Who showed up at the Marc Jacobs After Party... besides Lil' Kim?
M.I.A. on the turntables being gorgeous as usual.
My favorite couple, Thurston Moore & Kim Gordon.
Jack White's model wife, Karen Elson, on the right.
And Debbie Harry wearing a spacesuit? And carrying a bag that I need.
And also...have you seen M.I.A.'s new ads for Marc Jacobs? Fierce!
All pictures from Style.com. Enjoy!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Is That a Nipple?
Fashion Break with M.I.A., SY, and More
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Have You Heard?
Islands - Arm's Way
"Islands are forever," Nick Diamond said when the second of the three original Unicorns members left the Islands in '06. The statement is also the name of the band's web site, and appears as their Myspace headline.
It's clear, as the backbone of the band, "Diamond is forever" (just in time for Valentine's Day, too!). Islands, on the other hand, I began to wonder about.
Apparently I was wrong about these guys. Plans are on track for the band to release its second LP May 20, titled Arm's Way, which is apparently a play on the phrase "Harm's Way." (Don't we just love these guys and their puns? My favorite is still "Where's There's a Will There's a Whalebone." No word yet on whether the new album will include a song called, "Where There's a Will There's an Arm's Way." Ahem.)
As we speak the band has new track "The Arm" on its MySpace, a song that seems to further the distance between the rough and ready rock of the Unicorns and the lush production of Return to the Sea. All of the Islands' tropes can be found here: Diamond's staple croon, jubilant piano, a dash of the old west guitar a la "Volcanoes."
I'd like to offer a few quotes that summarize my feelings about this new track:
From Pitchfork - "On the first few listens, the thin melody doesn't seem quite up to the Technicolor production, but the sonic ambition is promising."
From a reader comment on Stereogum - "This is a pretty good song, the overall sound of it is a pretty cool new direction, but Nicky D needs to stick to writing the awesome melodies I've come to love him for...
This is what happened to the Shins. Wincing the night away was a beautifully textured sonic dreamscape... at the expense of Mercer's ridiculously good melodies (on most songs).
Do these artists think that this is the sound of maturation? Better sounding song =/= better song."
Well put, random reader. I'll let you guys check out the song and decide for yourselves. On the upside, here's a preview of "Abominable Snow," a song the band played live back in their Unicorns' days - so, you know, it's probably gonna be the best track on the new album.
We've Been Totally MySpaced
Yes, we are guilty of frequenting the social networking site known as MySpace. If nothing else, it's a great place to hear new music and check out new artists. And don't we all just want to collect as many cyber-friends as possible, so we can feel better about ourselves? So if you're a MySpacer like us, check us out here and buddy up!
Word.
P.S. Thanks to GossipGrrl for all her help making this MySpace experience possible. I'm still considering making her title "MySpace Whore." Whore, you know, in a good way.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Top Five Tuesday:
Don't Look Back!
Last year's Pitchfork Music Festival was a damn good time, but let's not kid ourselves, Sonic Youth playing Daydream Nation was the selling point. Why else would Friday have been the first day to sell out? Oh, right, Slint was there too. How could I forget? Oh, right, the pot brownies. Anyhoo, the Range Life staff had a blast discussing which albums we'd love to see played in its entirety, and with the announcement of the 2008 Pitchfork Music Festival (hopefully) coming sooner than you might think, I thought it might be fun to rekindle the discussion. But before I go on, here are some ground rules I made up for myself. 1). The band must currently be in existence, so no Neutral Milk Hotel playing Aeroplane, and as far as I'm concerned no Loveless either (they haven't re-formed quite yet). 2). No bands that have already played a Don't Look Back show, which means no Sonic Youth playing Sister (as fucking cool as that would be), and no Belle & Sebastian or Cat Power either. Honestly, making these two rules only made my job easier, but feel free to play by your own rules when you make your own top 5 (which you're going to do in the comments section, right?)
On your marks.
Get set.
Go!
