the flaming lips

The Dunce Cap: Week of Dec. 19, 2011

in: heavy rotation

The Dunce Cap, Vol. 40: You were right about the stars. Each one is a setting sun. (click on link to listen to mix via 8tracks or play above)

1. “Young Pilgrims” – The Shins
2. “Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam” – The Vaselines
3. “Sketchy Metal” – The Hold Steady
4. “Jesus Christ” – Brand New
5. “Jesus Christ” – Big Star
6. “Jesus, Etc.” – Wilco
7. “Shine On, Sweet Jesus” – The Flaming Lips
8. “Superbowl Jesus” – The Hood Internet
9. “God Only Knows” – The Beach Boys
10. “Me and Jesus Don’t Talk Anymore” – beulah
11. “Jesus the Mexican Boy” – Iron & Wine
12. “Doubting Thomas” – Nickel Creek
13. “I’m Not Jesus” – The Ramones
14. “Above the Waves” – The Jealous Sound
15. “Chocolate Jesus” – Tom Waits
16. “God’s Comic” – Elvis Costello
17. “I Have Forgiven Jesus – Morrissey
18. “Jesusland” – Ben Folds
19. “Let It Be” – The Beatles
20. “Spirit in the Sky” – Norman Greenbaum

Tebow-kily dokily, folks! I’ve spent the day in the throes of full Tebow fandom, a fact I am not embarrassed to share with the whole of the Interwebs, or, y’know, Jen and Bryan, but this slow-movin’ dino-computer has kept me from sharing my thoughts with the world. I’ve been wrestling with a new 8tracks uploading interface for the last four hours, and I’m a bit ornery with technology, so instead of continuing to attempt to post something, I’ll leave you guys with this. This playlist should whet your appetite for what is to come, namely a discussion of Tim Tebow, faith, religion and history’s favorite son.

For this playlist, I’ve chosen twenty superb songs about god, religion and/or lackthereof, none of which are considered “gospel” – unless you count Norman Greenbaum’s fantastically catchy, “Spirit in the Sky,” which I always remember from that one John Travolta movie, “Michael,” where he plays an angel. There were so, so many songs to choose from, and this smattering represents some of my favorites. The Hold Steady, in particular, employs a great bit of biblical imagery (see: “Citrus,” “How a Resurrection Really Feels“), so if you’re looking for more, I suggest you check there first. There were a few honorable mentions (Bright Eyes, “When the President Talks to God,” Butch Walker, “Closer to the Truth and Further From the Sky,” R.E.M., “Losing My Religion“) I would also recommend, but this is a decent place to start.

I’m still having some trouble with the 8tracks interface, and I’m about to crush the computer screen in frustration, so I will attempt to make the edits in the morning, with the promised post forthcoming.

For now, and as always, happy listening.

The Dunce Cap: Nov. 8, 2010

in: heavy rotation

 

1898 Photos of Toulouse-Lautrec

The Dunce Cap, Vol. 26: You can’t remember someone else’s story. (click on link to listen to mix via 8tracks)

1. “Basement Parties” – Matt Pond PA
2. “House Fire” – Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin
3. “Relator” – Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson
4. “No Time” – Good Old War
5. “How a Resurrection Feels” – The Hold Steady
6. “Microphone” – Coconut Records
7. “Borderline” – The Flaming Lips
8. “Dear Prudence” – The Beatles
9. “This Boy” – I’m From Barcelona
10. “Every Moment” – Rogue Wave

Look at this classy photo series! These are photographs of famed painter Henri Toulouse-Lautrec poopin’ on a public beach. So excellent. [Buzzfeed]

What do you mean funny, funny how?

Watching “Goodfellas” on a Monday night? So excellent. For class. Really. An essay examining the musical score of Scorsese’s film in relation to the use of popular music in “American Graffiti” and “Boogie Nights.” What a delicious assignment.

Yeah. That’s it.

But you know, I’m funny. You think I’m funny?

This is a series of ten exciting tracks I’m just lovin’. No specific reason for including any of them. Just lovable winners. Particularly The Flaming Lips cover of “Borderline.” I actually had a killer conversation this weekend about Wayne Coyne and the Lips (and their proclivity for adult themes masked beneath sing-songy childish melodies), so they’re certainly on my mind.

Oh, and P.S. Netflix clearly knows me too well. Four of my most recommended TV shows? “Freaks and Geeks,” “Wonderfalls,” “Daria” and “The Middleman.” By far four of my favorite recent-ish television shows. Check ’em all out if you haven’t.

