[tws]

The sweltering days of summer are in full swing, and I'm feeling like bouncing around the country. Did you guys know that Boise, ID is the home to the US' second largest Basque population, behind Bakersfield, CA? And did you guys know that Bakersfield, CA is the home to the US' largest Basque population? I don't know what they do in Bakersfield, but in Boise they have a big Basque festival every five years. The next one's in 2010, and I'm already making plans. Booyah!!

No, wait, that's not what really prompted me to type "Booyah." If you really need to know (and you do), it's because
THE BIG TAKEOVER IS PODCASTING!
And not just any type of podcasting. IT'S ON ITUNES, MOTHERBITCHES!

You see, before iTunes (the thing that is to mp3 players what Kleenex is to snotrags) accepted the radio show's podcast into its warm embrace, all of the episodes (most of them, anyway) were available on this site. Now, it's readily available to the tightly wound world of podcast listeners through a handy RSS feed.

Yeah, yeah, podcasting is glorified mp3 blitzing, but it's a pretty neat process actually. Wish that some 2nd-grade type illustration were there to inform you? Beg no more.



So, go to the iTunes store in your local neighborhood iTunes program, and just search for "The Big Takeover" and you'll see our free podcast, to which you can subscribe and never miss another overenthusiastic introduction of some indie song by Tyler, another silly accent by Jake, another smack in the face of culture by Herbie, and on and on.

Man, it's hot outside.

[tws]

First things first...

Here it is, here I am, turn it up FUCKIN’ LOUD!

RADIO RADIO RADIO RADIO RADIO RADIO -DIO!

Tonight at 10pm on www.georgetownradio.com! Tune in and show some love. Just thought I’d plug this first before getting into the meat of this entry. By the way, if you don’t recognize the reference, listen to more Rancid.

So, in an effort to do something even nerdier than ranking all of the songs on Weezer’s Pinkerton, I’m going to rank all of the songs on Pavement’s debut album Slanted & Enchanted. It isn’t even their best album (Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, for the record), but I suddenly got possessed by S&E’s critically acclaimed shambolic charm. A few months back, I wrote this treatise on how I pick Pavement was best band of the 90’s. While it’s not my favorite Pavement album, S&E is, more than anything, the definitive document of label-defying indie rock, and also what set the tone for a genuinely great half-decade of music to come. Testified:

1. Perfume-V (Track 11)
   There’s something about the line “she’s got the radio active and it makes me feel okay” over a sea of guitar fuzz that just wraps it arms around you in this warm embrace. Best song from the era of burnt-out hippie Gary Young playing drums.
2. Zurich is Stained (Track 6)
   Hipsters hate this song for some reason. I just love the groove and the way that SM washes his hands of guilt over the Swiss city being…stained. Wait, what the fuck is this song about?
3. Loretta’s Scars (Track 8)
   A textbook example of why Pavement excelled at making rock songs that didn’t sound like rock songs were supposed to. I can’t decide if I like the verse or the chorus better.
4. Summer Babe (Winter Version) (Track 1)
   Their signature song, for a good reason. Pretty anthemic as far as their stuff went, and there’s a lot to be said about any great band’s first track of their first album.
5. In the Mouth a Desert (Track 4) Slow and focused as hell. The last thirty seconds as it fades out represent everything I wish I’d been old enough to experience in the early 90’s.
6. Trigger Cut/Wounded-Kite at :17 (Track 2)
   “Lie and betrayals, fruit cover nails, electricity and lust” is probably the coolest line to start a Pavement song. “There is no castration fear” on ‘We Dance’ off Wowee Zowee is up there, too. I like how they revisited this format for track 2 on Brighten the Corners, "Shady Lane."
7. Conduit for Sale! (Track 5)
   I’M TRYING I’M TRYING I’M TRYING I’M TRYING… you get the idea. Pretty “Fall”-esque (rambling lyrics, overly but not inappropriately aggressive), but more Pavement-esque all in all. A winner when Bob Nastanovich sang the “chorus” live when he joined the band.
8. Here (Track 9)
   Hipsters love this song for some reason. It’s pretty, no doubt, and it sticks out like a sore thumb from the rest of the sloppily recorded album. It’s very interesting for a song this well-produced and mellow. Something about Spanish candles?
9. No Life Singed Her (Track 3)
   The weirdest title, I think, from a band with a shitload of weird song titles. Actually, I take that back. The title isn’t terribly weird. “I’ve got a secret for you, I cut your angel in two” is an awesome lyric, and the song gets in your face like no other Pavement song. Too bad this song, among others, make it impossible to put this album on in mixed company.
10. Chelsey’s Little Wrists (Track 7)
    The scattershot barking at the end recalls the Pixies’ “Crackity Jones” or some other Frank Black freak-out. At least it doesn’t overstay it’s welcome as the shortest song on the album.
11. Jackals, False Grails: The Lonesome Era (Track 13)
    A stalwart in the lo-fi canon. Not overly listenable, but still great, and Spiral Stairs and SM make some high quality weird guitar sounds on this. The spontaneous cut-off ending is so indie OMG! Wait…they didn’t do it to be ironic. Damn, these guys were geniuses.
12. Two States (Track 10)
    Oh, wait, here’s the anthem! I’m not a guitarist but I imagine it’s fairly easy to play. Too bad high school bands are trying too hard to pull off Op Ivy songs and not listening to enough real indie.
13. Our Singer (Track 14)
    This song is Stephen Malkmus in a box. Calm and collected, with occasional arty outbursts. A great final track.
14. Fame Throwa (Track 12)
    The album’s “Fall”-est song, which isn’t really a good thing. Mark E. Smith could have probably pulled this off in his own right, but its not the most accurate picture of where Pavement were back then. Compared to most of the stuff SM’s churned out, this sucks.

