sugartown

As Summer Approaches...

I think about the perfect summery mix.  Possilby something to rollerskate to near a beach or something equally picturesque?  Or maybe to loaf in a field of ladybug filled flowers?  Or skipping through a cemetary, for all of you dour types perhaps?

I'm thinkin' such a mix might look a little like this:

Beach Fossils - Plastic Flowers

A wake cover.  Those jangly guitars & girl & boy vocals -- oh man, it just kills me every time.  And here's another track I'm enjoying, which is a bit newer: 

 

 

Lotus Plaza - Strangers

This is Lockett Pundt (you know, the dreamy guitarist) from Deerhunter's solo project.  "Strangers" is the first single off of the forthcoming "Spooky Action from a Distance" album. It's beautiful & man, is he easy on the eyes -- everyone wins!  So here he is performing the song -- LIVE: 

 

 After watching I say this to the heavens above:  please send me this guitar angel man.

Violens - Der Microarc

This song is NEW & so lovely. I'm excited to hear the full-length which is out on May 15th.  Here's the video for the song:

 

 

 Only three songs you say? Oh I have more that will go on this summer mix.  Like an episode of CHiPs, this is a To Be Continued....

Oh, Paris!

You may not know this about me, but beneath this tuff exterior lies a sappy, mushy interior. Ah yes, I am a secret romantic.  I hide it well, I try to anyway.  Nothing makes me swoon more than a chanteuse/chanson bluurbling about whatever it is they are singing about (sadly I don't speak French -- Quelle tragédie!)

It goes without saying that I loved the movie "Midnight in Paris" & "Amelie."  Mon Dieu, I am a cliche. Here French songs that I am particularly enjoying right now:

Pink Martini -- Je N'est Veux pas Travaille

Rufus Wainwright -- Complainte De La Butte

Earth Kitt -- Je Cherche Un Homme

Charles Trenet -- La Mer

Je T'aime.

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes Teenage Dreams Really *Do* Come True!

First off, what you are witnessing is the resurrection of SUGARTOWN.  Yes, this is happening!  After about two years of inactivity, I am back.  Let's hope I don't become bored with myself too soon.  Encouraging messages welcome.

It seems fitting that the first thing I should get to gush about is the HOLY SHIT AM I DREAMING EVENT happening in April: Chickfactor is having a 20th Birthday Party!  They're putting on two sets of shows. One will be at The Bell House in Brooklyn on April 10, 11 & 12 & the other will be on April 6 & 7 Artisphere in D.C. (Arlington)!!  I got my tickets to the Brooklyn shows & now I just have to wait 3 WHOLE MONTHS for it....

So who am I most excited about seeing?

Black Tambourine

 

06 Throw Aggi Off The Bridge

Small Factory

 

Sadly, I don't have any Small Factory anymore.  I love the album "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got"  & the songs "I'm Not Giving Up" & "Valentine" are just...so so good.

Lois

 

01 Davey  Oh this one is a gem! 

Aislers Set

 

01 Friends Of The Heroes  Just lovely.

Pipas

 

05 Basements

The Legendary Jim Ruiz Group

 

10 Stormtrooper

So pretty much all of the first two nights!  I can't make the third night so I'm not even going to entertain the thought of who I'm missing (it will be good too...dammit).  This is a do-not-miss, once-in-a-lifetime event so get your tickets before it sells out!  Who knows when these people will be lured out to play for us again?

For further reading, here's a handy Guide to the Chickfactor Party Line Up in Brooklyn.  Maybe I'll see you there!  I'll be the girl with the glasses weeping tears of joy off to the side, nerdishly singing all the words along with everyone else.

I'm obsessed with Sophie Blackall's gorgeous illustrations of Missed Connections.  They're so whimsical & beautiful I sort of can't stand it.

On her blog, she describes the missed connections she depicts as: "Messages in bottles, smoke signals, letters written in the sand; the modern equivalents are the funny, sad, beautiful, hopeful, hopeless, poetic posts on Missed Connections websites. Every day hundreds of strangers reach out to other strangers on the strength of a glance, a smile or a blue hat. Their messages have the lifespan of a butterfly. I'm trying to pin a few of them down."

Luckily, you can purchase some of this beauty for yourself at her Etsy shop.  I bought two the other day but darn it if I haven't found more that I want already!  I just might have to dedicate an entire wall of my apartment to her work at this rate & I see absolutely nothing wrong with this.

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Everyone's talking about Broken Bells - the collaboration between Danger Mouse & James Mercer from The Shins - with good reason, it's pretty awesome from what I've heard so far.  Here's a track that I especially like, which is the title track of their release:  Broken Bells -- The High Road

The next band - called Cults - have no musical past but seem to have a future together if they decide to continue.  They're getting a buzz since Pitchfork posted them as their weekly Best New Music pick a few weeks ago but seem to be a couple who posted their songs for their friends to listen to -- this must be irritating on so many levels to all of those bands hustling to have their music heard out there. 

In any event, they have a Bandcamp site where you can download their three songs for FREE, including this little number, which I find quite lovely:  Cults -- Most Wanted

Okay so The Radio Dept have a full-length coming out in mid-April & I really couldn't be more excited about it.  It's called "Clinging to a Scheme" -- you can pre-order it from Labrador & listen to a track called "The Video Dept" from the album via YouTube.

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Oh & like I'll be spinning more new stuff I've been hearing tomorrow on my weekly internet radio show Sandy Acres Sound Lab on East Village Radio so listen live from 10 am to noon EST if you can or check it out later.  Listen in won't you?

DJ With a Headache

Oof.  My head hurtz.  I was trying to find a funny old tyme-y ad to illustrate my headache but stumbled across this fucked up thing.

<---- Please explain wtf they are talking about -- do her ladyparts stink or something?? 

Anyway, it has been awhile.  I've been ramping up for what will be an INSANE summer for my little DJ company, popshop! djs.  Apparently people continue to get hitched even in the midst of an economic meltdown -- even in New York City (thank GAWD) & we're all getting a ton of work.  It's great!

Absolutely nothing to complain about -- except this headache.  Poo.

Some major (not really) updates:

- I finally broke down &  joined Twitter.  I know, I know - it is mostly THE WORST.  But I'm really using it only for music/DJ purposes, so like if you live in NYC & want to know where I'll be spinning next, you might want to sign up.  Or if you want to know if I've updated this blog, then you might want to too.  I don't get all philosophical or think-y on there or anything (unless you count my occasional outbursts like about ELO & how Jeff Lynne is a golden god, but those are pretty rare).

So my Twitter handle is: ladycrumbcake -- There.  Go nutz!

- I know many of you are closet DJs so here's a fun way to be a "DJ" without getting yer phat ass off of the couch:  blip.fm!  And because I am a joiner now & join everything, I went & got myself a "station".  It's not enough for me to have a radio show on East Village Radio (Sandy Acres Sound Lab) -- no, I must have a presence EVERYWHERE.  

MUSIK DU JOUR:   "Songs that won't make your headache worse"

Emily Haines & the Soft Skeleton -- Our Hell -- I love everything this woman touches & the lyrics to this song just break yer heart.  Emily Haines & the Soft Skeleton MySpace HERE.

Mirah -- Words Cannot Describe  -- Ah the lightheartedness delirium of crushing hard on someone.  Mirah's MySpace HERE.

Cass Elliott -- Dream a Little Dream of Me (Introduction)  -- just heavenly!  You can learn a little bit more about Cass HERE.

Does anyone out there have that Medicine song "Time Baby 3" -- I've been looking for an MP3 everywhere on the internets & can't find it.  The slow, Cocteau Twins-ish version. Help a sister out.