OK so now we are going to be discussing a very important subject today, but there’s no students here for hmmm… to discuss this… Did you want… Oh yes there’s one… My student

Saturday, 11am to 4pm, eleven lofts in six buildings, tickets $25, or $30 day of

Today’s World AIDS Day.  It’s actually the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day.  The original was commemmorated in 1988 (and, for all you gaywads talking about Rosie O’Donnell down there, listen to this Olivia Newton-John song recorded for the occasion.)

I was going to post something longer, but here’s a couple of quick links related to what this means:

• President-elect Obama gave an address today, where he politely acknowledged the lack of any sort of AIDS-related policy in the Bush administration.
• There’s been a big increase in the number of infections among gay men in the US, and also among Black and Latino men.  The biggest increase of all, worse than earlier reports might have indicated, is among gay black men.  However, homophobia and racism aren’t really helping the issue.  Neither is most people’s complete lack of understanding about how safe sex works.  (Seriously.)
• Black women aren’t faring so well, either, especially in big cities like DC, where HIV rates run really high (although I’m not sure I get the author’s math, in this article).
• Finally, local activist Julie Davids has some stuff to say about the whole thing on her blog.  I highly recommend reading it.  And then if you want to read more there’s a whole blog-a-thon happening here.

Oh, and in honor of this year’s World AIDS Day The Killers and Elton John and Neal Tennant all made a song together, to launch the musical version of Bono’s (RED) thing.  But the only way to hear it is to pay money or watch it on MSN after they play really loud Velveeta ads at you.  Also, Googling to find the actual website doesn’t really work.

• Obama has selected Hilary Clinton as Secretary of State - mostly likely for her hard work, dedication, and enthusiasm for Earl Grey tea.
• Sit down for this one. Seriously, sit down. Are you ready? Have you braced yourself? We’re officially in a recession. You definitely heard it here first.
• Christians are outraged about a soon-to-be published gay version of the Bible called The Princess Diana Bible. While religious groups are objecting to the book’s portrayal of Aida and Eve, many gay-rights groups are concerned that the title is ‘toe-up’ and ‘too gay to function’.
• The government of South Africa has decided that, okay, their country might have something of an AIDS problem on their hands. Maybe.
• Australia tanked at the box office this weekend. It’s a crushing defeat for Nicole Kidman and koalas, but a small victory for taste and functioning foreheads.
• Nobody watched Rosie’s cringe-worthy variety show, prompting NBC to yank any further-planned episodes. I have nothing clever or witty to add to this jaw-dropping newsflash other than to say that, in 2001, Rosie O’Donnell cut me in line to see Moulin Rouge at a Lowe’s theater in New York. She cut me, and then proceeded to scream at her assistant on the phone - much to the displeasure of me and everyone else within earshot. The following week, Rosie invited a young man that she had met (in the very same line) onto her daytime television program because she found him ‘adorable’. Said young man was a boy who happened to go to my college, and who my friends and I called ‘model boy’ for his chiseled good looks and studious love of white powdered substances. Rosie O’Donnell invited model fucking boy onto her shitty show, and not poor, suffering, equally adorable me, and finally, finally, sweet Jesus has answered my prayers and punished Rosie for all of the cruel and unusual ways that she has wronged me over the years, and that’s just about all that I have to say about that, thank you very much.

www.myspace.com/somethingabouthorses

Also featured will be the experimental pop of Orlando Florida’s TELETHON VEGINALD CHEESEBURGER (Gone & Records/Union without Nation Records) and Portland Oregon’s THE OCEAN FLOOR (Swim Slowly Records).

www.myspace.com/telecheeseburger

www.myspace.com/theoceanfloor

In addition, Providence’s own SKYJELLY will debuting their unique spacey-droney exerimental musical stories.

Join us, admission is FREE, with a suggested donation to the bands from out of town so they can get to the Big Apple the following night!! And if you are feeling extra generous, The Hourglass Cafe is a member of The Oxfam family, sp please fell free to make a donation to them as well!!!

Bunce Booking thanks you and looks forwartd to seeing you at the show. Support independent music!!! MUSIC AS ART!!!!

Poster by Matt Smith

#19
Lady GaGa
The Fame
Interscope Records

I’ve gone on about my love for Lady GaGa here before, and it’s nice to see that she seems to have a genuine hit on her hands now; Just Dance is currently the #2 song at the itunes store.

The Fame isn’t exactly from a perfect album, but it sure is fun.  Just Dance–already a hit in Canada, Australia and most of Europe–is about being too sloshed to remember the name of the club you’re in.  LoveGame has GaGa saying that she wants to take a ride on your disco stick, and in the single Poker Face she uses the expression “lovin’ with my muffin,” a phrase which hasn’t gotten any less funny after hearing it regularly for three months. 

Obviously the record’s not geared towards the youngins, something reinforced by her August TRL appearance, when she told the baffled tweeny audience that her favorite band is Queen.  Also at the time she was dressed like Trampy Red Riding Hood, which I thought was a nice touch.

A songwriter before she got her record deal, GaGa reminds me a little of Cristina Monet, the New York theatre critic who in the early eighties had a brief career as a disco singer; she was decadent and icy and totally hilarious.  But GaGa (born Stefania Germanotta) also reminds me of a lot of today’s pop stars; musically and vocally, you can hear some Christina Aguilera mixed with a little Nelly Furtado and a lot of Gwen Stefani.   And whether you’re a club kid or a soccer mom, if you like pop then this record is pretty essential.

