At this moment I am sitting in my basement office at Berbati’s Pan, listening to Vetiver, and doing everything in my power not to work. Like typing this.
Yesterday, Yancey Strickler, music journo and editor at eMusic, posed (roughly) this question in his blog: “What is it that makes timeless songs timeless?” This is a big question, and I’m not ready to take it on (remember, I’m writing out of laziness) but I do have an anecdote, and a digression:
Yesterday, the same day I read that question on Yancey’s blog, I did some intensive headphone meditation on the second Swell Maps album, A Trip to Marineville, which has just been rereleased by Secretly Canadian. Quoting my own comments, from other people’s blogs, in my blog feels like the ultimate in meta-onanity. But again, LAZY. My comment:
“Midway through there is this medley consisting of three seamless tracks, the last being an epic reprise of the first. The tracks are Full Moon in My Pocket -> BLAM!! -> Full Moon in My Pocket (Reprise). I can’t put this feeling into sentences (although I guess I’ll have to try for the final review). So I made a chart (a map?). Here it is:
It’s something to do with willful absurdity and joy in the face of existential dread, boredom, and heartbreak. Midway through Full Moon, Jowe Head (the singer) sneezes and extends the sneeze into a long drawn out, almost sung tone. Then he starts babbling gibberish like a crazy man. This is divine playfulness.” – Matt Wright, Yesterday, Nowhere
That last link is a reference to “In Defiance of Gravity” a wonderful essay by Tom Robbins which appeared in Harper’s a couple months back (sadly the only thing I could find online was that excerpt). Basically, Robbins in proclaiming the merits of ridiculous behavior during tough times. This is a concept that I just love. I think this is my mantra. This is why, on Hollywood Boulevard two weeks ago, the stars I seek out are these:
1. Kermit the Frog
2. The BeeGees
3. Olivia Newton-John
This is why I love bands like the Beatles, the Kinks, B-52s, Devo, XTC, Beefheart, Zappa, Os Mutantes, T.Rex, the Pixies, Ween, Beck, Deerhoof, Brainiac, and Juicy Panic.
This is why, this Saturday, I will be DJing with my friend Steve, under the name CUM LAZER!!!, dressed up like a giant pink whoopie cushion (fig. 1).
figure 1