5). Modest Mouse performing The Moon and Antarctica
Lets forget for a moment that Modest Mouse kinda suck now, and remember that at one point in time Modest Mouse pulled off quite a feat in releasing major label debut that not only didn't suck, but was actually pretty fucking brilliant. These days, the band is content sticking with playing the same two songs from this album in concert ("Paper Thin Walls" and "Tiny Cities Made of Ashes"), but judging by the response these two songs get each and every time, I'm inclined to assume that there are other rabid fans of this album who would just love to hear them play more. Now, I could just as easily have said Lonesome Crowded West, but for that to really work they'd have to lose a drummer, kick out Marr, and play in a 300 person club. Why? Because the older songs sound like shit when played by the current, bloated Modest Mouse lineup. The Lonesome Crowded West was charmingly skeletal and lo-fi, and there's no need to have six or seven people on stage to play "Out of Gas." At least by playing Moon, they could keep their band intact, and probably do some really cool, spaced-out guitar work to tracks like "Stars are Projectors" and "Alone Down There." Plus, I really wanna hear "A Different City" live. 
4). Blonde Redhead performing Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons
How is this album not considered a classic by now? It was even left off Pitchfork's Top 25 Touch and Go albums, in favor of Pinback? A !!! single!? Please tell me they were joking. Regardless of what the Fork or anyone else thinks, I'm quite fond of Melody, almost to the point of obsession. Much like the Flaming Lips did the previous year, Blonde Redhead completely re-invented themselves, trading angular, art-punk noise for actual melodies, finding a new identity along the way. Like Moon and Antarctica, this is another album that gets poorly represented in concert, which only leaves me wanting to hear it more.
3). Flaming Lips performing The Soft Bulletin
I'm convinced that the Soft Bulletin is the reason why Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons hasn't been given the credit it's due; after all, Soft Bulletin was first, and it is probably a better album. I mean, "The Spark that Bled" alone is reason enough to list this album ahead of just about anything else. With The Soft Bulletin, the Flaming Lips turned down the guitars, altered their lyrical approach, and finally started to write some actual songs, some damn good ones at that. Don't get me wrong, albums like In a Priest Driven Ambulance and Transmissions from the Satellite Heart are great rock albums, but The Soft Bulletin is just a great album. Period. 
2). Radiohead performs Kid A
I could probably substitute this album with Ok Computer and be just as happy, but if I were given the choice I would have to go with Kid A. For starters, Kid A is absolutely seamless, and in my opinion has a better ebb and flow than its predecessor, and every song, every chord, every sound, is in its right place. Additionally, I also cherish the live versions of every Kid A song I've heard, from the hard charged re-working of "National Anthem" to the manic panic of "Idioteque." That, and its also pretty much a flawless album, but you already knew I felt that way.
1). Sigur Rós performs Ágætis Byrjun
You're probably shocked. Don't be. I have as long of a history with Ágætis Byrjun as I do every other album on here (by the way, has anyone else noticed that all 5 albums I've chosen were released in 1999 or 2000. What a great couple of years for music, huh?), and I love it inside and out. Ágætis Byrjun is the kind of album that haunts you - in a good way - when you're sleeping, on drugs, kissing girls, taking walks, watching a good film, eating a sandwich, fucking, whatever. Falling in love with Ágætis Byrjun is like Odysseus trapped on Calypso's island; you're heroic, in great shape, immortal, and fucking a Goddess each and every time you listen to this album. Why ever stop? Not only is this album beautiful, but Sigur Rós just slay these songs live. Jónsi Birgisson is one of the few singers that just simply doesn't falter, and the swells of bowed guitar and Amiina's strings are nothing if not heard live. If there was ever an album that was just begging to be heard from start to finish on a beautiful early summer night, Ágætis Byrjun would definitely be the one.
Radiohead Announce Dates!
The first leg of Radiohead's North American tour has been announced, and the St. Louis show is one of them. Looks like I'll be studying for finals on the road this year. Oh well.
05-05 West Palm Beach, FL - Cruzan Amphitheatre
05-06 Tampa, FL - Ford Amphitheatre
05-08 Atlanta, GA - Lakewood Amphitheatre
05-09 Charlotte, NC - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
05-11 Bristow, VA - Nissan Pavilion at Stone Ridge
05-14 St. Louis, MO - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
05-17 Houston, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
05-18 Dallas, TX - Superpages.com Center
W.A.S.T.E. will have a pre-sale sometime February 14, though they'll be operating on UK time so it will likely be in the wee hours of the morning. General on-sale should be this Saturday the 16th. Happy buying!
