M-IS-ISOL35NOISE

Hey, Dude! Whoa! Like, Dude, Surf's Up, Dude! Dude...DUDE!!

2009-03-14T13:16:00.000-07:00

I am not quite sure which is worse to encounter on a rainy Saturday morning brunch with friends: watching an antsy little girl struggle to eat a piece of toast, or to sit and listen to some hippies say the words "dude" and "like" about 50,000 times in a half-hour. When I finished my brunch with Bob, I'd have to go with the hippy dudes and dude(ettes) that occupied the table next to us after the family with the overactive little girls left. At least, the girl was too busy eating a piece of toast to be challenging anyone with their amazing vocabulary skills.

But, I did learn something new today that I didn't know before, some words of wisdom for all of us to ponder. Apparently, the success rate for surfers is based solely on their appearances. If you look like you could catch some good waves, chances are you really won't catch them after all. However, if you don't look like you could get the good waves, then you will actually do well. Hmmm....I would've thought that it's the other way around. If you looked the part, you'd know what to do and would be skilled at it. For example, I never would imagine that I'd be any good at surfing. First of all, I don't dress like Matthew McConaughey. Also, I can't swim. Therefore, I'd be terrible at surfing. But, if you applied this dude's wisdom, I would actually be good at surfing. That doesn't make any sense to me.

I wanted to turn to the guy and say "Whoa, dude. Let's catch some waves, man!"

Current Listening:

What Happened
by Emeralds

Ongoing blog project - Progress Report Part 1

2009-03-09T14:48:00.000-07:00

I took a mental health day from work after working overtime for the past couple weeks. So, today I am using this extra time off to work on my ongoing blog project, which is to merge all previous attempts at blogging over the last few years together into one place. Well, actually, it's two places for the time being. Since I like elements of both Blogger and WordPress, I have opted to use both for the time being to see which one I prefer to use. This is a work-in-progress and will take some time to complete but we will see what the end results might be.

Current listening:

Music for Loving
by Maja S.K. Ratkje and Lasse Marhaug

Decisions, decisions, decisions

2009-03-02T19:50:00.000-08:00

So, the debate rages on (solely in my head, that is) in the "where I do I want to go from here with the blog" category. I like blogging overall, but haven't had much motivation to really keep up with blogging. I am beginning to wonder whether or not I want to continue to pay for the domain name and the web hosting when I can do the same thing for free. Besides, I am not very good at the whole web design thing. My work life has been insanely crazy over the last few months, which has left exhausted creatively by the end of most workdays. That results in a complete lack of motivation towards keeping the blog.

So, with all these meandering thoughts in mind, I have opted towards no longer keeping this domain name and instead have decided to continue my blogging over to the free version of WordPress (wordpress.com). So, what I am going to be doing over the next few weeks is to recreate the entire existence of my blogging life (over the course of the last few years and the several different sites I've used and kept during that time) to two new spaces that will ultimately be mirrors of each other. Because I like both WordPress and Blogger, I am keeping an address for each platform. The new location(s) for this blog will be:

Blogger: isol35noise.blogspot.com
WordPress: isol35noise.wordpress.com

Since both of these sites are in the "work-in-progress" state of things, there will be noticeable differences in the posting of entries for the time being until they are in sync with each other. So, you might find surprises in each site. Why do I want to use both sites? Well, as I said earlier, I like both platforms for different reasons and want to experiment with both before I decide to go with one or the other.

As I always say, stay tuned.

Would you like some cheesy fries with your bowling game?

2009-01-24T01:06:00.000-08:00

A Historical Moment 8 Years in the Making

2009-01-20T13:04:00.000-08:00

Just when I was beginning to wonder whether or not I will survive the horrible Bush Administration, Inauguration Day 2009 has arrived. I can not begin to explain who RELIEVED I am that Bush is finally out of there. Thank Barack!

Today is the day that Barack Obama became America's 44th President of the United States. Despite some nonsense from one of the token Republicans in the office (clearly annoyed that other people are rejoicing and not working), I enjoyed watching a few moments of this historical event. Now, the fun part (well, not really) begins. Obama has several challenges ahead of him, facilitating the recovery process of cleaning up the many mistakes of the Bush Administration, i.e. the war on Iraq, the economic crisis, healing the wounds or partisan politics, etc. I sincerely hope that things will get better from here.

A Love Letter to Ann Coulter

2009-01-17T20:02:00.000-08:00

This is the funniest thing I've seen in a while. AC would be foolish not to accept the offer.

Calm

2009-01-05T21:51:00.000-08:00

I am relieved to say that we are now in 2009, although, I can't completely write off 2008 as being a bad year. Actually, good things happened in 2008. For one, I finally met a guy in the fickle city of Seattle that is actually not full of shit. As a matter of fact, he's actually really nice and not full of himself. He also doesn't dress like an androgynous hipster with zero musical taste.

I also had a great time in NYC and actually attended all three nights of the noisefest known as No Fun Fest.

Work-wise, I also got promoted to Paralegal, which is exciting. I'm just waiting for news of what my raise will entail. Granted, I am still filing and have gained even more work than I already had. I can't keep it all straight, but I am slowly moving up. I don't expect it to all happen overnight. I will take time, but I do have new challenges awaiting me. We will have to see what happens from here.

I just hope that 2009 proves to be even better. I anticipate that it is going to be better. I hope to attend the Nurse with Wound show in San Francisco which is the end of March. Also, I just might head on back to NYC for another round of No Fun Fest, allowing me a chance to see Merzbow again, after missing them two years ago due to my misplaced fear of Brooklyn at night. There are also rumors of some Throbbing Gristle tour action as well as the possible first ever US live performance of Black Sun Productions. I have also been really really really wanting to attend Sonar in Barcelona, Spain. That would be great - spendy, but great, nonetheless. I am keeping my fingers crossed (come on, raise at work, I need you now.)

That is a lot to attempt to do in 2009.

