Thursday, March 21, 2013

Interplanetary Interlude #4: The World as Meditation

Ok, folks, a new official episode for real is coming. It requires some research, and I've been quite busy lately with my delusions and self-analysis and existential abysses opening up beneath me, with too much masturbation and bad food, with the dozen books I'm a quarter of the way through but still uncommitted to, and with THE ENDLESS NOTHING ON THE GODDAMN INTERNET (also all the cool stuff- yeah, my stuff is here, too: it's both). But until I get shit together, here's a bunch of songs with no thematic connection (actually that's not true: there's a thruline or two- can you pick them out?), only that they've provided what peace and joy I've had recently.  For those who think my voice is the worst part of these shows (as I do), this might be your favorite episode.

"The World as Meditation" is stolen from my favorite poet, Wallace Stevens. Laurie Anderson is a NYC-based performance artist (more on her soon), and "O Superman" might be the best pop song of the 80's (even better than anything off ZZ Top's Eliminator!). Muscles of Joy are a group of lasses from Glasgow (a Glasgow lass group). Tyrannosaurus Rex is the hippie precursor to the glam-rockin' gong-bangin' on-gettin'-it T. Rex. Tall Dwarfs are giant/tiny mythical creatures from New Zealand. Faust are Ger-men who sold their souls to a minor demon for the gift of perpetual but respectable obscurity. The Vertigo Swirl sound a lot like Captain Beefheart's Magic Band on this eponymous track, and I mean that as no slight. More Beefheart knockoffs please! (Oh, not you, Tom Waits. You just uh, carry on.)

Playlist

1. O Superman- Laurie Anderson
2. Interchangable Letterset- Muscles of Joy
3. She Was Born to Be My Unicorn- Tyrannosaurus Rex
4. Nothing's Going to Happen- Tall Dwarfs
5. Jennifer- Faust
6. The Vertigo Swirl- The Vertigo Swirl
7. Water Breaks Its Neck- Muscles of Joy


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