PurrView #35 - Moment of poetry: "Too Close"

You're just a little too close for comfort.

And inwardly I resent, that I spend most of my waking life in your presence

Too close, I say

So close that I can smell you

So close that I can hear you

So close that I can feel you smile

I can feel all the thoughts you've got chained up inside

Many of the links undoubtedly pertain to me

If I could truly be Invictus; the master of my fate, the captain of my soul

I would subtract you

I would divide and conquer

I would add to myself

Recollect my energy

Recollect my being

Recollect the things I love about myself

All the things that you take

So to seem like a rational human being, I downplay it and I merely say,

"You're just a little too close for comfort."

But every day I wish you away…

~Meow~

Pennies

PurrView #34 - Chillout Music

   Okay, so I'm just going to say it: music on the radio nowadays is extremely annoying and consistently leaves me unimpressed. Seemingly, a song can be utter crap with senseless lyrics to top it off; but as long as you add tacky smut, a house beat and/or auto-tune, it's a hit, right? Wrong! And aside from the badly-done electronic-music-overkill on the radio waves today, rap, hip-hop, R&B and rock have tragically continued to nosedive awkwardly over the years, resulting in weak lyrics and concepts, (not so) hidden marketing schemes, and just plain bad taste (examples in image directly below).

   My birthday was November 14th… Another wonderful year has come and gone, and it feels great to be a sexy, single, successful, ambitious, and active 28-year-old woman. Music has always been a completely essential element in my life, and since I was a child, I've had quite an open-minded, vast array of musical tastes. Through my years of experience in activities such as ballet, gymnastics, piano lessons, concert band, percussion and choir, I've been exposed to classical, jazz, gospel, Broadway, opera, and ensemble pieces. Through my training in cheer and modern dance, as well as raving and concert-going with friends, I've developed a liking for other musical genres such as rock, punk, EDM (electronic dance music), blues, folk, funk and hip-hop. But as I arrive at my 28th year of life, one thing I've noticed about my current taste in music is that I've matured a bit, in a fashion that I'm really loving and embracing.

 DJ Krush

 

   My current taste in music is chill and usually paced at about 90-100 BPM. This "downtempo electronic music" helps me relax and focus-- and it stimulates my mind. Thanks to Pandora's Music Genome Project, You Tube, Facebook, word-of-mouth and my own research in music, I've found myself drawn to a more soulful, more refined, more mature taste and feel-- atmospheric, instrumental and experimental with scarce vocals and hip-hop roots. Musicians like Portishead, Zero 7, J Boogie, RJD2 and Stephane Pompougnac are the soundtrack to much of my day as of late. I like to think of it all as my generation's dark and satisfying easy listening. With elements of bossa nova, trip-hop, ambient music, jazzy vocals, deep synthetic touches and soft bass,  it is best described by writer Dean Carlson (Pandora.com) as "the welcome niche of a pretension-free, post-party intellectual chillout," as he spoke of one of my favorite musicians, Bonobo.

  If you're ready for some "pretension-free chill out" music, test out some of the below acts. I have a feeling you'll find them to be soothing and sweet to the soul…

~Meow~

Pennies

Nightmares on Wax

  Pretty Lights

  Massive Attack

  Gramatik

PurrView #33 - Black Keys - "Lonely Boy"

   Black Keys fans, like myself, anxiously awaiting the release of the duo's follow up to 2010 LP Brothers, can satisfy their Black Keys craving in the meantime by checking out "Lonely Boy"-- first release from the upcoming album.

   El Camino-- due out December 6th-- is an album that was dreamt-up, written, compiled, recorded, and edited purely within the walls of Eye Sound Studio, Nashville. Under the direction of well-known producer Danger Mouse (Gnarls Barkley, The Gray Album, Rome w/ Jack White and Norah Jones…), Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney (pictured above) have pumped out a soul-enriched album that is described by Auerbach as "strong melodically, and it's short and to the point" (Scaggs, p. 28). The Black Keys continue to present to us their timeless rock and roll sound which has only strengthened and evolved since the group relocated from their native Akron, OH to music mecca, Nashville, TN.

   "Lonely Boy" is a single that I just can’t put down right now. With lyrics like, "Oh, Oh-oh. I got a love that keeps me waiting," The Black Keys once again, successfully deliver and have truly embraced blues-rock in the first single from El Camino.  Though the song paints a picture of a heart-broken, lonely individual who's jaded by his love that leaves him waiting in vain-- the beat has me singing along and clapping to the all-too-familiar scenario presented in the song.   It's a song that makes you want to gyrate and twist the heartache out of your system, just like the star of the video-- actor/musician/security guard, Derrick Tuggle. In the video, D-Tug (as Auerbach and others refer to him) sampled bits from well known numbers and later explained, "I took some moves from everybody: John Travolta from 'Saturday Night Fever' and 'Pulp Fiction,' the Carlton Banks dance from 'The Fresh Prince' and a little bit of Michael Jackson, so it was a smorgasbord of everybody in there" (Montgomery, mtv.com).

