Monday, April 12, 2004
I met a girl recently and she told me that she was interning at POWER 106, the "hip hop" station here in Los Angeles, and she also mentioned that sometimes she was on the air as well, so I decided to give it a listen. Mind you I only listened very briefly (never heard her by the way) but that station really is bad. I'm going to sound old once again, but is this what hip hop has come to? I remember the days of Run DMC, Public Enemy, Eric B and Rakim, and De La Soul and recent stuff like Outkast and the Roots are interesting, but the stuff I heard was mostly crap. No flow, lyrics about nothing other than girls and conspicuous consumption, banal music. I'm basing my opinions on a commercial radio station so I'm sure that I'm incorrect in stating that hip hop basically sucks now, but I sure haven't heard too much truly mind blowing stuff lately. I guess most genres of music reach a point where good and original ideas seem to have been exhausted so I shouldn't single out hip hop, but I was really quite startled at the bad quality of most of the songs that I heard.
On the other hand, I've been listening to a relatively new station called Indie 103.1 and it is like a breath of fresh air. Sure it's nothing ground breaking; anyone who's heard good college radio like KLXU and KSPC know that good radio already exists. It is pretty amazing that a station owned by a huge conglomerate has this playlist though. It is a little reminiscent of the old KROQ and KNAC before it went metal. The other day I heard The Dils' "I Hate The Rich" and I don't think those stations ever played this song even when they were good. They play some current songs to death (I never want to hear that Tears For Fears cover ever again) but it is worthwhile to listen because you never know when a gem is going to pop up. Steve Jones of Sex Pistols fame has a pretty good show that runs Tuesday through Friday at noon until 1:00. How can you not like hearing Roxy Music, Sparks, Sweet, Generation X, and David Bowie during lunch time?
Speaking of Steve Jones, he was in a movie called LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE FABULOUS STAINS. He appears in the film with a movie version of the band he was in after the Sex Pistols called the Professionals. It's basically about some teenage girls who start a punk rock band and go on tour with the Professionals and their dealings with fame. It has influenced a lot of people including the Riot Girl movement. I think I first saw it when I was about thirteen or fourteen on ON TV (anyone remember this precursor to HBO, etc. ?) It came out in 1981 I believe so I was pretty interested in anything relating to punk rock, but it was only a few years later that I was really interested in the movie because it starred a young Diane Lane. By the time 1984 rolled around I had a huge crush on her, probably after watching the three films she made with Francis Coppola: THE OUTSIDERS, RUMBLE FISH, and THE COTTON CLUB, but I think I already had a soft spot for her since I had seen her first film, A LITTLE ROMANCE (YOU need to see this). This is when I started wishing I had videotaped that earlier ON TV showing. Wow! Punk rock and Diane Lane! Sign me up! Anyway, I haven't seen the movie in more than twenty years, but I do remember it being quite good. I really want to see it again and I don't think I would be disappointed upon seeing it now. I wish it was available on dvd or videotape, but so far there is nothing available. I think a cult has risen surrounding the film in the last few years so some type of release is probably not out of the question. There was a really good article in Grand Royal magazine a few years ago about the film and all the people it had influenced and it is really worth searching out for. I just bought a dvd which features a documentary about the making of the film and I'm really looking forward to receiving it in the mail. The Nuart had some screenings a few years ago so hopefully some theater will show it again sometime soon.
I became sick last Friday so I didn't make it to Electrelane, but at least I had seen them before at the All Tomorrow's Parties music festival last year. Sunday I had a chance to see Iron and Wine do an in-store at Finger Prints Records in Long Beach. I like his last album so it was nice to have a chance to see him play near my home. I will quote the L.A. Times review and say that it was "hushed and subtle music" and leave it at that succinct description.
On the other hand, I've been listening to a relatively new station called Indie 103.1 and it is like a breath of fresh air. Sure it's nothing ground breaking; anyone who's heard good college radio like KLXU and KSPC know that good radio already exists. It is pretty amazing that a station owned by a huge conglomerate has this playlist though. It is a little reminiscent of the old KROQ and KNAC before it went metal. The other day I heard The Dils' "I Hate The Rich" and I don't think those stations ever played this song even when they were good. They play some current songs to death (I never want to hear that Tears For Fears cover ever again) but it is worthwhile to listen because you never know when a gem is going to pop up. Steve Jones of Sex Pistols fame has a pretty good show that runs Tuesday through Friday at noon until 1:00. How can you not like hearing Roxy Music, Sparks, Sweet, Generation X, and David Bowie during lunch time?
Speaking of Steve Jones, he was in a movie called LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE FABULOUS STAINS. He appears in the film with a movie version of the band he was in after the Sex Pistols called the Professionals. It's basically about some teenage girls who start a punk rock band and go on tour with the Professionals and their dealings with fame. It has influenced a lot of people including the Riot Girl movement. I think I first saw it when I was about thirteen or fourteen on ON TV (anyone remember this precursor to HBO, etc. ?) It came out in 1981 I believe so I was pretty interested in anything relating to punk rock, but it was only a few years later that I was really interested in the movie because it starred a young Diane Lane. By the time 1984 rolled around I had a huge crush on her, probably after watching the three films she made with Francis Coppola: THE OUTSIDERS, RUMBLE FISH, and THE COTTON CLUB, but I think I already had a soft spot for her since I had seen her first film, A LITTLE ROMANCE (YOU need to see this). This is when I started wishing I had videotaped that earlier ON TV showing. Wow! Punk rock and Diane Lane! Sign me up! Anyway, I haven't seen the movie in more than twenty years, but I do remember it being quite good. I really want to see it again and I don't think I would be disappointed upon seeing it now. I wish it was available on dvd or videotape, but so far there is nothing available. I think a cult has risen surrounding the film in the last few years so some type of release is probably not out of the question. There was a really good article in Grand Royal magazine a few years ago about the film and all the people it had influenced and it is really worth searching out for. I just bought a dvd which features a documentary about the making of the film and I'm really looking forward to receiving it in the mail. The Nuart had some screenings a few years ago so hopefully some theater will show it again sometime soon.
I became sick last Friday so I didn't make it to Electrelane, but at least I had seen them before at the All Tomorrow's Parties music festival last year. Sunday I had a chance to see Iron and Wine do an in-store at Finger Prints Records in Long Beach. I like his last album so it was nice to have a chance to see him play near my home. I will quote the L.A. Times review and say that it was "hushed and subtle music" and leave it at that succinct description.
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