers of Radiohead’s “Creep.” Last but not least, I wrote a few entries for Christopher Weingarten’s hulking Animal Collective Centipedia (only ones I’m sure of are Quasimoto, Floating Points, and Lee “Scratch” Perry). Total geekery.
My final act as a SPIN staffer was to lock myself, photographer Nathaniel Wood, and Coolio in a small conference room with a laptop fulla hit songs from 1994 — the very same year that gave us “Fantastic Voyage,” of course. We played a hybridized game of “jukebox jury” and “name that tune,” and Coolio shared some wild memories about 2Pac, Nirvana, ICP, and Boyz II Men.
A spooky edition of KPCC’s Take Two, featuring my picks from Run the Jewels and Grouper.
I still don’t *really* understand what this site is or who uses it, but they gave me a (pro-bono) chance to shout out my favorite places for food, music, booze, caffeine, etc. in Los Angeles. Plus, they promised to call me an expert. To see my picks, go to Utrip, click “See Itinerary,” and then enter an arbitrary date (you’re not going to do this, I know, it’s okay). From there (ha), click on the little “Overview” tab above the map. FINALLY, you can scroll down Continue reading
Posterity Post: I wrote thousands of articles while on staff at SPIN and blogged none of them.
Animal Instinct: The Return of Soundgarden — After 16 years of studio silence, the grunge gods return, hungry, with their triumphant King Animal. I meet Chris Cornell and his pretty blue eyes.
How Are Passion Pit Playing Madison Square Garden? — An honest question with a pretty interesting answer. This is Led Zeppelin territory. MJ. The Boss. Ali and Frazier. And now…
Ghost Town Social Media’d Their Way to Success — A sound that evokes a bubble-goth Linkin Park. A social-media strategy that’s part-savvy, part-kismet. They’re stars in an ephemeral world.
Free food and drinks, ripping surf-jazz, and a whole bunch of glorious guitars. Plus, it was for a good cause — Waves for Water, with help from Fender and Hurley. Shot by Stuart Swerzo.
Chris Writes Things 