Coming back to today, 1.5.2009, I've decided (on the advice of Bob, my boyfriend) to try something different. Year after year, I make huge plans for the upcoming year culminating in a novella-length list of New Year's resolutions, most (well, actually, ALL) of which are never successful. This time, however, I am trying something new. Instead, I created a one-word description that encompasses a broader course of action which I hope to accomplish in the upcoming year. This year, the word is "calm."

What does the "concept" of calm entail? Well, first of all, I consistently feel like I am always in a hurry, whether it's due to me walking too fast or rushing through basic tasks. In that respect, I want to slow down. Also, I tend to take on too much (i.e. packing too much crap in my book-bag and not using 95 percent of that crap, or make too many goals or unrealistically overwhelming myself with too much to do) at one time. Instead, I am going to take things one day at a time and realize that I am merely human and can only do so much at one time.

Finally, I stress too much all the time. I want to learn to take deeper breaths and more frequent moments of relaxation. I want to slow down my walking pace and take better care of myself. A big area of improvement I hope to make involves the way I handle stress and uncomfortable situations at the workplace or in my social life. I am going to slow down and not stress out about the stuff that I can't control. Some things are out of my hands. I can't always do anything about them. I gotta learn to mellow out A LOT. Don't sweat the small stuff. I just can't allow that stuff to get to me. I can't internalize other people's issues and problems. What I can do is adjust how I handle drama or stressful situations.

I hope that all these intended improvements ultimately result in a calm, peaceful, and reinvigorated 2009.

Stay tuned to see what happens.

2009 begins

2009-01-05T18:52:00.000-08:00

Hello, blog. Long time no see.

Welcome to 2009!

Sorry I've been away so long. Between Seattle's White Xmas, the return of Grace Jones' fabulous hat collection, excessive Chelsea Lately roundtable viewings, and all the time spent with my bf, I haven't written anything in a while. Hell, I even flirted with starting a second blog (365 for Jhonn) which was neglected. I have tried repeatedly to reinvigorate my blogging experiences, but have failed miserably.

Then, 2008 ended (CNN's broadcast of Kathy Griffin's spicy language on NYE aside), bringing us screeching into 2009.

I want to start anew. I want to be better at blogging. I swear. I want to write more on this thing. I hope to bring in readers (maybe). F---, I'd be happy if two or three people sign on and read this thing. I mean, 2 or 3 is better than zero, that's for sure.

I am here to prove that I can regularly update this crazy thing. I will prove it. Watch me!

In Memoriam: Jhonn Balance (COIL) 2/16/62 to 11/13/04

2008-11-13T22:26:00.000-08:00

I remember where I was when the news broke to me that Jhonn Balance, much beloved singer and co-founder of the experimental music band, Coil, passed away. Approximately three weeks after I returned to Seattle, I was walking down Broadway contemplating what awaited me the following day, which was to be my first day of work at my new job (which is still my current job) when the text message came. My ex-boyfriend from Chicago, Erik, sent me a text: "Jhonn Balance died," or something to that effect. I stopped dead in my tracks when the news entered my brain. I paused for a minute, wondering if he was serious or not.

The world of music lost a beautiful soul 4 years ago today. Experimental music has not been the same since that day. Jhonn's passing was a major turning point in my perceptions of life and death. Life became precious that day, not to be taken lightly or taken for granted. I realized the importance of living every day of your life without compromise, without reservation, and with resolve. Coil played a huge role in awakening my musical awareness as well as acknowledging, accepting and embracing my sexual identity. I am eternally grateful for Coil's existence in my universe and the amazing musical gifts they left for all of us along the way. I miss them dearly, but their music stays with us and Jhonn's soul breathes through us.

A while ago, I contemplated creating a project of some sort as a tribute to Coil and Jhonn's memory. However, an extended creative drought (along with my own self-doubt) at the time prevented this project from ever getting started. Recently, I resurrected the idea of writing a piece (potentially a book-length piece) dedicated to Jhonn. So, I've decided to start a new blog devoted to conceptualizing and collecting sources of inspiration for the project, which I will collect and develop over the next year. The 365 for Jhonn blog will start today with the 4 year anniversary of Jhonn's death and develop this blog over the next 365 days until November 13, 2009, which marks the 5 year anniversary.

365 for Jhonn can be found:

WordPress version
Mac version (Coming Soon)

R.I.P. Jhonn

OBAMA WINS!

2008-11-05T21:07:00.000-08:00

How to Dance to Autechre

2008-09-10T14:54:00.000-07:00

Too Funny!

Character Building

2008-08-17T21:25:00.000-07:00

Photo from Bauhaus' Mens Room, July 31, 2008

Pride on Easy Street

2008-08-17T21:19:00.000-07:00

Photo from June 2008

Cold Weather in June Turns Me into a Crabby Bitch

2008-06-05T08:47:00.001-07:00

This was the kind of mood I was in this morning, waking up to a freezing-ass new apartment, as eyewitnessed by my new romantic interest, Bob's, iPhone:

Hyperventilation

2008-06-04T13:04:00.000-07:00

I nearly hyperventilated when I discovered that Miss Kittin and The Hacker are touring the U.S. and Canada this September, via their American booking agency, The Windish Agency. WOW! This is very exciting. After a check of the official websites and MySpace pages of both Miss Kittin and The Hacker, I didn't see any confirmation of these dates. So, I AM HOPING THIS IS TRUE.

I am very excited about the prospect of seeing BOTH Ellen Allien and Miss Kittin in the same year.

Tour dates:

Tue 09/16/08 Caprice Nightclub Vancouver BC
Wed 09/17/08 Neumos Seattle WA
Thu 09/18/08 Holocene Portland OR
Fri 09/19/08 103 Harriet Street San Francisco CA
Sat 09/20/08 Avalon Hollywood Los Angeles CA
Mon 09/22/08 Palladium Loft Dallas TX
Wed 09/24/08 The Abbey Pub Chicago IL
Thu 09/25/08 Grog Shop Productions Cleveland OH
Fri 09/26/08 Circa Nightclub Toronto ON
Sat 09/27/08 Cabaret Musee Juste Pour Rire Montreal QC Opener: Jordan Dare
Mon 09/29/08 The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza New York NY

This, coupled with the forthcoming June 24th release of the new Anthony Rother venture and the return of Boris in July to Neumos, is shaping up to be a good summer of live music and new releases.

