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5.21.2004
rock: MAKING YOU ROCK TONIGHT
5.20.2004
I've been listening to one of my finds from my trip to other music, the new release by we ragazzi entitled wolves with pretty lips. once upon a time when I was living in chicago, I had the pleasure of sound engineering this very unique threesome at my old radio station. since then I've been hooked, going to a handful of shows and listening to their music in phases. there's just something awesome and enticing about the sound these particular musicians produce on drums, keyboard, and electric guitar.
colleen holds down a powerfully-distorted bassline on her keyboard, which used to be a farfisa organ but has since been upgraded to newer technology. alianna, the band's recently-reinstated founding drummer, hits those drums so hard and precisely, it's something you have to see live. tony, on vox and guitar, has a voice reminiscent of billy corgan (though this comparison is tiresome), but he uses those pipes in much more impressive ways. tony's live persona is a celebration of what a rock and roll show should be, amidst a sea of indie shoegazers who choose the guise of nonchalance over a physical expression of love for their music.
anyway, back to the album. an astonishingly sound collection of songs considering last september tony told me they had very little time left to start and complete the entire project. there are two themes that run throughout this album: obsession and urban life. last year, the band moved from its hometown of chicago out east to nyc, and from the sound of this album it doesn't seem like they'll be staying long. hell, one of the tracks is entitled "let's be wolves and leave (nyc)."
the theme of obsession or crushing is a staple in we ragazzi's repertoire. track 10, entitled "I want the butterflies (all the time)," speaks of the thrill of the crush that is pretty much ruined once you learn too much about a person. the song is centered around a mysterious male character the band sees at their shows, which leads me to believe tony didn't write this one. my favorite track is number 3, "making you queens tonight," because of its dance-y rhythm and sinister melody. not sure what the lyrics sing about, but they sure are intriguing: "I want to paint your lips, I want to dress your eyes..."
sovereign 12:00 AM, EDT - [Link]
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rock: LIKE NO OTHER
5.19.2004
during lunch break I shopped around for my mother's birthday present, but as I turned to head back I felt a strong pull from a certain favorite store that inevitably brought me inside. other music (15 E. 4th St.) is thus far the surest bet when I want a new indie rock 7" or cd. their used selection is surprising at times, you'd never think someone would sell off a quasi album to a record store, but they do! other music also has a decent selection of geek chic magazines, and an amiable staff as long as they like what you bought (kidding).
sovereign 12:00 AM, EDT - [Link]
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food: ROK REPORT
I just got back from my trip to south korea, where I enjoyed five days of grandma's cooking. the night I flew in, my uncle took me to a restaurant since it was late, but the remainder of the trip I was detoxing on barley water and kimchee. my grandmother makes the best korean chili powder, which is the foundation of korean cooking. from this chili powder, the koreans make endless permutations of kimchee side dishes, stews, and spicy dips. contrary to what most americans are aware of, kimchee is not just spicy cabbage; it comes in all forms. it's sort of like how the scots deep fry everything from pizza to chocolate mars bars...the koreans spice-ify all sorts of exotic vegetables and roots. this originates from the fact that fermenting foods in hot spices would give them more staying power(before the age of refrigerators).
what shocked me on my trip was the discovery that koreans do eat dog meat! I couldn't believe it. to most koreans, dogs are just to keep watch of the property, they're not petted and loved like here. as a dog-loving american, this is really upsetting, but I suppose I shouldn't really judge another way of life like that.
sovereign 12:00 AM, EDT - [Link]
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