Monday, February 11, 2008
Mixtape Monday:
When Folk Gets Freaky
Freak folk. Psych folk. New Weird America. Whatever you want to call this wave of ambient, acoustic psychedelia, I dig it. And you should, too.
Nick Drake may technically be a part of Old Weird America, but you have to give props to the man who Devendra Banhart calls "a saint." Seventies folk maiden Vashti Bunyan officially joined the new psych folk movement when she paired up with Animal Collective on the third track here, "Prospect Hummer." Also, sorry if you're tired of this White Flight song. I have to give out the Lawrence love.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
May I Have a Moment of Silence for...
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
Today marks the tenth anniversary of the release of Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. If you've ever had a drink with anyone on the Range Life staff, you know what this album means to us. Anniversaries like this are what we wait for -- an excuse to wax poetical about one of our favorite albums of all time.
During college I worked at a sandwich shop. What made the job bearable was my coworkers, many of whom I still count amongst my closest friends. One of the other things that made the job bearable was that with a group of college age kids minding the store, we were able to listen to whatever music we wanted to, sometimes to the chagrin of the restaurant's elderly patrons. During my three years working there I discovered Sonic Youth, Stephen Malkmus/Pavement, Sleater Kinney, Stereolab, The Flaming Lips, and so on and so forth (I still have the scrap of paper from when my friend and I called in to KJHK, KU's student radio station, to inquire about a song we had heard that night -- the acoustic version of "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots," a song I would later name my dog after.)
One night I was in the back of the store wrestling with the mop bucket when a song assaulted my ear drums. "I love you, Jesus Christ!" a warbly-voiced singer cried. "Jesus Christ, I love you, yes I do!" I was still working out my feelings about Jesus Christ at the time, and after an argument I had had with my mother over my failure to sing in church, didn't much care to hear anyone else sing about Him. "Ryan!" I yelled to the front of the store. "What is this shit?" He just laughed.
I laugh now, too, every time I remember that moment I first heard Jeff Mangum's beautifully flawed voice, or the time my husband stood outside our duplex throwing full cans of hot beer at the building and singing those very lines we'd all been so put off by in the beginning. My relationship with Aeroplane has been a cacophony of little moments like these, little moments like those that inhabit the album, that crawl inside it like "secrets asleep in winter clothes."
Last year I wrote about a post about needing to save important albums for important moments in my life. Well, dear readers, I hope you'll join me in taking a quiet moment to sit and slip on the headphones today.
Let us lay in the sun and count every beautiful thing we can see.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Column:
Why I Can't Love Elliott Smith
By Nicole Pope
Recently a friend said to me, "You are one of the few people I know who aren't obsessed with Elliott Smith." Ordinarily after a comment like this my music-nerd alarm would go off, and I'd think, It can't be! I can't be the only one who doesn't get it! And I would promptly run to my computer and begin researching, listening, digesting.
The truth is, I know the stranglehold Smith's legacy has on music fans. It's the precise reason I've sidestepped his vast, impressive collection.
Recently my husband was telling me about one of his coworkers who is obsessed with Elliott Smith. As obsessed as he could be, I guess, without knowing about Smith's tragic suicide. It's been nearly five years since the 34-year-old stabbed himself not once, but twice, in the heart, leaving legions of fans feeling similarly wounded. Of course, there are those who say Smith's death wasn't a suicide at all. These conspiracy theorists are the ones who have the hardest time saying goodbye -- keeping the mystery of his death alive keeps the mystery of the man, and more importantly his music, alive.
Unlike my husband's arguably lucky coworker, I knew all
the grisly details of Smith's suicide before encountering his music. Last year when the posthumous B-side/outtakes collection New Moon was released to critical acclaim, I downloaded the album, and after a cursory listen, tucked it away for another day. Perhaps the title too eerily resembled Nick Drake's somber farewell Pink Moon. Every time I've come near New Moon or any of Smith's albums, I hear those tinges of isolation, desperation, fatalism -- feelings many of my favorite artists express, yet will never act on as Smith did.