Overwhelmed

2008-05-28T10:25:00.000-07:00

From MySpace Blog post:

Mood: Rejuvenated (despite being overwhelmed)

Coming back from vacation is always hard. I left Seattle about two weeks ago with an overwhelming desire to pack it in and go home (so to speak.) Arriving in NYC was exhilarating to start out, but had taken its course by the end of last week. I thought certain Seattle people that I encountered around town were stuck up. Oh lord, no. NYC - most of the guys there had their noses stuck so high up in the air, I was convinced that Cloud 9 was lined with cocaine. It probably was. That's how snooty it felt for me. Last year it didn't bother me so much. Now I realize just how hyper-sensitive I am to that crap. I shouldn't be. Really, I shouldn't. It's not worth wasting valuable emotional and psychological energy that dissipitates from your body when confronted with those feelings.

Anyway, I was glad to come back to Seattle. I realized that my life in Seattle was actually not too bad. There are some things I would like to change, but change takes time. I realize, too, that I got to be willing to persevere in order to fully realize the positive potential said changes can provide. Coming back to work was alright the first day. Today (the second day), however...not so much. I am overwhelmed in both positive and negative ways. At this point, I need to focus on the positive end of the continuum of "overwhelming feelings."

I met someone recently that makes me feel special. This person realizes that I am a good person and has been incredibly good to me in just a few days of knowing him. I am fortunate to meet this wonderful person at the right time, at a time when I needed this companionship the most. It makes the overwhelming feelings at work seem miniscule, if not, non-existent. For this, I am grateful.

I plan to write more about NYC and recent developments in my life in future blog posts.

Current Listening:

Muscle Machine
by Terence Fixmer

Matt, Stay Gay....

2008-05-09T21:24:00.000-07:00

....is what Chelsea Handler wrote in my copy of her book, Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea.

I will, just for you, Chelsea!!! **giggles**

Too funny. I had to text my friend, Sassmaster Audra, in Minnesota. That totally made my week worthwhile after all. THANKS CHELSEA!!! Stay funny!

One Week to Go

2008-05-07T10:21:00.000-07:00

So I leave for New York City in exactly one week from tonight and my allergies are fraking kicking my ass BIGTIME. It's exactly like what happened a couple of days into my New York trip last year after I went to visit Ground Zero. Hopefully I will clear up in time for this year's trip. I hope to be more proactive in documenting my trip this year than I was last year.

I am attempting to go to No Fun Fest again this year. Last year was nerve-wracking because of a) the violence that ensued on the first night of the fest and b) the discomfort of the unfamiliar surroundings in the industrial area of Brooklyn near the Hudson. I was afraid that Tony Soprano was going to knife me in the middle of nowhere with no witnesses. This year, however, No Fun Fest has moved from The Hook in Brooklyn to the Knitting Factory in Manhattan, which makes me feel more comfortable. I am not necessarily anticipating that this year's fest is going to be any less chaotic or testosterone-driven, but at least I feel more comfortable in Manhattan later at night. We will have to wait and see.

I have even more shows going on while I am out there than last year. Besides No Fun, there is A Silver Mt. Zion, KTL, and potentially DJ Magda, Seattle's The Dead Science, DFA's Hercules and Love Affair, Carl Craig, and Lisa Lampanelli. WOW! What a lineup of shows! I am going to be exhausted when I get back. However, I have Sunday and Monday of Memorial Day weekend to unwind.

I will write when it gets closer to the departure date, May 15th at 12:50 a.m.

May 2008 Current 25

2008-05-07T07:58:00.000-07:00

Gas - Zauberberg [Mille Plateaux; 2008 reissue forthcoming on Kompakt]
Coil - The Ape of Naples (2008 vinyl with The New Backwards) [Important/Threshold House]
Matmos - Supreme Balloon [Matador]
Anthony Rother - Super Space Model [Datapunk]
Portishead - Third [Mercury]
Meat Beat Manifesto - Autoimmune [Metropolis]
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! [Anti]
Diamanda Galas - Guilty Guilty Guilty [Mute]
Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree [Mute]
Lawrence - Lowlights from the Past and Future [Mule Electronic]
Anthony Rother Presents We Are Punks 2 [Datapunk]
Nurse with Wound with Faust - Disconnected [Art-Errorist]
Boris with Merzbow - Rock Dream [Southern Lord]
Nadja - Skin Turns to Glass [The End Records]
A Silver Mt. Zion - 13 Blues for Thirteen Moons [Constellation]
Boris - Smile (US Version) [Southern Lord]
Autechre - Quaristice [Warp]
Sunn O))) - 00 Void (Japanese edition with NWW remixes) [Ixoxia/Daymare]
Ellen Allien - Boogy Bytes Vol. 4 [Bpitch Control]
Evangelista - Hello, Voyager [Constellation]
Miss Kittin - Batbox [Nobody's Bizzness]
Sascha Funke - Mango [Bpitch Control]
Earth - The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull [Southern Lord]
Stephen O'Malley and Z'ev - Magistral [Editions Mego]
Carter Tutti - Feral Vapours of the Silver Ether [CTI International]

Congratulations, Chelsea!!!

2008-05-06T13:27:00.000-07:00

Congratulations are in order for E! Channel funny girl Chelsea Handler for debuting at Number 1 on the New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction Best Sellers List with Are You There Vodka, It's Me Chelsea!

She's performing in Tacoma Friday night and signing books the UW Booksore in the UDistrict beforehand. I can't wait. I LOVE HER!