   The tambourine and organ-accents appropriately compliment and polish the song's essence and hints at that decades-old rock and roll sound.  Overall, "Lonely Boy" is a song/video package that boasts perfection in simplicity.

~Meow~
Pennies 

References

  Montgomery, J. (2011, October 27). Black Keys 'Lonely Boy' Video: Meet the Dancing Machine. Mtv.com. Retrieved November 12, 2011 from http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1673294/black-keys-lonely-boy-derrick-tuggle.jhtml

  Scaggs, A. (2011, November 24). Q&A: Dan Auerbach. Rolling Stone, Issue 1144, 28.

  

PurrView #32 - Deer Tick - Beauty Bar Las Vegas

Providence, Rhode Island's Deer Tick made a stop in Old Downtown for a show at Beauty Bar Las Vegas October 29, 2011. Their fourth studio album-- Divine Providence-- hit shelves on October 25. 

Check out my write-up on the show for Las Vegas Weekly!

http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2011/nov/01/dressing-occasion-deer-tick-downtown/ 

Good times in the backyard at Beauty Bar Las Vegas

John McCauley

Dennis Ryan

StuntPogoNick's Animation set to Deer Tick's "These Old Shoes" (My favorite Deer Tick song)

~Meow~

Pennies

PurrView #31 - GBDC at The Palms

GBDC - Ghostbar Day Club at The Palms, Las Vegas

Today, the N9NE Group revealed its latest contribution to Las Vegas' club and nightlife scene, cleverly via their daytime celebration-- GBDC; a daytime club experience (sans swimming pools) that is radically distinct and unparallelled.

GBDC is a unique party held 55 floors up at The Palms every Saturday, in Ghostbar. Featuring guests such as Miss Nevada Sarah Chapman and actor Adrian Grenier, its debut filled the 8,000-square-foot club with over a couple hundred locals, tourists, and even a Maloof brother by the end of the first hour for an afternoon party that began at 1:00.

As the large crowd gathered downstairs waiting to enter, the feel of a sort of circus was present.  N9NE Group members wearing top hats, ringmaster coats, neon wigs, head-dresses, and even stilts got everyone hyped up and excited to board the elevator and see what this GBDC is all about.  

Keeping in style with its spooky name, Ghostbar-- which most locals have already experienced in its usual nighttime setting-- seemed surreal filled with sunlight; like an eerie alternate dimension filled with white light. A bit spooky, as well as apropos in the month of October, the atmosphere was upbeat and exactly as it should be: the usual essence and dope atmosphere of Ghostbar… during the day.

I was previously told to expect GBDC to be a "high energy day party." It certainly was just that-- a sun kissed party with a fabulous view of the Las Vegas strip, champagne showers, confetti, streamers, hot women, 40s of Olde English in paper bags, bright colors and even piñatas!

DJ Zen Freeman offered up electro, house, dubstep and top 40 mixes, keeping the crowd dancing and shuffling in the daylight. Ghostbar employees served up drinks in Rainbow Brite-like tutus and even performed dance routines atop the bar.

The "Grandiose Opening" of GBDC was a smashing good time, and I'm still finding confetti in my hair, bra and boots!

Come check out GBDC, every Saturday at Ghostbar at The Palms-- 1pm!

~Meow~

Pennies

PurrView #30 - First Friday Returns to Las Vegas

http://www.firstfriday-lasvegas.com/

Last night, Las Vegas locals wrapped up our first week of October; Friday carried with it a crisp, cool autumn-apropos night. And after a two-month hiatus, the return of "First Friday" turned out to be quite a successful and positive venture. First Friday-- which was previosuly brought to us by event founder, C. Funkhouser-- returned for a heavily publicized and highly anticipated Ninth Anniversary Celebration, now brought to us by Zappos.com!

Live musicians, break dancers, artists, antique dealers, gallery-owners and art enthusiasts young and old once again filled the closed-off streets of Old Downtown's Arts District for fun, culture, and the sharing of good vibes and art!

Galleries and businesses like Arts Factory, City of the World, and Gypsy Den (among many others) opened their doors once again for the official return of First Friday festivities. Cornerstone Gallery featured Bad Apple artists on display in their front room, like award-winning painter and tattoo artist D.J. Tambe (Bad Apple Tattoo Company, 5640 W. Charleston, Las Vegas, NV 89146, 702-259-5580).

