7 posts tagged “u2”

Because I have too many writing and editing projects going on, I have failed to maintain my Vox blog. Oh, shame!

I want to correct that failure. I'm going to try to write regularly about what I'm listening to, writing and editing, reading, watching, consuming, and wishing for. 

Listening
1. I have been listening to so much good music lately! My favorite discovery of late is Holy Fuck, an experimental band from Toronto. Their songs are completely instrumental (i.e., no vocals). Unbelievably good stuff! I will see them perform at the Coachella Music Festival in April.

2. I've been listening to a lot of abstract hip-hop, funk, and soul. I created what I believe to be the most awesome playlist this past week.

Watch That Sound - DJ Vadim (from Sound Catcher)   
Dead Ones - Lifesavas (from Gutterfly Soundtrack)   
That Kind of Man - The Heavy (from their self-titled 3-Track EP)       
Here I Come - The Roots (from Game Theory)   
No Reason for You - Kutiman (from Kutiman)   
I Ate Your Soul - Grieves (from Irreversible)   
Morning Child - 4hero (from Play with the Changes)   
Beaten Metal - Antibalas (from Security)   
Sloop Jay D - Bullion (from Pet Sounds: In The Key Of Dee)
Poison Dart - The Bug  (single)
My 2600 - Captain Funkaho (from Peanut Butter Wolf's Jukebox 45s)
Loveless - 4hero (from Two Pages)   
Model Citizen - Ohmega Watts (from Watts Happening)
Colleen - The Heavy (from Great Vengeance & Furious Fire)   
Come on Now - The Sweet Vandals (from The Sweet Vandals)   
Good Communication - Y Society (from Travel at Your Own Pace)   
Sirius B - The Heliocentrics (from Out There)   
12 Apostles- Flevans (from Cold Hands)   
Music Is Ruling My World - Kutiman (from Kutiman)   
Blood from a Stone - Spanky Wilson & The Quantic Soul Orchestra (from I'm Thankful)
The Dark Side of the Sun - Modeselektor (from Happy Birthday!)
Nike Boots - Wale (single)

   

Writing/Editing
1. I recently completed editing a book titled History and Tradition of Jazz. I really enjoyed this editing project because I learned a lot about jazz music, which I was somewhat ignorant of. For weeks, I've been listening to nothing but jazz music, which was good but also made my ears want to bleed after a while. After studying all the artists (from Count Basie to Ornette Coleman to Miles Davis to Kenny G [!!] to Wynton Marsalis to Medeski, Martin & Wood), I chose Charles Mingus as my favorite jazz artist. I dig avant-garde jazz!

I asked the publisher to think of me for future music titles. The last book I edited for the publisher was an educational title dealing with teaching problem children. I struggled getting through it because it was so damn boring. With the jazz book, I edited at lightening speed because I enjoyed the topic.

2. This week I wrote and published a book review for Ari Marcopoulous' photo book Ad Rock at Mic to Mic, my Beastie Boys blog. Mic to Mic -- which I originally created for just my good friends to read -- has become very popular with the Beastie Boys fan community. I was shocked when I started reviewing the site's numbers. Beastie Boys are a very difficult band to write about, so they have very few fan sites. My blog is the only site that publishes updates regularly. When I was following the Beastie Boys tour last year, I met so many nice people who told me that they enjoyed reading the blog. I was going to give up on the blog at the end of the tour (because I need to focus on other things), but after all the compliments, I decided to keep it going.

3. For a long time, I have hated -- it seems unfairly -- on Myspace. I always viewed at it as something for young people, not adults. However, recently, I've learned it is a good source for discovering and keeping updated with new music and artists whom I admire. I created a new Myspace page (I have another one that I never look at or update) for the sole purpose of connecting with artists.

Reading

This past week, I picked up a hardcover copy of U2 by U2 at Border's for 7 bucks! When the book was published last year, I asked HarperCollins to send me a review copy, which they failed to do. "Fine, whatever," I thought and forgot about the pricey book (it originally sold at $40). The other day I paged through the book and decided there's not much in it that I don't already know or have already seen. I'm not sure if that's pathetically sad or impressive.

Maybe it's just me, but the book seems a little Adam-lite.

Watching
I canceled my cable television over a year ago because I never watched television. I can't say I miss it. I just watch dvds now.

I haven't been to the cinema in ages. I lost interest in film because, for a while, nobody was making any good films. The last film I saw in the cinema was "Super Bad." Funny flick. Somebody recommend a good film?

Consuming
This week I purchased a 3-day pass for the Coachella Music Festival, which takes place in Indio, California, at the end of April for $287.70. It's sooo worth it! I went to the festival last year with my friends Jenny and Paul and had a fantabulous time. We're teaming up again for this year's festival. Read my Last.fm journal to find out about who's playing at the festival and whom I'm excited about seeing.

Wishing
I wish winter was over. This has been the worst winter in 30 years. I have shoveled more snow this winter than any person should shovel in their lifetime! I'm ready for green grass and sunny skies.