Photos from Ellen Allien May 1

2008-05-03T09:07:00.001-07:00

5 years was well worth the wait to see Ellen Allien spin at Chop Suey this past Thursday. She was great and she looked gorgeous! I told my co-worker Friday morning that I was convinced that Ellen is the Jennifer Aniston of Berlin electronica. She totally resembled a German Jennifer, dressed in a sleeveless halter top, skirt, leggings, and knee-high laced peasant boots. Her co-hort Sascha Funke was also great. I am posting a few Ellen pictures from the show here:

Ellen Allien and Sascha Funke Flickr photostream here

Today is Ellen Allien Day

2008-05-01T13:25:00.000-07:00

The Noise is officially declaring May 1 Ellen Allien Day in celebration of her appearance tonight here in Seattle at Chop Suey.

I've been hooked on her music ever since the first time I heard Stadtkind. I even started a tribe on Tribe devoted to her and Miss Kittin. I have waited at least 5 years for the opportunity to finally see her spin. 2008 is already proving to be a busy year for her, with the recent release of Volume 4 of Bpitch Control's Boogy Bytes series and the forthcoming new artist album release, SOOL (in collaboration with another electronic music goddess, AGF.*)

I am a little bit dismayed that people are not showing the love for Ellen's more minimal leanings on Boogy Bytes Vol. 4 (that's the general vibe I've been getting from the reviews that I've read.) I personally like the new mix...I can envision myself driving on the freeway in the middle of the night mentally trancing out while listening.

Along for the ride is her Bpitch Control co-hort Sascha Funke (see also Boogy Bytes Vol. 2) who has also put out a great new artist album (Mango) as well.

I can hardly contain my excitement for tonight's show! I am hoping to take some photos. Stay tuned.

Beginning to figure out why I can't get dates....

2008-04-30T08:01:00.000-07:00

It's because I am starting to look A LOT like Skeletor....

Remember He-Man???

My Live Show Archive is Coming...

2008-04-28T20:18:00.000-07:00

**I35N'S 2009 Note: This page is live over at my WordPress blog:

http://isol35noise.wordpress.com/live-show-archive/

I recently came up with the idea to construct, recollect, reconstruct, and create a live show archive for my blog. Basically, I wanted to try and come up with a master list of every single (God willing) concert, instore appearance, comedy show, and festival show I've ever seen in my entire life. At one point in time, I had a lot of my old First Avenue colored concert tickets from the olden days (well, circa the early to mid 90s, that is) but I am not sure if I even still have them. This is going to be quite a challenge and will take quite a bit of time. For the time being, you can find the "Live Show Archive" link on the left hand side of The Noise under the Pages section, or you can click here. It will be updated periodically.**

HOLY F***...

2008-04-23T10:17:00.000-07:00

...and I don't mean the band.

ATP Festival just announced that My Bloody Valentine is headlining their New York installment of the All Tomorrow's Parties festival happening September 19-21, 2008. Elsewhere, I've read that MBV (according to their booking agent) is planning to play in 6 to 8 U.S. cities in September. I hope that they at least perform in San Francisco or Los Angeles. I highly doubt that they would hit Seattle (unless suddenly Bumbershoot organizers announce their appearance at the Bumbershoot Festival, which is also in September). MBV hasn't performed in the United States in over 16 years. WOW! I can't wait until they announce more dates. Read more at:

Pitchfork Media
Tiny Mix Tapes
Brooklyn Vegan
The Daily Swarm
Prefix Magazine

When "Art" is Not Art (SEE WARNING)

2008-04-23T08:24:00.000-07:00

Generally speaking, I am a firm believer in the freedom of expression in most forms. You don't have to like the art that certain artists create or like the viewpoints that certain people present to respect the right of these people to exhibit their expression. What does bother me is when this freedom of expression is used to harm another person, animal, or creature.

***WARNING: Link to this story contains disturbing photos. Please view at your own discretion***

I was sickened to read about this heart-wrenching story, which Margaret Cho posted in her blog. I am so disheartened by this random act of violence in the supposed name of "Art" that I have difficulty with providing an explanation. Basically, an artist took a stray dog from the streets and chained the dog in an art gallery (as part of an art exhibition in Honduras) for display, leaving the dog there to die from starvation without anyone doing anything. It should be noted that there have been some conflicting viewpoints as to whether this story is a hoax or not. Even still, the fact that anyone would even think for one second that orchestrating an elaborate "hoax" like this would be even remotely funny should be chained up and left to starve to death themselves.

It's as if I needed another reason to validate my belief that human beings in general are cruel and inhumane. This just proves my point further. The story speaks for itself and there's also a petition you can sign as well that could potetntially prevent this kind of cruelty from ever happening again.

If you don't want to view the photos, you can also sign the Petition here.

***WARNING: Link to this story contains disturbing photos. Please view at your own discretion***

P is Back!!

2008-04-21T13:48:00.000-07:00

P is for Portishead. It's been nearly 10 years in the making and is almost here at last. Portishead's new album, Third, comes out a week from tomorrow, on April 29. However, Last.fm is streaming the entire album on its Portishead page today ONLY.

Listen here

This past Saturday was Record Store Day and Easy Street Records in Queen Anne played Third when I was there. Judging from the first half that I heard, I am going to love this release. More on this exciting new release later.

That's news to me...

2008-04-14T13:28:00.000-07:00

Apparently, the new Madonna record, Hard Candy, is a hotly-anticipated release. That's news to me...I am not "hotly anticipating" its imminent release. As a matter of fact, I am not looking forward to it. I particularly don't like the fact that the grossly overhyped and overrated boy wonder Justin Timberlake is involved with the album. I mean, it's bad enough that he had to taint Duran Duran's album from last year. I wish he would just go away. I HATE HIM, plain and simple.* Sorry, but that's my opinion...and I am sticking to it.

*I hate him so much I simply can't justify inserting a hyperlink to anything even remotely connected to that tool.

It's a BCM kind of day...