Other independent artists could be found posted-up and down the main drag of First Friday in the heart of all the action; like Luis Varela-Rico (best known for origami-bombing old downtown), with his creative origami, unique coffee tables, paintings, and conversation pieces on display between his fixed-gear bike and a beautiful beige V-Dub bus.

(pic borrowed from JENESSA KENWAY's "Guerilla Origami" blog)

But as we all said "Hello" once again to First Friday, SPACE Studio took this celebration as their opportunity to say "Good Bye" to Las Vegas. Gallery owner, Jana Cruder (well-known for her beautiful three-years-in-the-making "Collecting Faces" project) has decided to move her operation to Los Angeles.  (http://spacestudio.wordpress.com/author/spacestudiolv/)

Zappos brought First Friday back to Vegas art lovers with the passion, good vibes, respect and enthusiasm that they seem to have behind each one of their projects and community contributions. I, for one, happily welcome the new presentation of First Friday in the Las Vegas Arts District! Thanks and blessings to Zappos and Old Downtown for reminding us of the plethora of color, creativity, and fellowship that we sometimes keep so well-hidden in our sparkly town!

~Meow~

Pennies

PurrView #29 - TV on the Radio w/ Arctic Monkeys - Las Vegas

www.TVontheRadio.com

On Friday, September 23, I caught TV on the Radio as they played the Boulevard Pool at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Opening for them was Arctic Monkeys out of the U.K.-- who had me shaking my derriere to  joints of theirs like "Fluorescent Adolescent" http://youtu.be/ma9I9VBKPiw and "Brianstorm" http://youtu.be/30w8DyEJ__0 -- and Smith Westerns (who, I am sorry to say, I was too fashionably late to catch that night).

The Boulevard Pool, which overlooks the Las Vegas strip from four stories up, turned out to be a superb venue.  With plenty of room to dance (thanks to the pool partly being drained), sufficient bar service (I never had to wait more than five minutes for a nice, stiff drink), and various pleasing vantage points, it was a sumptuous treat for my senses!

The band arrived on the property earlier in the day and was seen at a few spots around The Cosmo, including the casino floor, as well as enjoying the property's poolside amenities. Though band members Jaleel Bunton and Kyp Malone happily sat and conversed with fellow hotel patrons at the poolside bar at about high noon on Friday, the band flaked on the pre-show meet & greet, then hightailed it out of there directly after their set.

TV on the Radio has come to be one of my favorite and most beloved bands. I even secured my ticket all the way back in June. Though they put on a great show, rich with soul, energy, and their unique indie-experimental-punk sound, something (admittedly) seemed to be amiss. Through conversation with friends of mine who also attended the show, we could only assume that this is mostly due to the fact that TVOTR lost their eclectic and talented bassist-- Gerard Smith-- on April 20, 2011 to lung cancer, eight days after their latest album was released. (They have since continued to tour with replacement bassists, but have not solidly filled the void that Smith left, as of yet.)

TVOTR started their set with "Second Song," from their latest release Nine Types of Light; and of course performed the album's key song and love ballad "Will Do"-- a must-see video ( http://youtu.be/dXLpXu9T7j0 ). The nighttime Las Vegas heat didn't keep front man Tunde Adebimpe from wailing and flailing his arms and body in his usual onstage style. As the sweat escaped his pores, the band's eclecticism and musical prowess enveloped the audience, even all the way through the three-song encore. The set list consisted mostly of tunes from Nine Types of Light, including an energetic rendition of "Repetition" and a funky presentation of "Caffeinated Consciousness." But the band certainly did not fail to also bring us past-time hits like "Staring at the Sun" and "Wolf Like Me"-- the hit that seemed to elicit the strongest response and energy from the audience, and had the fans bouncing in unison ( http://youtu.be/j1-xRk6llh4 ).

(Check out my review of Nine Types of Light --> http://purrview.blogspot.com/2011/05/purrview-10-tv-on-radio-nine-types-of.html )

TV on the Radio pushes onward with their 2011 Nine Types of Light tour, hitting up two more west coast performances in Hollywood and Oakland, before making their way to the east coast, where the Brooklyn band's roots lie. Tonight, September 25, they play the Hollywood Bowl with (once again) Arctic Monkeys and Smith Westerns; but also part of the line up are Warpaint and Panda Bear. Though they lack the presence of their dearly departed bassist, TVOTR continues to grace us with their relentless disbursement of good music and good vibes...

 Lots of love, TV on the Radio!

~Meow~

Pennies