Hey. How’s it going? I don’t really have anything to write about today but I figured I’d post something anyway. I’d hate for you all to think I’ve gone and disappeared again without warning. I don’t want to post an album today, I’d rather just write. I’ve got a really busy weekend approaching so there should be some good blog fodder upcoming. Concerts, parties, and Stephen from Japan is coming to LA! I’m excited to meet and hang out with him. I don’t go out of my way to meet Swan Fungus readers, but Stephen’s the website’s all-time top donor and one of the most-frequent commenter, so I’m making an exception for him.
Yesterday was my friend Sali’s birthday so Phoebe and I took her out to Cafe Stella for some delicious French food. I bought a bottle of wine for maybe the third time in my life? It turned out to be pretty good, I think. We shared an heirloom tomato & buratta napoleon, salmon rillettes (yummy!), braised red wine shortribs, sauteed asparagus and pommes frites with truffle oil. Oh, and Profiteroles for dessert. Afterwards we drank and danced at Harvard And Stone. Good times. Today I had the day off from work so after my morning run I doubled the dose of my liquid Vicodin and decided to spend the day enjoying the out-of-doors and soaking up some sun. I had a most amazing lunch in Hollywood and chatted with the owner of the sandwich shop for a while about food and family-run businesses. He was super friendly and cool to talk to. Afterwards I walked down to Amoeba and picked up an early birthday gift for a co-worker. I’m a good friend.
Oh, so my friend Andy came into the store the other day and was telling me about some of the bands he saw at SXSW this year. He said Cloudland Canyon was one of the best shows of the festival. I wrote about them in 2006 when Requiems Der Natur was released but never followed up with their other albums. He asked if I was hip to Odd Future yet. I said that I’d seen references on Pitchfork and in an issue of Rolling Stone but I usually gloss over that stuff because if mainstream music sources are hyping something there’s a 99% chance I won’t like it. He then proceeded tell me exactly why I needed to go home and listen with an open mind. He said he saw Odd Future at a Billboard party in Austin and they cut their show short after 10 minutes because they wanted to go to a VICE party instead. Apparently the intensity of their ten minute performance and the abrupt departure from the stage left all the old crotchety journalists and corporate folks in the audience with their jaws on the ground wondering what they’d just witnessed. As he relayed stories about the collective’s history, their music and lyrical content he couldn’t stop smiling so I knew I was in for a treat. And, yeah, okay, I’ll admit it…they’re worth the hype. I’m not even a hip-hop guy (I could maybe cite a dozen albums I like) and for the past two or three days I’ve been amassing every MP3 I can find that relates to OFWGKTA. Stellar production (dark synths, lots of space), totally warped rhymes (see: “Couch” by Earl Sweatshirt featuring Tyler, The Creator for some insanely vulgar, sexist, violent laughs)…I dig it. I sold Phoebe and Sali on it last night in the car on the way to the bar. You should dig it too.
Swan Fungus: Open-minded about music since 2011.
Tyler, The Creator – French! (featuring Hodgy Beats)
Earl Sweatshirt – Earl
Leave a comment