2008-04-11T09:50:00.000-07:00

...that's Birchville Cat Motel, in case you didn't know. I've heard interesting things about BCM (which actually is just one guy, a New Zealander named Campbell Kneale), although I don't know a whole lot about him. But, he's collaborated with other folks, including Sonic Youth's Lee Renaldo. He runs two labels, Celebrate Psi Phenomenon and Battlecruiser, which releases his work along with other New Zealand musicians, a lot of which come out in limited edition CD-Rs. I recently stumbled upon a bunch of mp3s of some of BCM's limited edition CD-Rs on the MP3axx blog, which has peaked my interest in checking out Kneale's work. I easily have a workday's worth of drone and noise to get me through this Friday at work.

Scaaarrrryyyyy!!!!!

2008-04-10T13:07:00.000-07:00

On a recent trip to Borders, I purchased two distinctly different magazines which featured cover articles on two of my absolute favorite female perfomers on Planet Earth.

1. Oscar-Winning Actress Tilda Swinton in Out Magazine, a GLBT publication.

2. Experimental Singer/Performance Artist Diamanda Galas in Terrorizer, a UK-based music magazine predominately devoted to the darker side of heavy metal (or black metal, I guess) music.

A funny happening at the checkout: I approached the seemingly nice salesperson with my impending purchases and was greeted with a "Boy, she's scary-looking." I was surprised when I realized that she was actually looking at the cover photo of Tilda Swinton when she made that statement.

Even though I was slightly aghast at the salesperson's comment, I giggled nonetheless at the ridiculousness of her statement. Huh? WTF? I smirked to myself. In her meek eyes, Tilda was scarier than Diamanda.

Spooky...

I should've asked her "What gives?"

I should've also asked the same question to the prissy, entertainment/tabloid television show hosts that dissed Tilda for her "fashion sense" on the Academy Awards red carpet back in February. The fact that Tilda won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance in Michael Clayton was overshadowed by the condescending insults slung in her direction by the aforementioned celebrity wanna-be posers who really couldn't design their way out of a Gucci shopping bag. Tilda was accused of looking too manly and androgynous, was called an albino, and was mocked for not having eyebrows and the lack of makeup.

Diamanda Galas, on the other hand, exudes an outward intensity in physical appearance and stature. But, just when you think you have become acclimated to her presence, her multi-octave vocal range ferociously sends you flying into a brick wall. She's faced controversial and emotionally-charged themes head-on without flinching. She's extreme in every sense of the word, whether it's her approach to the subject matter of her art or her outspoken, "tell it like it is" demeanor during interviews. I revere Diamanda tremendously but if I were to ever to meet her in person, I'd feel extremely intimidated.

I guess it is just a matter of perception as to who or what is deemed scary in most people's eyes. I ponder why people seem to be so scared of those individuals who don't clearly fit either concrete "male" or "female" gender roles. So what if Tilda wears men's suits on magazine cover photos. So what if Tilda didn't wear makeup on the day that the Out cover photo was shot. What's the big deal anyway?

Current 25 - April 2008 (Amended)

2008-04-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

I've changed my Current 25 list so that I could insert the new Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds album, Dig, Lazurus, Dig!!! I'd say that Lazarus is more rock-n-roll sounding than previous records, which could be atttributed to Cave's foray into the more blues-inspired grittiness of his Grinderman side project from last year. I am thoroughly enjoying this new sound.

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!
Diamanda Galas - Guilty Guilty Guilty
Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree
Lawrence - Lowlights from the Past and Future
Anthony Rother Presents We Are Punks 2
Faust/NWW - Disconnected
Boris with Merzbow - Rock Dream
J2 (Jarboe and Justin Broadrick) - Self-Titled
Grave Temple Trio - The Holy Down
Autechre - Quaristice
Sunn O))) - 00 Void (Japanese Reissue with Nurse With Wound remixes)
Ellen Allien - Boogy Bytes Vol. 4
Evangelista - Hello, Voyager
Miss Kittin - Batbox
Carlos Giffoni - Welcome Home
Sascha Funke - Mango
Justus Kohncke - Safe and Sound
Earth - Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull
Stephen O'Malley and Z'ev - Magistral
Amber Asylum - Still Point
Stars of the Lid - ...And The Refinement of the Decline
CarterTutti - Feral Vapours of the Silver Ether
Uusitalo - Karhunainen
Byla and Jarboe - Viscera
Alan Vega - Station

Current Listening 25 - April 2008

2008-04-08T15:38:00.000-07:00

Diamanda Galas - Guilty Guilty Guilty
Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree
Lawrence - Lowlights from the Past and Future
Anthony Rother Presents We Are Punks 2
Faust/NWW - Disconnected
Boris with Merzbow - Rock Dream
J2 (Jarboe and Justin Broadrick) - Self-Titled
Grave Temple Trio - The Holy Down
Autechre - Quaristice
Sunn O))) - 00 Void (Japanese Reissue with Nurse With Wound remixes)
Ellen Allien - Boogy Bytes Vol. 4
Evangelista - Hello, Voyager
Miss Kittin - Batbox
Carlos Giffoni - Welcome Home
Monade - Monstre Cosmic
Sascha Funke - Mango
Justus Kohncke - Safe and Sound
Earth - Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull
Stephen O'Malley and Z'ev - Magistral
Amber Asylum - Still Point
Stars of the Lid - ...And The Refinement of the Decline
CarterTutti - Feral Vapours of the Silver Ether
Uusitalo - Karhunainen
Byla and Jarboe - Viscera
Alan Vega - Station

Miss Kittin Gets Her Goth On

2008-03-21T13:15:00.000-07:00

Is it just me, or is Miss Kittin looking rather "Goth" in this cover photo of DJ Magazine?

