Bernard Sumner: Modern Poet (Guilt Is A Uselss Emotion)

-"You sure know a lot for a girl": Bernard Sumner, Feminist Theory Professor.

Something I Regret

I was incredibly, incredibly excited about seeing New Order and the Bad Lieutenants later on this month at Webster Hall in NY...especially with Bernard Sumner's promises of a live set heavy with his substantial back catalogue.

Then, last night, Ticketmaster kindly emails me to inform that the show's been cancelled-in essence, very very quickly shattering my evening and giving me a, erm, blue monday. I felt a lot of confusion, and was quite shellshocked. One glance at my silent face simply said "leave me alone", and...

ok, ok, I'm done. I'm done. I promise.

A quick trip to the Bad Lt. Facebook page reveals that, apparently, the entire U.S. tour is nixed and people are, fittingly, upset.

I'll be even more pissed if it turns out that they'll still be in New York, just solely opening for The Pixies, also known as the worst fucking band ever. Gouge away, indeed.

As such, I'm forced to cry into my coffee and watch this: Bernie Sumner and co doing an acoustic "Bizarre Love Triangle" in Paris.

Now all I'm left with is the temptation to fly to the UK to see them open for the Pet Shop Boys, and... and, ok, no, really, I'm done. But c'mon, what the fuck gives, Bad Lieutenant?

GaGaRaRaRa

I will be forced to eternally mourn the premature cancelling of the Kanye West/Lady GaGa "Fame Kills" tour (after Kanye was eaten alive by his dire, burning need to speak the truth and nothing but, so help him God, even at the expense of his public perception), but I will also be eternally appreciative of the titular poetic justice. It just sucks, frankly, that with every passing day I fall further and further in love with the crepuscular pop-art of Stefanie Lady Miss GaGa, nee Lady Gaga. To wit: I am, at this very moment, obsessed with "Bad Romance"-the song she got all crazypants(less) with at the VMAs, from the forthcoming reissue of her album as a giant fucking monster boxed set called, fittingly, The Fame Monster (no, really, this thing is so big that if it was a pizza Frank Black wouldn't eat it).

I mean, honestly-pop songwriting does not come closer to perfection than this. Over a sick, twisted dark Frenchypopconfection (and that "sounds like bear sounds" opening/outro vamp), GaGa gets fierce and furious with the incredible chorus "I want your love and I want your revenge/you and me could write a bad romance". It's a postapocalyptic "shove your hang-ups and fuck me" jammy jam, and it floors me to the point of forgiving GaGa ignoring her education for lyrical flow-it should be you and I, Stefanie, you and I could write a bad romance...and yes, yes we could. Call me.

and the insane video accompaniment

Out Of Our Minds

The first little snippet from the intense prog-rock suite that is (or seems to be) Melissa Auf Der Maur's forthcoming Out Of Our Minds project has finally surfaced, by way of a gift from XMADMX herself. On the Auf Der Maur site, right now, the title song "Out Of Our Minds" is available for free download in all its heavy, prophetic glory.

And the video teaser:

Tealights at The Goat Farm ATL, 11/06/09

For a band with only six released recorded songs (7 if you count the no-longer-performed “Hello”), it's amazing how every time I see Atlanta-based electroclassipop group Tealights live they manage to alter the experience.  The 3 shy, understated kids flanked by instruments have grown into a powerful 4-person band capable of turning glee into a trembling sigh on a dime.  So when I say the donation-only, invitation-based performance on Tealights home turf-a hidden “goat farm”/farmhouse/living area hidden in open sight in Atlanta-completely and totally ruined the bar for live music forever (and ever, amen)-hopefully it comes across what a massive statement that is. First, the venue itself: imagine Nick Cave, or Fever Ray (or Nick Cave and Fever Ray?) designing the largest farmhouse available, filling it with a magic that’s palpable. That was where we were led, and where the three band bill  — Little Tybee, Trees On Fire and Tealights — took place.

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