1. Attending the Beastie Boys concert in Las Vegas, Nevada, and having songs dedicated to me (October)
2. Introducing my Japanese friend Hirorin to Bono in Tokyo (December)
3. Attending the Gimme Shelter benefit concert in New York with Ruth (October)
4. Attending the U.S. premiere of "Awesome; I Fuckin' Shot That!" at the Sundance Film Festival with Barb (January)
5. Meeting and spending time with Celeste in Buenos Aires (October)
6. Attending the VH1 Hip Hop Honors in New York (October)
7. Touring with U2 in Japan (November & December)
8. Celebrating my 40th birthday in New York City with my friend Krista (May)
9. Attending the South by Southwest Music and Film Conference in Austin, Texas, and partying with Morningwood [the band] there (March)
10. Attending the Henry Rollins Band and X concert in Milwaukee (August)
11. Introducing my friend Jenny to the Beastie Boys at the etnies GvR skateboarding festival the day after her birthday (October)
12. Taking my friend Paul to his first strip club in Las Vegas (October)

If you could watch any movie on the big screen right at this moment, what would it be?

If the room with the big screen also had a mammoth sound system, my film choice would be the Beastie Boys' concert film Awesome; I Fuckin' Shot That!, which was shot at Madison Square Garden in October 2004.

I was incredibly priviledged to see the film premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, where the band brought their own sound equipment for the theater. The sound was so loud that the seats shook in the theater. The film experience at Sundance was like being at an actual concert. I was in the first row. It was incredible, incredible, incredible!

I also saw the film at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas, where the band was not allowed to bring in any sound equipment. It was a lesser experience than Sundance because of that.

The film is out on dvd now, but I've avoided it because I want more time to pass before I see it again. If that makes any sense...

This weekend is going to be about taking care of all my upcoming travel plans. I have three trips that I need to plan and book.

Trip 1: New York in October
I am going to New York to report on the VH1 Hip Hop Honors on October 7 at the Hammerstein Ballroom. This year's honorees are Wu-Tang Clan, Afrika Bambaataa, Russell Simmons, MC Lyte, Rakim, Ice Cube, Eazy E, and the Beastie Boys. The event is being hosted by Ice T.

I'm not entirely convinced that I want to go to the Hip Hop Honors because it's going to be a very long day, similar to the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Media check-in will be early afternoon, and check-out will be something like 2 a.m. The day will involve a lot of sitting around and waiting for something good to happen.

One very good thing about covering a hip-hop event is that because hip-hop artists are completely egomaniacal, I'm guaranteed that they will speak to me. Many mainstream artists feel that they are too good to speak to the media and will snub the media room -- but not hip-hop performers. They live to have their photos taken and sound bites broadcast to the world.

I generally need a promise of good musical performances to make a reporting trip like this worthwhile. The format of the performances at the Hip Hop Honors is that a peer artist performs a song by the artist being honored. It hasn't been announced yet who will be performing to honor the Beastie Boys. Frankly, I'm not that interested in seeing another artist perform a Beastie Boys song; I want to see the Beastie Boys perform. I think there's a distinct possibility that might happen. I'm going to squeeze VH1 for some confirmation on the performances.

VH1 does a really good job managing media at its sponsored events. Part of me wants to go to the Hip Hop Honors just to maintain my good relationship with VH1/MTV. Even if I decide not to go, I will be sending Ruth to take photos. I have been trying to help her get credentialed for music events so she can expand her photo portfolio. She has a solid portfolio of U2, Bruce Springsteen, and Bob Dylan photos. Recently, she shot some fabulous performance photos of Jacob Dylan and Melissa Etheridge. Both artists' official sites published her photos.

I just remembered that Ruth's birthday is in October. She is going to want me to come to New York to help her celebrate, so I guess I will commit to the New York trip.

Trip 2: Buenos Aires in November
I am going to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to attend and write about the BUE Festival, a two-day music festival. I'm really excited about this trip because I am hooking up with my friend and colleague Celeste, who lives in Buenos Aires. We've known each other for 8 years but have never met face-to-face.

Celeste emailed me this week to let me know that she has our tickets for the festival. She has me excited about this trip because, in addition to attending the festival with me, she plans to take me to Patagonia to see the baby seals and whales. I've never seen animals like that in their natural environment. I've never seen glacial mountains.

I have learned that when friends who live in interesting locations invite you to visit, you accept their invitation. Live your life without regrets, I always say.

The BUE Festival performance line-up is:

November 3
Beastie Boys
Patti Smith
Elefant
and a bunch of latin bands

November 4
Daft Punk
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
TV on the Radio
DJ Shadow
Amparanoia
Amadou & Mariam
and, again, a bunch of latin bands and DJs

Trip 3: Tokyo in December
U2 are touring Japan, and they want me there with them. My favorite guys in the world. My favorite city in the world. Enough said.

I should clean more often. While I was working on organizing my music library, I found a plastic bag with these forgotten magazines inside. When I don't have time to review press in a magazine, I put it in a bag so it doesn't get ruined and/or thrown away.

So I guess I know what I will be doing tomorrow. Reading. About Bono. Like I don't know enough about him? hehehe.

I love Helena's photos of him. She really captured the man I know and love.

What is your favorite way to relieve stress?

My favorite way to relieve stress is to listen to calming music. Some of my favorite calming albums are:

I have had the pleasure to work with and/or personally meet these bands (Sigur Ros, Beastie Boys, and U2). They are among my all-time favorite artists and some of the nicest people I have met/know. Bono, in particular, is a sweetheart. He doesn't deserve the flack he gets.

Another way I relieve stress is to take a Lush bath. I pop a bath bomb in the tub, put on some tunes (usually Sigur Ros), and soak until the water turns lukewarm.