Perhaps my aversion to Elliott Smith deals with why I listen to sad music in the first place. Some of my friends say they cannot listen to singer-songwriter-type-music because it takes them to a dark place. I, on the other hand, listen to that music to suit my mood, and, after wallowing in it for a bit, to eventually emerge grateful, optimistic, content. Literature critics say you cannot assume the writer is the narrative voice in a work -- regardless, I can't listen to Elliott Smith without being reminded of the bleakness of the world, the futility of our dreams, and ultimately, the certainty of death.
Once more I'm reminded of the rhetorical question, "What came first, the music or the misery?" Do I listen to Elliott Smith because I'm miserable? Or am I miserable because I listen to Elliott Smith?
First Listen Friday:
Monade, Headlights, Why?
Three more songs to make your countdown to the weekend a little more manageable.
Monade - "Regarde"
What started as a bedroom recording project for Stereolab's Laetitia Sadier has turned into full time band. Fans of Stereolab can rejoice, as Cosmic is probably the closest thing to another great Stereolab album as we're ever going to get. Look for Monade's latest album, Cosmic, in stores on February 19.
Headlights - "Cherry Tulips"
Headlights are a pretty three piece from Champaign, Illinois, but their instinctive pop sensibilities make it seem like they could just as easily have come from Scotland
or Canada. "Cherry Tulips" is a great example, as you can hear them borrowing a little bit from both Arcade Fire and Camera Obscura. The song is bouncy, catchy, and eventually, irresistible. Their upcoming album, Some Racing, Some Stopping, is available this coming Tuesday. Headlights are also touring with Evangelicals, and have several Midwestern stops lined up, so be sure to check them out if they're in a city near you.
Why? - "Good Friday"
Today is going to be a good Friday, I can already tell. The sun is shining, my cat is sitting quietly on my lap, and this new Why? track is kicking my ass. I first heard Why? on KJHK some years ago, thought it was pretty cool, then promptly forgot about them. Then I saw them open for Yo La Tengo in October of 2006. Their sound was incredibly unique, blending off kilter rhythms, half spoken rhyming, and a rag-tag, lo-fi frame of mind. I was impressed, and quickly became a fan. Why?'s new album Alopecia is already building hype on message boards, and with good reason. It sounds like Why? is rapping more and singing less, which probably works best as his singing voice was always the most questionable aspect of Why?'s sound. I can't give out "Good Friday" as an mp3, but it is streaming below, and you'd be crazy not to give it a chance. Yes, it is pretty much a hip-hop tune, but it has crossover appeal. Something tells me Why? is going to have a big year.
Before I go, I'd like to get your opinion on something. As you have probably noticed, I've switched from using Project Playlist to Imeem. Lately, Project Playlist has been giving me a headache, with songs crashing, songs not being recognized after I upload them, and the player just not being recognized from time to time. I've been dicking around with Imeem, and so far I haven't had any problems, but I'm curious to know what you think. Does it work better? Worse? Is it pretty much the same? Let us know what you think about the player, the songs, anything, in the comments section. Happy weekend!
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Check This Shit Out!
Calling All Local Musicians
Would you describe your music as instrumental Broken Social Scene? How about Summer Sun-era Yo La Tengo? Well listen up.
Our friend Joshwa is calling all musicians to help create a soundtrack for Springfield's public access channel. Sure, it's not a gig opening for the Arcade Fire or anything, but everyone's gotta get started somewhere, right?
I'll let Joshwa give you the rundown."If you live in Springfield and have cable, then you are no doubt familiar with public access channel 25. You know, with the boring text and the gut-wrenchingly horrible elevator music? Yeah, that's the one.
Well, thanks to my powers of persuasion, I've been charged with programming in some new music.
Here's where you come in, dear readers.
I'm looking for as much original music as I can get my hands on. A definite preference will be given to downtempo, quiet or instrumental pieces so as to appease the school district overlords. I'm willing to consider anything sent my way, but the more appealing it is to general tastes, the more likely it is I'll play it.
What's the incentive, you ask? Hmm.. how about the ability to turn on any cable television in the city, flip to channel 25, and hear an amazing ambient mix that you helped author?"
There you have it, folks. If you want to get in touch with Mr. Joshwa, you can email him here. Let's make some (ambient) jams, people!
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