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





2002/07/26

Importing new music from the UK to America has always been a tricky business. Even if your band has a hit record on a major label in Britain, it's no guarantee that anybody wants to bring that record across the Atlantic. Even if somebody does sign you to a US deal, that's no guarantee they won't screw with the record's running order or make you swap out a song of two. Even if they let the set alone, that's no guarantee they won't remix the whole thing to make it glossier for edge-wary American audiences.

And so it went for My Vitriol. The British rock act charted several singles from their debut album, Finelines, but had to wait over a year to see the record released in America. When it was finally released, the sound had been prettied up for some reason, as if America isn't listening to any bands with rough edges at the moment. To top it off, the record appears to be getting little or no promotion; I only discovered the band because Audiogalaxy told me I'd like them if I liked Doves. And it's almost frustrating to listen to the record in this environment because "Always: Your Way" should be a hit and "Grounded" should be a hit. Finelines sounds, to me, more like Modern Rock than anything else I've heard this year and nobody's ever going to know about it.
posted at 11:49



2002/07/23

Whether by car or by boat, Sophie has your travel needs covered this week. By plane or locomotive, well, you're on your own.
posted at 09:16


2002/07/22

Nothing new today, as I am unable to upload anything to the server. Look for new stuff when normal connectivity resumes.
posted at 21:14


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