In Defense of Goldfrapp's Seventh Tree

2008-02-27T13:27:00.000-08:00

There seems to be some self-righteous hipster dickwads that have been displaying petty disdain over the new Goldfrapp record, Seventh Tree. They can't believe that Goldfrapp completely did away with the ridiculously overhyped glam rock/club pop hybrid nonsense and created a (insert sarcastic GASP) more lush and laidback record, akin to their gorgeous debut Felt Mountain. These people want to all of a sudden riot in the streets as if they were in Bosnia or something, exclaiming their outrage over this blatant sacrilege. Well, I have three words for these people:

GET THE FUCK OVER IT. Oh, that's five words, but that sounds better. I don't understand it when people freak out whenever an artist or group tries to even remotely do something different rather than play the same 'ole, same 'ole record after record after record. Then, they act personally offended that the said artist would "betray" them. There's an affliction named after this phenomena (of my own creation). I'd like to call it SYS (Sonic Youth Syndrome.)

Some people just can't get over the fact that Sonic Youth aren't re-recording Sister over and over and over and over again. OH NO! How horrible! That is just so terrible. How dare they!!! Bands evolve. Music evolves. That's what makes music such a wonderful thing. I feel cheated sometimes if an artist or a band does the same thing over and over. Even if they fail or disappoint, I can at least respect the fact that they consciously tried to evolve in some way or other.

In the case of Goldfrapp, their sound has returned full circle to what made some of us fall in love with them to begin with. Felt Mountain, at its core, was not glammed up and prancing around in short shorts that it shouldn't have been wearing in the first place. I liked the old Goldfrapp, with its lush atmospherics and angelic vocals. Alison's voice is one of my favorite voices on the planet. Her vocals have the ability to put me into a happy place that not a lot of other voices can do.

At least with the second album, Black Cherry, I felt that there was still some beauty and grace that made Felt Mountain great. Although I don't dislike Supernature, I felt that Supernature was too robotic in a "glamtacular" sorta-way, which in turn, minimized the lush dynamics of her voice. Therefore, I firmly believe that Seventh Tree is a valiant return to form for Alison and Will. Seventh Tree accentuates the qualities of Alison's voice that made me fall in love with her in the first place.

Maybe I am a little biased myself. Truthfully, I am sick to bloody death of the glam rock/club pop combo meal that has been spoonfed to the masses. I like glam rock in certain doses and also club pop in certain doses, but when that is all I hear, it drives me crazy. The fans of the "glam rock/club pop" combo meal that surround me whenever I go to the various hipster nights around town also drive me nuts. Some of these individuals are also those that SHOULD NOT be gyrating around Chop Suey in tight-fitting 80s-high-school-throwback gym short shorts, armpit-stained white t's and fuzzy wristbands. God, I hate that look. Anyway, I digress.

I love the new Goldfrapp. I'm happy to see them back again. Give Seventh Tree a chance, you might be pleasantly surprised.

It's that time of year again: Time for more live show insanity

2008-02-26T21:26:00.000-08:00

I am starting to get blown away by the number of live shows that are occurring in the upcoming months. The list just keeps growing and I'm not sure that I can keep up with all of them. Anyway, here's what is coming up for me in the way of live shows (all in Seattle, except where mentioned):

Xiu Xiu - March 8, Chop Suey
Red Sparrows - March 20, Neumos
Boredoms - March 21, Neumos
Bob Mould Band - March 28, Doug Fir Lounge, Portland
Ministry - March 30, Roseland, Portland
American Music Club/Evangelista (Carla Buzolich) - April 4, Doug Fir Lounge, Portland
Evangelista - April 5, Healthy Times Music Club
Acid Mothers Temple - April 5, Sunset Tavern
Autechre - April 7, Neumos
Meat Beat Manifesto - April 9, Neumos
My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult - April 11, El Corazon
Sissy Spacek (John Wiese)/Blue Sabbath Black Cheer - April 11, The Vera Project
Stars of the Lid - April 19, Triple Door
Sasha and John Digweed - April 22, Showbox at SoDo
Hot Chip - April 22, Showbox at the Market
Ellen Allien/Sascha Funke - May 1, Chop Suey
Margaret Cho - May 10, Paramount Theatre
No Fun Fest - May 16-18, Knitting Factory, NYC
A Silver Mt. Zion/Vic Chestnutt - May 20, Bowery Ballroom, NYC
KTL [Stephen O'Malley of Sunn 0)))] - May 21, Knitting Factory, NYC
Ladytron/Datarock - May 24, Showbox at the Market
Destroid (Daniel Myer of Haujobb) - June 6, El Corazon
Wolf Eyes - June 12, High Dive

Down the pike:
Decibel Festival - September, Seattle
Brainwaves Festival - November, Boston

Rumored Summer/Fall Tours:
Radiohead (West Coast in August???)
Legendary Pink Dots (Fall)
Wire (Fall)

That is completely NUTS! On April 5th, 11th and 22nd, I have to choose between multiple shows. This is going to be hard. On top of all that, I have to figure out how I am going to afford my upcoming return trip to NYC and to pay off my current debts. Something's gotta give. I might have to miss a couple of these shows. I might have to cut my expenses back from Bauhaus and Stumptown. Maybe I have to sell some cds. Hooking on the streets will be the absolute LAST resort. Ha ha!

The Noise's Current Listening 25 - Jan. 27, 2008

2008-01-28T13:11:00.000-08:00

Lawrence - Lowlights from the Past and Future
Seefeel - Quique (Redux Edition)
Anthony Rother Presents - We Are Punks 2
Nurse with Wound/Faust - Disconnected
Vladislav Delay - Whistleblower
Boris with Merzbow - Rock Dream
Ricardo Villalobos - Fabric 36
Soulwax - Most of the Remixes...
Supersilent - 8
Throbbing Gristle - Part Two: The Endless Not
Amber Asylum - Still Point
Gui Boratto - Addicted Vol. 2
Stars of the Lid - ...And Their Refinement of the Decline
(r) [a.k.a. Fabrizio from Larsen] - In Pink
Efterklang - Parades
Einsturzende Neubauten - Alles Wieder Offen
Carter Tutti - Feral Vapours of the Silver Ether
Uusitalo - Karhunainen
Cobblestone Jazz - 23 Seconds
Jesu - Lifeline ep
Larsen and Friends - ABECEDA
Nurse with Wound - Gyllenskold, Gijerstam and Friends (reissue)
Oren Ambarchi - In the Penduluum's Embrace
Alan Vega - Station
Trentemoller - The Trentemoller Chronicles

The Noise 2007 Year in Review: The Forgotten One

2008-01-25T09:08:00.000-08:00

Ooops. Just when I thought I was done, I realized that I forgot to add one release that I liked this year. However, since I am ready to move on, I am going to mention it here rather than revise everything again. I am so sorry, Nicola and Adam (a/k/a Adult.), for forgetting your fine gem of electro punk goodness, Why Bother?. Besides, you guys put on another great live show last year so I can't leave without mentioning you. Thanks!!