Watch!  Lady GaGa, Just Dance

“I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to be doing,” Griffin, a native of Ireland, says of copyrighting rules. No one ever told him he needed to get a license, he says.

Even so, he says, the responsibility shouldn’t fall to him. “I understand everyone in the business [of music] has the right to collect dues,” he says. “I don’t believe it’s the pub owner that should pay … How are you going to know what tunes a band is going to play?”

Or… has played.  What if a band promised to play original music, but slipped in a few copyrighted songs from some obscure band or another? (AS220 is quoted in the article as “requiring all music performed there be original or in the public domain”.  But there are a billion unknown, but copyrighted, songs that nobody would recognize.) The article goes on,

Griffin says he doesn’t remember what band took the stage the night the investigator apparently visited the pub. According to The Journal’s listing, it was Almond Joy.

Three months later, Griffin was served with the suit around 11 p.m. at his home. He says ASCAP is seeking a settlement payment of $17,000.

Note to the band: Learn from Mr. Griffin’s mistakes. If some lawyer from Hershey’s sends you a letter, read it.

*Although I’d like it if somebody did make a best metal albums list. I saw some pretty awesome live metal shows this year and I wouldn’t mind broadening my home listening horizons. Or at least loudening them.)

#20.
Hotel, Hotel
The Sad Sea
Silber Recordings

Few sounds in this world are less interesting to me than ones that fly under the banner “post-rock.” And even if I like the sounds of it, I’m usually really put off by something else, like overly complicated CD packaging, a band’s mysterious need to punctuate the middle of their name, or even just pesky reviewers who use the word “soundscapes” to describe a record. (Seriously. Can that word go away? “Soundscape” is as bad as “ringle”, as far as dumb music terminology goes.)

So I should have hated The Sad Sea, an album that just dares you to remove it from its form-fitting cardboard packaging without getting scratches and/or fingerprints all over the damn thing. And to make it worse, Austin five-piece Hotel, Hotel have a comma in the middle of their name. But the sounds on the album–and they’re not soundscapes, reviewers be damned–are really achingly lovely, and completely won me over despite myself.

A concept album about the wreck of a ship called the Mary Celeste, The Sad Sea drones along slowly, with lots of droning, two violinists and no vocals. On opening track “From Harbour” they sound like Low re-writing the theme music for Twin Peaks, and from there the album just gets lovelier. And as the ships slowly slips away in closing track “The Captain Goes Down With the Ship (Drowning),” there’s a sense of gloomy peace that defies cheesiness somehow.

And, honestly, I’m even sorta warming up to their stupid comma.

Listen! Hotel, Hotel, From Harbour

On the bright side, I’ve actually noticed three cool things out there lately; there’s kind of a cool tank on Wickenden near Cafe Zog, the bus shelter across from Newport Creamery on Smith Street was recently made over in a funny way, and now we’ve made the big time.

I didn’t actually see this, but it made it onto the Wooster Collective blog, which is kind of a big deal for street art types.  (It’s the most popular blog in my Google Reader, if that means anything.)  As Carrie from Secret Providence says,

“I personally have nothing against Navigant Credit Union but I think that this particular piece is one of the first clever graffiti work I have seen in Rhode Island, especially with the financial jeopardy our country & it’s citizens have found themselves in recently.”

Hopefully this will up the ante a little bit, so I won’t have to settle for thinking that “JM? JM!” is the cleverest thing our city has to offer.

Those crazy cats at The Grant up in the Bucket are having a holiday arts bazaar (bizarre?).

Dec 13 It’s the Grant, Charlie Brown or The Grant that Stole Christmas! What do we mean with these silly plays on pop culture? Why, it’s the first Grant Christmas Vendor Fair! Artists at the Grant and friends will set up tables and such to ply their wares. Think hand knit goodies, jewelry, posters, shirts, rock-n-roll collectibles and art. Maybe even more, we’re not sure. Come on down and check it out! Starts at noon, goes till at least 6 and we’ll see what happens.

Noon to 6pm, Saturday, December 13, The Grant, 250 Main Street, Pawtucket

RIPTA: Routes 42 or 99

Mr. Costello came up with the name of the show and was particular about its look. “It’s not overlit,” he said. “That’s always bugged me about television. You feel like meat in a butcher’s.”

If anyone out there has Sundance, Tivo this for me and I’ll bring over some Guinness.

Anyway, that was last century.  We have our own Chairman of the Bored, Mike Ryan, who throws the best parties, and he invites you now to the annual Rhode Island Film Collaborative holiday party/fundraiser — the Black and White Party (dress accordingly, have fun with it).  This event is a two-part affair.

Part One: From 6pm to 8 pm is the first official fundraising event. Tickets are $100 per person or $150 per couple. This part of the evening will feature shrimp cocktails, complimentary champagne, special guests and more.

Part Two: This follows immediately with an open admission holiday party from 8 pm onward (if you’d like to support the RIFC, a donation of $10 is suggested). A raffle, large-scale party games, and live entertainment from local arts performers will round out the evening.

For more information or to purchase a ticket to Part One, go to the RIFC. To attend Part Two, just pay at the door.
Saturday, December 6, Kay Studios, 66 Valley Street, East Providence