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Archive for the ‘Kimya Dawson’ Category

Simon Rich–“The Foosball Championship of the Whole Entire Universe” (New Yorker, May 9, 2016)

Posted in All Songs Considered, Anachronisms, Art, Florist, Foosball, Funny (ha ha), Humiliation, Juno, Kimya Dawson, New Yorker, Short Story, Simon Rich, Tiny Desk Concert on June 15, 2016| Leave a Comment »

592016SOUNDTRACK: FLORIST-Tiny Desk Concert #527 (April 29, 2016).

floristFlorist is a quiet band–they remind me a bit of Kimya Dawson from the Juno soundtrack.  There are four members of the band–lead singer/guitarist Emily Sprague and a drummer who has only one drum and plays very sparsely. And then there are two guys who switch between bass/guitar and keyboards.  In this Tiny arrangement, the keys are right next to the guys which makes it very easy for them to switch back and forth–I wonder if it works so well on a bigger stage.

I knew the first song, “Vacation” from an earlier All Songs Considered show and this live version sounds pretty much like the recorded version.  Sprague has a very gentle voice–almost a whipser (but not mumbling or anything).  And her guitar playing is really pretty.  I remember Bob Boilen talking about how much he liked her lyrics like:

Like when I used to ride roller coasters with my dad / When a swimming pool in a hotel / Was a gift from God / Like, love, we’re like a family / I don’t know how to be

The song is mostly just her singing until the end when the bassist sings (also very quietly) a duet with her

At least I know that my house wont burn down down to the ground / or maybe it will / if I’ve been in love before and I’m pretty sure I have / I’m pretty sure that my house could burn down down to the ground tomorrow.

 Between the first and second song the bassist/keyboardist holds down some notes while the others tune and get ready to play.  They’re the most un rock n roll looking band I’ve seen, with them dresses in cozy clothes as they calmly prepare for the second song.

“Cool and Refreshing” sounds that way.  The melody is really pretty once again.  And Sprague’s vocal line is quite lovely.  And the lyrics:

Think of me by the creek in cutoff jeans holding onto / Something that has meaning to me / I don’t really think my life will ever make me / As happy as Kaaterskill Creek

I like the middle of the song when everything drops away except for the lone synth note.

The notes ring out after the second song when Emily finally looks up and says “Thanks everybody” before looking sown and starting the third song, “1914.”  This vocals are a duet, and musically it is just the two guitars.  It’s a very simple song, sparsely conveying the idea of a farewell letter from 100 years ago:

Please remember to feed the cat.  Please remember that I’m never coming back.  I was born in 1994 / I as born in the 70s / I was born in 1823 and you were born right next to me.

Florist was touring recently.  I imagine it must be the quietest show you could ever go to.  But also a very pretty show.

[READ: December 13, 2012] “The Foosball Championship of the Whole Entire Universe”

The premise of this piece is very simple–it is indeed the foosball championship of the whole entire universe.  And the players are eleven-year old Nathaniel Rich and seven-year old Simon Rich.

This “joke” more or less tells itself, but Rich is able to add wonderful details to the story of it to make it much funnier than just the title.  Nathaniel’s Blue team has won all 83 matches, but this game–the last of the summer vacation–is for all the marbles.

Rich has broken the “story” down into analyses of Keys to the Game.

Like Coaching, in which we learn all about Coach Simon’s style (as told by the “players”): “Coach cries a lot” or “the last time we lost, coach attacked us.  It was scary because even though he’s just a boy, he’s also a giant–fifty to sixty times our height.” (more…)

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Steven Millhauser–“The Invasion from Outer Space” (New Yorker, February 9 & 16, 2009)

Posted in Belle and Sebastian, Carpenters, End of the World, Juno, Kimya Dawson, Moldy Peaches, Mott the Hoople, New Yorker, Outer Space, Sonic Youth, Steven Millhauser, The Kinks, The Velvet Underground, Threats on March 15, 2009| Leave a Comment »

ny2916SOUNDTRACK: JUNO Soundtrack (2007).

junoLate on the bandwagon with this soundtrack.  But then, I only really watch movies on TV these days, so I’m often late to the bandwagon.

Anyhow, this soundtrack was a darling in the alternative universe, and with good reason.  It’s a charming collection of mellow rockers, and it suits the film quite well.

The main artist here is Kimya Dawson, formerly of the Moldy Peaches.  She contributes six solo tracks and one song with the Moldy Peaches.  Kimya’s solo work is very lo-fi, it sounds like she’s singing in her bedroom.  Her voice has a tone that she doesn’t care if she’s in tune, and yet she always is.  There’s usually some kind of multi-tracking on each song (backing vocals or some such) that belie the lo-fi-ness of the songs, and yet they all sound like they were done in her bedroom.  Her lyrics are either overtly political or broken hearted/relationshippy.  Since those were pretty much the only songs i didn’t already know, I was a little unsure about them at first, but I have grown to like them.

The rest of the disc comprised a great line-up of previously released songs: The Kinks: “A Well Respected Man” (this also sets the tone for the record); 2 Belle and Sebastian songs; Mott the Hoople: “All the Young Dudes” (probably my favorite song by a band that I don’t think I’ve ever heard another of their songs);  The Velvet Underground: “I’m sticking with You” (the least representative song of a band ever…it’s charming and cute).  And, what you would think would blow the tone of the album: a song by Sonic Youth.  And yet that song is a cover of the Carpenters’ “Superstar.” It’s one of their mellowest songs and one of my favorite cover tracks ever.  The effects they wrangle out of their instruments are great, the tone is amazing, and it even got me to investigate the Carpenters further.

Chances are if you like any of this music, you own most of these songs, but it’s still a great collection of, dare I say it, twee folk rock songs.

[READ: March 4, 2009] “The Invasion from Outer Space”

This was a very short (one and a half pages) story.  It begins with everyone watching the skies in anticipation of an imminent invasion from outer space.  The anticipation builds as they see lights in the sky.  And then a fine yellow powder is dropped all over the earth.

The yellow powder  is the extent of the invasion and the townspeople feel somewhat disappointed that the invasion wasn’t more dramatic.  That gives away a bit of the story, but really it’s the details that make it rewarding.  I rather enjoyed this one.

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