I Realize

2008-01-21T08:53:00.000-08:00

I realized just now that we are at the 21st of January and I still have yet to complete my 2007 year-end lists. Why am I still backtracking? I don't know, but I want to finish it off so I can move onto the future. I am 5 days away from my 35th birthday. YIKES!!! Granted, I already feel ancient (particularly when I walk into any gay bar), but I am absolutely positive without a doubt going to feel even more ancient, come Saturday. However, it's life. That's the way life is sometimes. I just gotta get over it. I am getting older. Oh well.

I hope to finish the 2007 year-end foolishness over the next couple days. I promise.

Last Year

2008-01-10T12:41:00.000-08:00

As I quickly approach my 35th year of existence, I am reaching a point in my life where I must make a drastic change, a change of huge significance, otherwise I will go completely crazy. I am therefore strongly considering that this year may or may not be my last year in Seattle. I am mentally, emotionally, socially and creatively frustrated at this moment in my life. I hate this feeling. I had huge hopes for this new year, but after these first 10 days, I am now not so sure. I've always had a problem with leaving circumstances when things get tough, rather than work productively to make the best of every situation I am in. It's hard to get past these feelings. I am not even sure where I would go after this. I have so many ideas swimming in my head right now it is ridiculous. I am sure that I am prematurely jumping to conclusions but I also feel that something significant has to change in my life in order for me to become more fulfilled and happy. At this point, I'm not really sure that I can achieve this in Seattle at this present time, which is a shame really. I like Seattle as a city but find it socially stiff and difficult to fit in.

Where do I go from here? At this point, I don't know. I really don't know, but in the meantime, I try my hardest to keep my head up despite the madness. Time will tell, I guess.

Matt and Ellasandra

2008-01-07T13:05:00.000-08:00

Cute photo, huh? Here I am with my little niece Ellasandra from Christmas.

Identity

2008-01-05T23:37:00.000-08:00

Am I suffering from an identity crisis, or is it my blog that's suffering? Well, for whatever reason, I've decided to change the name of this blog to "The Noise." Ultimately, I realized that I'm over the "Bring D.A. Noise" concept. I'm not quite sure where exactly I want to take The Noise so in the meantime, that's what I am calling this space. Trying to figure it all out takes a lot of time, energy, and patience, but in the end, this crisis will resolve itself.

Where? (Followup)

2008-01-03T08:55:00.000-08:00

I GOT IT!

I GOT IT!

I GOT IT!

I GOT IT!

Yes, I know that is pretty immature, but I got it nonetheless. The TG Video Archive is now in my hands. I might have to put on a viewing party!!!

Where?

2008-01-02T12:37:00.000-08:00

Where, oh where, has my 'lil TG DVD Box Set gone?

I've been anticipating Throbbing Gristle's video archive box set for almost 2 years and now it's available. I ordered it before Christmas but after the initial preorder period happened. My order was dispatched on December 17, but I haven't seen it come in yet. Ideally, it should have been here last week, but I've yet to have been able to get ahold of their webstore. In light of this, I'm mildly stressed about it. I rarely order expensive items in the mail for this reason - my fear of the item being lost. We did just get through the holiday season so I am not completely surprised I haven't seen it yet. But, on the other hand, I've been anxiously awaiting the opportunity to relive the 2004 show at the Astoria and am even more anxious for the damn thing to show up. It's frustrating, but out of my hands for now. Wish me luck!

Cheers to 2008!

2008-01-01T15:51:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2008!!!

I never go out New Year's Eve, EVER! I might have gone out NYE (as in going to nightclubs and such) maybe once or twice at the most in my adult life. But, last night, I decided FUCK IT! I didn't want to be home alone last night so I decided to head over to the Eagle. It was underwear night, not a night I was accustomed to attending. Thank God it was optional. It proved to be an interesting night to say the least.

Right before midnight, though, I headed over to the Mercury to see my friend Kyle and his friend Eugene. I probably only stayed there for a little over an hour because Monday nights are normally swing/lounge night and the music got old after a short while. So, I headed back over to the Eagle to finish off my night. Again, like I said, it proved to be an interesting night. Let's just say that approximately 6 or 7 out of every 10 men should NOT have been only in their underwear. Seriously. At least I know better than to subject these men to the excruciatingly horrific sight that is my current body shape.

Oh well, I wanted to get the crazed debauchery out of my system as a means to cap off the not-so-great 2007 I had. I have quite a few goals and ambitions for the new year. This is going to be a very productive year for me. At least, that is my goal. I want to have a good year. I am very determined to follow through with that plan. Watch out world!

Hee hee. Seriously though, watch out!

Plan 12.29.2007

2007-12-29T17:01:00.000-08:00

2007 is winding down to a close (thank FUCKING God.) I've had enough of 2007. 2008 may very well be the year that saves me! My 35th birthday is approaching very quicky. I can't wait. I have big (I use this word with cautious optimism) plans for the new year. There's many things in my life that I'd like to improve, but don't want to categorize them as "resolutions." Resolutions have failed me in the past. Now, I like to use the term "improvements" instead. I don't want to set the bar so high that I fail miserably. That doesn't work so well.

I intend on sharing my plans for improving myself and my life in 2008 in future blog entries. But, in the meantime, I want to briefly share my plan for Bring D.A. Noise. In the near future, any and all previous entries that were created before this entry will relocate to my Blogger site. That address will serve as an archive of my infrequent blog activity from the past few years. Yes, this was the plan for last year, but I kept flip-flopping on that idea. However, I want a fresh start for 2008 and want this site to be where it happens.

