Sophie Says Sooth (2002.09.02): "Avoid graduation at all possible costs. This may sound crazy now, but by the time you're out of school for a year you'll know exactly what I'm talking about and you'll really start to miss caring about back-to-school sales. Enjoy this time while you can."

Sophie Says Sooth (2002.08.26): "When you call your children unexpectedly, do not express concern if they were out until 4, 5 or 6 AM. They are now the masters of their own bedtimes. If someone of the opposite sex answers the telephone at 7 AM on a Sunday, say nothing."

Sophie Says Sooth (2002.08.19): "It was once required that ten witnesses be present at a marriage ceremony to outsmart jealous demons. (I don't know who really thought this would work but let's play along for the sake of the story.) Bridesmaids dressed similarly to the bride and groomsmen's attire resembled the groom's in an attempt to confuse the spirits who wanted to harm the couple."


Silverchair / Diorama: "Musically, it is one of the best of the year. Rich orchestrations sweep across beautifully arranged songs, a feat quite remarkable for a band unaccustomed to such complex string and horn work. This is due, in part, to help from the legendary Van Dyke Parks, whose resume boasts such names as U2 and the Beach Boys."

Miniviews 2002.08.02: "While reining his noodling tendencies way in for the two Guided By Voices records released by TVT, his side projects exploded. The Fading Captain series, home to numerous collaborations and throw-away 7" singles, has probably had a release or three just since you started reading this piece."

Miniviews 2002.07.28: "If John Lennon and Yoko Ono had been in little-known power pop bands, then decided to do a record together with John's brother and a pseudonymous drummer for a Spanish label you've never heard of, Double Fantasy would've sounded a lot like Sound It Out."


San Diego Comic-con 2002: Part 1: "A lot of it sounded like standard conspiracy theory bullshit; I would like to believe him about the income taxes, though. Apparently it has something to do with the improper ratification of the 16th Amendment and taxing our privilege of earning money."

"Glamour Hose": A 14-piece photographic series from Natalie Meyer


"Pixel Worship": A new short narrative work from Aaron Veenstra





2002/06/08

You know that sound they use in movies when they've got a flock of lost souls floating around or an infestation of phantoms or a swarm of glow-in-the-dark "Pitch Black" aliens? When the SFX people take starlings, brown bats and dolphins, mix them together and speed them up? I woke up to that this morning, only it was coming out of a gaggle of five-year old girls at the house behind my yard. Later on, someone repeatedly and loudly told "Caitlin" to "get out of the water right now." And then they apparently started playing with firecrackers.

I hate children and the parents who refuse to lock them in the basement.
posted at 16:17



2002/06/05

Everyone who listens to a significant amount of non-mainstream music has heard it a time or two: the song that you can't believe hasn't and probably won't become a worldwide pop sensation, despite its obvious and unstoppable brilliance. This year's front-runner for Most Overlooked Obvious Pop Hit is Piebald's "American Hearts."

Piebald have everything going for them. Their sound combines the pop-punk rhythm of Sum 41 and Blink 182 with the garage-riff buzz of Weezer and -- on this record, at least -- their songwriting exceeds the lot. "American Hearts," originally released on 2000's The Rock Revolution Will Not Be Televised EP but tightened up and re-recorded for this year's We Are the Only Friends We Have, is part story song and part simple civics lesson. At one point the narrator asks a window washer, "Have you heard that this country is unequal still?" to which the window washer replies with the chorus, "Hey, you're part of it!" With so many easily led yahoos focusing their attention on an ambiguous and undefiniable notion of what "America" is and with so many people loving that guitar-based pop-punk, I don't doubt that this song could rock radios all summer long. If it weren't released on a tiny label with no marketing and no influence.
posted at 08:45



2002/06/04

You might have noticed, a couple weeks ago, that the sky was briefly green and water spent a day or so flowing up. This was a result of the new Breeders record, Title TK, being released. The fates had decreed it would never come out, you see, and they were none too happy to see it in the new release bins. They'll probably be even less happy when they learn that I've reviewed it.
posted at 14:07


2002/06/03

Man, am I hungry. Say Sophie, do we have any chicken piccatta around? We do? Spectacular. Let's just be sure not to skimp on the capers.
posted at 10:21


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