I promise you – Real, live, excellent postings to come soon. Y’know, not just mixes. Insightful and snarky pop culture posts are on their way.

Happy listening.

The Dunce Cap’s Third Year Thirty: Day 2

in: due time

Jen and Brad.

Aug. 23, 2010:

day 2: eschew responsibility.

Only for a day, duh. Barring the loss of of a job, the failure of a class or immediate danger, take a single-day stay-cation. Breakups are emotionally taxing, and a girl deserves a day of rest. Especially a girl who doesn’t really recognize the Sabbath. Oops.

My day didn’t consist of much, honestly. I didn’t have to work, so I slept in late and spent the afternoon on the couch in my pjs, heating up microwave dinners and watching Buffy. Few things help more than drooling over an ages-old vampire… Wait. I think I just lent credence to Twilight. Aw, shucks. I didn’t mean to.

Mostly, though, I rummaged through my old stuff for something I hadn’t really needed in quite some time. And I found it: an old CD-R with Sharpied handwritten titles, “BREAK-UP CD/TAKE 1/<3 SAM AND COCO.” I know this one’s a winner – it’s got Avril on it not once but twice. Pop punk and girrrrrrl power aplenty!

Basically, today was a solid day of nothing. And it felt like a reprieve.

The track listing from this exemplary piece of mixtape, circa summer 2005:

1. “Time Turn Fragile” – Motion City Soundtrack
2. “Move Along” – The All-American Rejects
3. “Love and Be Loved” – Charlie Mars
4. “Paper Rock Scissors” – JamisonParker
5. “On My Way” – Ingram Hill
6. “Since U Been Gone” – Kelly Clarkson
7. “Good Will Hunting By Myself” – Ludo
8. “My Happy Ending” – Avril Lavigne
9. “Too Little Too Late” – Barenaked Ladies
10. “Grenade Jumper” – Fall Out Boy
11. “Dammit” – Blink 182
12. “Life After Lisa” – Bowling For Soup
13. “Complicated” – Avril Lavigne
14. “Song for the Dumped” – Ben Folds Five
15. “I Will Survive” – Cake
16. “On My Own” – Don’t Look Down
17. “Laid” – James
18. “Bitch” – Meredith Brooks
19. “Find Comfort in Yourself” – Midtown
20. “A Year on an Airplane” – Daphne Loves Derby

And today’s track, something a bit more grown up:

The Flaming Lips, “All We Have Is Now”

A.V. Club: Flashback

in: viewing room

ReadySexGo!, Marvelous 3 (2000)

^^I actually have an autographed copy
of this poster in my room. She’s a mannequin, dirty.

Oh my goodness, early century flashback!

I have this clip on VHS somewhere in the recesses of my video collection, but this newfangled thing called YouTube (plural?) allows me to access them in a jiffy!

A full decade ago, Marvelous 3 appeared on the rather shitty WB drama Charmed. The show followed a succession of increasingly unappealing sisters (Shannen Doherty, Holly Marie Combs, Alyssa Milano and Rose McGowan) – who also happen to be witches. Gasp.

The show aired between ’98 and ’06 (far, far too long), though the poor plot quality was almost compensated for by the array of musical guests who appeared. Like Beverly Hills, 90210‘s Peach Pit, P3, a nightclub owned by sister Piper, was where the gang of four (I nearly typed something that rhymes, begins with a ‘w’ and is equally fitting!) congregated. The Peach Pit had The Flaming Lips and an early Adam Levine circa Kara’s Flowers (the band that would be Maroon 5); P3 had Dishwalla, Fastball, Goo Goo Dolls, Billy Zane (!) and, of course, Butch Walker‘s old outfit, Marvelous 3.

With drummer Slug and Jace on bass rounding out the triad, Marvelous 3 created a sound less glam than previous Walker group SouthGang and more tongue-in-cheek than most contemporary musical peers. The members kept their leather and cut their hair to feathered shags, but their sound was still Southern-crusted rock. In the 2000 Charmed episode “Sight Unseen,” Marvelous 3 performed “Cold as Hell” from their album ReadySexGo! Check out the clip below. There’s Slug’s Union Jack tank! Butch’s eyeliner! Jace’s weird David Lee Roth blonde homage! Alyssa Milano‘s rack! Truly, something for everyone.

Enjoy.