Current List for May 2006

Now that I am back blogging again, I thought that I'd list my current favorite items of interest in the areas of listening, reading, and other stimuli. April is drawing to a close, so bring on the May flowers (as the age old adage goes)!!

Favorite Record of the Moment:

Out now! The latest in the Bugged Out! series comes to you, courtesy of the self-coined "unique" Miss Kittin. As with every Bugged Out! set, there's one disc devoted to the uptempo rhythms of a night on the town, while the other disc is devoted to the bedroom dj in all of us. Last year's mix, by current sensation Erol Arkan, impressively melded today's hottest club sounds, while slowing it down for the second disc with the uberchill of 60s easy listening classics and the glam 70s prog rock. At the same time, Arkan also throws in a little M83 for good measure, while closing it out with the blissful trance pop of the Spacemen 3. Miss Kittin, on the other hand, chooses to keep the same pace over both discs, making for a stellar smorgasbord of clash-free electro soundscapes alongside rave classics like Don't Go by the Awesome 3. The "chill-out" disc effectively melds D.A. noisily (get it?) hard clang of the classic Aphex Twin remix of Curve's Falling Free, with the icy cold chill of the Two Lone Swordmen mix of Saint Etienne's Heart Failed (In the Back of a Taxi.)

This edition of the Bugged Out! mix best reflects Miss Kittin's recent dj gigs of last year, most characteristic of her mix set from last year's Sonar Festival in Barcelona, where she pulled out one of my personal all-time favorite techno classics, the formidable The House is Mine by Caspar Pound's Hypnotist moniker. Are you looking to relive the good 'ole days where you wore that pacifier on a chain around your neck and baggy dress-length, rainbow-striped t-shirts while walking down today's streets with the iPod and ear-buds? Well, this is the ultimate soundtrack for your journey to the dancefloors of 2006.

Listening: The next 9 (in no particular order):
Ellen Allien and Apparat Orchestra of Bubbles
Matmos The Rose Has Teeth in the Mouth
Ladytron The Harmonium Sessions (limited edition tour ep)
Massive Attack Collection (limited deluxe edition)
Fe-Mail Blixter Toad
Larsen Seies
Final 3
Black Sun Productions operettAmorale
Duncan Vainio Vaisanen Nine Suggestions

Other Listening:
Wire Pink Flag (re-issue)
Leaether Strip After The Devastation
Supersilent Supersilent 1-3
Ladytron Witching Hour/Extended Play
V/A Rune Grammofon Money Will Ruin Everything
Mogwai Mr. Beast
Daniel Menche Concussions
Spunk En Aldeles Forferdelig Sykdom
Spunk (remixed) Filtered Through Friends
Organum Sanctus
Covenant Skyshaper
McLusky Mcluskyisms
The Hope Blister Underarms and Sideways
Stereolab Fab Four Suture
Cocteau Twins Lullabies for Volaine
V/A MSF Benefit Not Alone
Current 93 How He Loved The Moon (Moonsongs for Jhonn Balance)
Nine Inch Nails Every Day is Exactly the Same ep
Klutae Hit & Run
Morrissey Ringleader of the Tormentors
V/A American Gigolo 2 Mixed by Abe Duque

Current Reading:


















Other Reading:
The Artist's Way Julia Cameron
Money Will Ruin Everything Rune Grammofon
Writing Down The Bones Natalie Goldberg
Wreckers of Civilisation - Coum Transmissions & Throbbing Gristle Simon Ford
The DaVinci Code Dan Brown
In Beauty Zadie Smith
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance Robert Pirsig
Howl Fifty Years Later: The Poem That Changed America Jason Shinder (Editor)

Overtime at Work: LOTS of it!

Most eagerly anticipated event: A VACATION (FINALLY) to New Mexico for 4th of July

Forthcoming Items of Interest:

Film:
The DaVinci Code
United 93

Live shows:
Architect [Haujobb side project] (The Vogue, May 3)
Slow Music with Bill Rieflin, Hector Zazou, Robert Fripp, Peter Buck, and friends (Showbox, May 6)
Goldfrapp (Showbox, May 11)
Modeselektor (ReBar, May 19)
Mogwai (Neumos, May 23)
Ministry/Revolting Cocks (Showbox, May 28)
Sonic Youth (Moore Theatre, June 30)
Legendary Pink Dots (Launch Pad ABQ, July 2; Berbati's PDX July 10; Chop Suey SEA, July 11) A Silver Mt. Zion/Carla Bozulich (Neumos, August 18)

Forthcoming records:
Carla Bozulich Evangelista
Peaches Impeach My Bush
Legendary Pink Dots Your Children Placate You from Premature Graves
PTV3 (Psychic TV) Hell is Invisible...Heaven is Her/E
Sonic Youth Rather Ripped
Throbbing Gristle Part Two MAYBE SOMEDAY