Before I head into 2008, I want to recap the year in review on various fronts: music, television, concerts, news and gossip, annoyances, and other musings about the past year. The plan is to start with the things I hated most about the year to get it out of the way (see BDAN 2007 Year in Review Parts 1a and 1b) then moving onto everything good about 2007.

In closing, I recently raised a ketchup bottle while I was visiting my good friend Audra in Minneapolis in anticipation of the new year. The scene of this toast was Brit's Pub, the English pub and restaurant where it is ritual for us to have dinner there whenever I return to Minneapolis. So, cheers to you and to a great new year, 2008!!!

Walked in Line

2007-11-21T10:42:00.000-08:00

Thought for today - Just trying to get through slow day at work before I head into the arms of a 4-day holiday weekend. Yeah, yeah I know the analogy there is cheesy! The cheesiness of that statement is the result of the impending boredom I'm enduring right now.

Much

2007-11-15T18:24:00.000-08:00

I've got a lot of catching up to do on the blog here and so many ideas about things to write. However, most of the difficulty lies in attempting to compose the words. The plan is to write about various things that have happened over the last few months such as:

Recent concerts I've seen
What TV shows I've been watching
Thoughts on the Writers' Strike
Thoughts on how overwhelmed I am about next year's election
Photos i've taken with the new camera I purchased over the summer
Plans for future blog entries
The possible directions I want to take with this blog

...and there's more, so much more.

Eventually, the words will soon regularly flow from here.

Retooling

2007-11-14T15:07:00.000-08:00

My mind meanders slightly as I attempt to consider the many possibilities of reinvention and creativity. However, the reality of my actual surroundings sinks into my brain.

I'm working on ways to revamp and remotivate my blog outside of MySpace (isolationist-noise.net/noiseblog). I am hoping to pursue the wonderful opportunities for expansion soon.

Trying

2007-11-13T13:19:00.000-08:00

I'm trying my best to return to my once creative self. It's been tough to be inspired when I'm not quite sure where to begin. I'm feeling a need for reinvention. It's going to happen sooner or later. Stay tuned - who knows what might happen next.

Current Listening - November 2007

2007-11-05T12:51:00.000-08:00

Joy Division - Closer (2007 Collector's Edition)
Coil - Black Antlers (2007 Remastered)
Neurosis - Given to the Rising
Low - Drums and Guns
Miss Kittin and the Hacker - Hometown/Dimanche ep
Ben Frost - Theory of Machines
Plastikman - Closer
Angels of Light - We Are Him
Seefeel - Quique (2007 Remastered Deluxe)
Nico - The Frozen Borderline (1968-1970)
Anthony Rother - Super Space Model
Anthony Rother Presents - We Are Punks
Cobblestone Jazz - 23 Seconds
Modeselektor - Happy Birthday
Ricardo Villalobos - Fabric 36
Ewan Pearson - Piece Work
Jesu - Lifeline ep
Underworld - Oblivion with Bells
Gui Borrato - Chromophobia
The Hacker - A.N.D. N.O.W.
Fe-Mail - Syklubb Fra Haelvete
Spunk - Filtered Through Friends
Recoil - Subhuman
John Digweed - Transmissions Vol. 3
P.J. Harvey - White Chalk
Larsen and Friends - ABECEDA
Throbbing Gristle - Part Two The Endless Not
Trentemoller - The Trentemoller Chronicles
Nurse with Wound - Homotopy to Marie (2007 Remastered)
Jesu - Conqueror
Garbage - Absolute Garbage
Akron/Family - Love is Simple
A Bad Diana (Diana Rogerson) - The Lights Are On But No-Oneâ??s Home
Ellen Allien - Fabric 34
Alan Vega - Station
Various Artists (M_nus) - Nothing Much/Something More
Sunn O))) - Oracle
Pan Sonic - Katodivaihe
Leaether Strip - The Giant Minutes to the Dawn/The Hourglass
Mono - Gone: A Collection of EPs 2000-2007

Current Listening - October 2007

2007-10-18T19:50:00.000-07:00

Joy Division - Closer (2007 Collector's Edition)
Coil - Black Antlers (2007 Remastered)
Neurosis - Given to the Rising
Low - Drums and Guns
Miss Kittin and the Hacker - Hometown/Dimanche ep
Ben Frost - Theory of Machines
Plastikman - Closer
Angels of Light - We Are Him
Seefeel - Quique (2007 Remastered Deluxe)
Nico - The Frozen Borderline (1968-1970)
Anthony Rother - Super Space Model
Anthony Rother Presents - We Are Punks
Cobblestone Jazz - 23 Seconds
Modeselektor - Happy Birthday
Ricardo Villalobos - Fabric 36
Ewan Pearson - Piece Work
Jesu - Lifeline ep
Underworld - Oblivion with Bells
Gui Borrato - Chromophobia
The Hacker - A.N.D. N.O.W.
Fe-Mail - Syklubb Fra Haelvete
Spunk - Filtered Through Friends
Recoil - Subhuman
John Digweed - Transmissions Vol. 3
P.J. Harvey - White Chalk
Larsen and Friends - ABECEDA
Throbbing Gristle - Part Two The Endless Not
Trentemoller - The Trentemoller Chronicles
Nurse with Wound - Homotopy to Marie (2007 Remastered)
Jesu - Conqueror
Garbage - Absolute Garbage
Akron/Family - Love is Simple
A Bad Diana (Diana Rogerson) - The Lights Are On But No-One's Home
Ellen Allien - Fabric 34
Alan Vega - Station
Various Artists (M_nus) - Nothing Much/Something More
Sunn O))) - Oracle
Pan Sonic - Katodivaihe
Leaether Strip - The Giant Minutes to the Dawn/The Hourglass
Mono - Gone: A Collection of EPs 2000-2007