Coming soon to an as yet undetermined location:
This isn't really my gig, I was just asked to help out with some writing and graphics stuff. If you're interested in what the big guy up there is probably blathering on about, go here.
I'm at a bit of a loss here. This is a newer band. They're called the Guillemots. That's pronounced 'gill-eh-motts'. Which doesn't look right to me. But that's the three years of French talking. I just do what Vice tells me.
From what I've been told, this is a group which has a background that ranges from jazz to classical piano to pop. "Studded with broken rhythms and mini-keyboard orchestras, the British based group produces a quirky and catchy sound that is refreshing even to our jaded ears. Their music is reminiscent of bands such as Broken Social Scene, The Dears, Rufus Wainwright, and Arcade Fire. Their mini album dropped March 14th and is aptly called from the cliffs."
That's what Vice told me. They put out good records and magazines and other items that catalog pop culture. You love them. You know you do. You can find a review of the album on Music (For Robots) here. There's also a review of the first single "Trains to Brazil" available on You Aint No Picasso.
Here's a quote from Fyfe Dangerfield, the singer guy: "We want to make the sort of music that reveals something new about itself each time you listen to it, but that doesn't need to be at the expense of it being accessible. Head music's all well and good, but it's got to hit you in the heart and feet too."
So last week I was at the CVS drug store by where I work. There were some things I had to pick up. It's Easter time, and like any other chain drug store in America right now, CVS has an aisle completely dedicated to Easter candy. I was trolling for Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs. These are one of my favorites when it comes to chocolate and candy and all that.
They sell them in packs of six, and just one wouldn't do. I needed the six-pack. And you have to buy them almost as soon as the drug stores start stocking them or else you get stale candy, and no one likes that chalky-tasting chocolate with the white patina on it. The peanut butter gets all dry and nasty, too. So, I was walking down the aisle and something caught my eye. I saw the words "Reester Bunny," and right away, I knew what it was. A chocolate Easter bunny filled with Reese's peanut butter! Right away I bought two because I knew of a friend who would want one, too.
Chris, the friend who I gave the other one to ate ALL OF IT on Saturday night. The 6" x 1.5" x 1" bunny is a whole lot of Reese's. According to the 'nutritional' information on the back, it's to be consumed as four servings. Each serving contains 20% of your daily saturated fat. That's a whole lotta animal fat. At least the cholesterol and carb counts are pretty low...but the calories are high: 190 per serving.
So I brought my Reester Bunny to work today. I'm hoping that it will last all week, but the head is already gone. Five ounces of pure Reese's goodness.
You know you want one.
So the new Streets album is due out April 25th, titled "The Hardest Way to Make An Easy Living." Yet again, this album finds him tellin' us what he knows best: himself. Go here to check out the video for "When You Wasn't Famous."
It's been awhile since I've given an update on the 'experiment'. I should probably stop calling that, considering I see it as a permanent thing. At the very least, my intention is permanent.
These are my recent findings: I have no problem hanging out at a bar with friends who are drinking and just talking, drinking water, playing tabletop-shuffleboard, or whatever. I got closer to the root of my problem this weekend. Friday night, I needed to escape, and that I did. I needed friends, but more than that, I needed to escape my head and what my heart was screaming at me. Good times with good people should be enough. Okay, just good people, that's all you really need to escape. But I took the easy way out. Around 1am, I threw on some clothes, texted a couple friends to see where they were, then headed straight to the GB. In the period of one hour, I threw back six vodka/sodas. Somehow, I did feel a good buzz, but I didn't feel wasted. Then I drove out to a friend's house, and had another beer. Still didn't feel falling-down drunk.
I went home, passed out in bed, and woke up around noon the next day. A close friend told me awhile ago that alcoholism is a progressive disease. Meaning you could go five years without a drink, but as soon as you do, you go back to where you left off. Your body goes into physical withdrawal right after you stop drinking. Even if it's just one beer. I get it now. I believed her and understood what she was saying when she told me, but now I really get it. It happened to me.
All day Saturday, I felt like total shit. No, let me re-phrase that, I felt like total shee-ite. Shite. Crap. It was Saturday night, I was supposed to DJ at the GB, and I was on the verge of calling my roommate to ask him to do it. Then I had the brilliant idea to eat something. I hadn't eaten in 24 hours. I'm at a point where I'm so accustomed to being out late and going home, and not feeling like I have to eat something to 'soak up' the alcohol. So I didn't eat Friday night, and I hadn't eaten Friday afternoon out of situation. Saturday afternoon, food didn't sound very good. Nothing sounded good. Laying in my bed all fetal sounded like the best thing, but I couldn't do that. I know it's not right.
Full disclosure: I went through something really emotional and difficult Friday night, which contributed to wanting to lay in bed all day Saturday, and provided an excuse to escape to the warm embrace of vodka. Thank dog there was no Jameson involved...
So it's back to zero for me. The counter started over on 3/4/06. I am now two full days sober. Do over.
This weekend's experience was a relapse. It's a natural part of the process. I know this, and see it as a stepping stone.
Remember that Canadian band The Stills from a couple years ago? They were one of those big hype bands with a somewhat gloomy single that sounded remotely like Radiohead doing Gang of Four.
Okay, they're back with something different. In their own words, "fuck the effects - just plug in and feel something." The new album is called "Without Feathers," it's on Vice Records, and it's in stores May 9th.
Go to their MySpace page here to check out their new song and upcoming tour dates.
