THIS BED IS ON FIRE

I've been so knee deep in book stuff that I really havent been able to participate in my favorite activity of listening to, and finding, new bands to worship. The book was finally turned two tuesdays ago, and then the following monday i got kidnapped by killers, and then i'm here at this tuesday. Finally able to get back my footing and start listening to all the new bands I've been meaning to hear.

When I was in London in November of 2003 or maybe even 2002, my friend Imran took me to see Dogs Die In Hot Cars at the ULU. We got there early and there werent that many people there, so we got to see their opening band Duke Spirit, which was lead by a rediculously gorgeous blond girl with long limbs and even longer hair. She looked like a Goddess and they sounded like a Manc version of the Kills fronted by PJ Harvey. I fell in love, but had no money to buy anything, or maybe they didnt have anything to sell. I joined their mailing list and got emails about what they were up to and stuff. My buddy Peter G (aka the Husky Gentleman), went to London in February and brought back a copy of their EP (which i still have and FULLY plan on returning). He lent it to me and I listened to it over and over again while i was in Miami playing designated driver. Everyone loved it and it made things sort of delightfully calm for me. Go to their site and you can hear songs and watch videos.

Another new band that's been on my mind is Youth Group. My friend Patrick from Australia (whom you might remember if you've been reading this blog from the start) used to be in that band the Vines (he actually started it with Craig way back when), and while the Vines were on hiatus he decided to start playing with this band that his friends were in. He ended up falling in love with the guys and the music and decided to continue on with them rather than the band that had seen the covers of both spin and rolling stone. When I heard that he joined a band called Youth Group, the only thing I could think of was how WONDERFUL that name was. It inspired the band name i made up for my post punk band that will never exist: Youth Movement. So anyway, I finally got a cd in the mail from Epitaph a few months ago cause that's the label they signed with... which surprised me the moment i listened to it since the music possibly the opposite of what I thought i'd hear from that label (but then again, i'm not really familiar with their lineup apart from a few artists, so i could be wrong). Instead, what I heard was something closer to the Longpigs or James than say The Refused or even the Vines. I was pretty stoked on it.

I remember IMing with my other girlfriends who are friends with Patrick and had also recieved their record. We were all blown away by how good they were. It was such a delightful surprise, and it also meant that we might be able to see Patrick again, after figuring he'd be exiled to OZ with the vines.

So the other day I'm waking up and I get a text from Patrick saying that he's in town for a bit doing shows and wants to hang out. We make plans and I finally get to see him on friday after he came by the Darkroom for the party that the Tarts of Pleasure were hosting. Naturally, the Tarts were late, so Patrick and I arranged to meet on a street corner on the way from my apt to the Darkroom (which was also very close to the Delancey which is where he was palying). Josh and I were walking from my house to meet up with Patrick, all the while I'm looking around for him and not seeing anyone with my giant aliEn eyes. Finally, this really good looking, fit young man with a fashionable haircut waves me down.

Holy shit, it was Patrick, looking more amazing than I've ever seen him. Totally fit and healthy looking, and most of all happy. He just looked simply happy, which made me totally estatic. For as long as I've known him he's been somewhat miserable, much like Morrissey (actually, one of my favorite memories in life was of listening to the Smiths with Patrick once when we were both wasted off our tits and falling asleep while sitting up as "Asleep" started playing). But Saturday night on Rivington street, he looked refreshed, happy and healthy. Robust even. We chatted for a bit and he came by the Darkroom after his band's set. He told me that his band was playing again on Sunday, so we made plans to get bunch the next day and drank and danced the night away til we were kicked out. Nick Manske told me about some catered BBQ happening sunday afternoon in Madison Sq Park so we ventured over there ... me not really planning out that that they wouldn't have vegetarian BBQ for folks like me. But anyway, the BBQ was totally fucking cool, and I sort of just wanted to write about that. It was like authentic Austin, and next time it happens, hopefully the dashing Nick will alert me again so i can post it here.

After dropping Patrick off I met up with Karen at her apartment, but not before running into both Sune and my friend Will Scott from high school (whom, in my opinion was the coolest motherfucker in that building), with in a block or two of each other (mind you, the night before while standing outside of the Darkroom and on my way there, I saw more people that I haven't seen in ages in a matter of five minutes, totally surreal). I went to Karen's. We decided on an idea for a Tarts of Pleasure slogan "We Are the Rock" (not like "rock'n'roll" but as in... we've got foundation), and discussed our feud with the Queenz of Noise that the NME decided to start, which is fucking amazing. I convinced Jordan Silver to come over, and then brainwashed the two of them into going with me to see "Mr. And Mrs. Smith". We searched for Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Peppers and went to the movies, but not before i got totally stoked to see Real World's original cast member, Eric Nies (sp?). I could not hide my smile that my middle school self was pushing out with all her force. Needless to say, neither Jordan nor Karen were that into the movie, but i literally swooned at parts and Jordan made fun of me.

Anyway, i digress. I met up with my friend Cedric from LA and his bandmate Zack at Bar 13 for Shout! to see Youth Group. They were tighter than I remember the Vines ever being, and every song made me feel like I was living in Donnie Darko, if it took place in my life and I could soundtrack it, and one of the bands on the soundtrack sounded like James. The disco lights swirling around my blissfully buzzed head as the tambourine of "Skelaton Jar" (which you can hear on their site) starts playing and forcing me to see the love of my life, our life together, our kids, our happiness, our fights, our giant rabbit standing in the bathroom with a busted eye, us making up and growing old and dying. It was a pretty intense 3 minutes.

Afterwards we chilled out on the roof of Bar 13 and decided to head out else where the other girls who had come to meet up (Karen, Jenny, and Mahsa) went to the Darkroom to meet up with Simon White, and I took the mens to the "gay morrissey party" as someone called it. Me and the sausage party (which now was: patrick and youth group, cedric and zack, and some other dudes) danced the night away DESPITE some of them saying they weren't going to dance. You can't stick a bunch of slightly effeminate dudes in a sexy bar with a DJ playing good Moz/Smiths song after another and expect them NOT TO GET DRUNK AND DANCE AS IF THE ROOM IS FILLED TO THE BRIM WITH SEXY YOUNG GIRLS. It was completely DELIGHTFUL and fun. I was bummed when I had to leave, but the Bat Signal got raised and I had to go back to being a crimefighting goth of gotham. Or not.

Youth Group is playing wednesday night at Mercury Lounge in NYC at 9:30pm. I urge, urge, urge you to go to this show.

Alright! I'm getting back to posting mundane bullshit on this blog again! horay! back to the old self.