self-titled: ^_^

so in the past three days i've bought 3 cds, and while they haven't all gotten full out listens, i'm pleased to say i'm very happy with my purchases. and that's good, since it's been a long while since I've bought a cd... i guess the last one would have been hmm shit, the +/- album? either way it's been a little while.

the tv on the radio ep is the one i've listened to the least in fact, i've only really listened to the second track, 'staring at the sun' and it's good. i wasn't sure what to expect on this release because everything i read basically said it was a whole bunch of shit that's hard to pin down. ok, this song has like: interpol jangling guitars, pulsing fuzzy bass not out of place with the likes of the faint, cheap drum machine beats, rapture-like sqeals of guitar giving it a DFA vibe, and then these vocals that are part the make-up soul and like, part 90s bands like fishbone and king's x, and like part - seal. it's just odd, but good.

next up is the new john vanderslice which i claimed as my own this afternoon. It sounds not surprisingly like john vanderslice, which is definitely a good thing. ONe thing i've noticed is that two of the songs are like "this song is about a specific movie." "when it hits my blood" is basically a retelling of requiem for a dream, from the heroin laden title to "i stole from my mother to hawk her tv" and then she locks herself in the bathroom (not the closet but close) oh, and get this, she's addicted to pills. oh yeah, and the girlfriend took drugs too far, and hey, then he drives down to florida. then there is "promising actress" which is even MORE direct in its reference: "like a bomb in reverse, fragments of truth return / the money's been paid out, the key's on the table / you've killed someone you used to love" oh yeah, and it has the words 'mulholland drive' in it, and uhh the last line is "yes i can see now, they had nothing to do with a role refused / and sometimes a cowboy's just a man in a cowboy suit." and honestly, i haven't taken the time to look at the other songs to see what movies THEY are about. It's weird is what it is.

and then finally comes the dresden dolls. i've avoided this band for a while because well, they're a gimmick. 'caberet punk,' burlesque, the chick wears rocky horror lingerie and the dude wears a suit and a bowler cap. they're albums and website are full of cursive writing and victorian dolls and mannequins. they only perform and are photographed in white face makeup. they're a freakshow, a gimmick, and since she plays piano and he plays drum they are a one-note gimmick. Well, for some reason i bought the damn cd anyway, enough good press made me curious enough. shit this disc is good. "girl anachronism" is where i started because it was on the sticker on the cd. and it's just piano and drums, and it's freaking crazy intense awesome. think ben folds five debut album with a chick singer and the rock cranked way the hell up. next track was the other sticker mention, "coin-operated boy" this one is clockwork drums and tin-pan alley bouncing piano lines. i look at the length: 5 minutes. well, this will get tired at two minutes, great. then at 1:30 they simulate a record skipping and then it moves into a really pretty and layered piano part with the occasional drum fill and it's quite nice. and it's freaking awesome. and every song i've listened to has been awesome as well. the boy girl two instrument thing has been done, raveonettes, white stripes, the kills... but never with such dynamic and variety. i guess the guitar-drums combo just doesn't go very far. or maybe it's the make-up factor. either way, they are playing sunday afternoon at the middle east, i plan on being there. oh, i read somethign about their live show that explains my original waryness of the band, like, goth teenagers come to the shows and ballroom dance. what the hell is that? Also, i can't really tell if she's attractive or not because of the makeup, but i obviously am in love with this singer, andrea something. whoa, hold the phone. the pretty girl makes grave singer is also named andrea. wtf is up with that? and ms. john soda is stephanie, and that has three syllables. this is all way too convenient just to be coincidence...