[tws]

The Capitol Fringe Festival is kicking off this weekend! Tons of great shows, so little..great..time to watch them, but still- awesome. Here is where the ticket and schedule info are. Two shows in particular I think you (by "you" i mean people at large) should check out are:



This one sounds like a riot, and my good friend Courtney, who's in the cast, has nothing but the best things to say about it. Doug, one of the members of the Diamond Dead, called into The Big Takeover this week. Hear the interview here! (It's about 12 1/2 minutes in). Anyway, it costs $15 and showtimes are Saturday, July 12 at 4:30 PM, Friday, July 18 at 9:30 PM, Thursday, July 24 at 6:00 PM, Friday, July 25 at 10:00 PM, and Saturday, July 26 at 12:00 PM. It's happening at the Warehouse Theater on 7th St NW, right north of NY Ave.

My friend Hannah, who I had the pleasure of working under in Shawn Northip's "Playdoh Golem" at the JCC, is producing her friends from NYC who call themselves Delusions of Spandex:



This looks pretty funny, and they're performing at the times listed right here, so come and check it out: Thursday 7/10 @ 8:00PM, Friday 7/11 @8:30PM, Saturday 7/12 @ 7:00PM, Sunday 7/13 @ 4:00PM, and Saturday 7/19 at 3:00PM & MIDNIGHT.

Happy theatre-going.

Oh, and I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the Laughing Lizard Comedy Showcase this Saturday night at O'Shaughnessy's. 1324 King St, Alexandria, great lineup and free as always! Come out- 10pm.

[tws]

Happy Birthday, America! To honor and celebrate the 232nd quasi-official birthday of my native nation-state, I've got a bunch of cool photos of Israel. I proudly present...



Let's just get right into it. Anyone who's been there knows that Israel is one of the most top-to-bottom beautiful places in the world. Let's start at the top. On day one, our group went for a lengthy but rewarding hike up in the Golan Heights.



As a group of 40, we met and made friends with a number of Israelis, particularly on a night out in Tel Aviv, which is one of my favorite cities in the world now. Since the group was predominantly female, we met a number of attracted Israeli men. One night, some friends and I went to Levantin 7, a rock club and saw a great show by loud rocker Aviv Mark and his friends. Afterward, one guy, who told us a lot about the show, managed to let his wallet fall into my friend Andrea's hands. He managed to keep her from wandering off, though.



The most rewarding part of the trip was getting to go on it with my sister Britt and her best friend Kat. We took a number of great photos at various spots to make our mom happy, including this one at an oasis near the Dead Sea. Mike, one of the trio of Philly guys on the trip, expressed his enthusiasm to our right.



Another one of the most rewarding parts of the trip was getting to meet and travel with eight cool-as-hell soldiers from the Israeli army and air force. Like my friends from the trip have expressed in other blogs, they were all 20,21 going on 30 considering the good the military does for you when you turn 18.



All joking aside, we got to hang out and talk everything from life, work, school, relationships, and of course, music, on the bus. One of the soldiers, Lior, had actually founded a prominent ska band called Cuban B when he was younger. Another, Lior (its a common name), is checking out Andrea's iPod on a long bus ride here.



We got to spend another night out in the tourist neighborhood of Jerusalem, which was fun, though aside from some of the best frozen yogurt I've had, didn't have a ton to offer other than jewelry and gifts. I did get this awesome photo of my sister walking up to Anat, another one of the soldiers, as she was on her phone.



We took the inevitable trek up to Masada one morning ridiculously early to see the sunrise. It was worth it. Afterward, our lovable tour guide Hagai gave us the full story of Masada and we hiked down the massive snake path.



After a series of events that involved swimming at an oasis and floating in the dead sea (it BURNS but it's worth it), we wound up in Bedouin tents out in the desert. Somewhere in there, there was a camel ride. (Photo props to Jenny, if she's reading this).

I think we hiked up Ein Avdat the next day. This photo is how great the Negev is, in a nutshell.



We wound up back in Tel Aviv, which reinforced it as one of my favorite cities. We wandered around the flea market area, where I bought some records and found this old jukebox buried underneath some chairs and such in a shed. It didn't look operational.



There are more where these came from, but I have to get going for now. In conclusion, go to Israel. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to return a bunch of messages to friends in the MidEast.

Happy birfday, America!

[tws]

Strange how two weeks out of touch, out of the country can bring such chaos upon returning. Granted, it hasn't been the horrible sort of chaos; it's just been really hard catching up and reorganizing everything. Israel was unbelievable. I'll post a few of the best photos from the trip on here sometime in the next couple of days, resized for your viewing pleasure.

For now, check out some great comedy shows this month.

AGITCOM!
Friday, July 18
8 pm - $10
THE DC IMPROV LOUNGE
It's Eric Moberg who organized this and will be MCing for myself, Jake Young, Eli Sairs, Seaton Smith, and Aparna Nancherla. It will be an amazing time and I implore each and every one of you to come and witness this spectacle.

ARLINGTON CINEMA N' DRAFTHOUSE WITH PAUL F TOMPKINS
Friday, July 25 & Saturday, July 26
9:45 pm - $18 - 21+
2903 COLUMBIA PIKE, ARLINGTON
One of standup's most outstanding figures, a veteran of such classic comedy as "Mr. Show" and his own specials, will be headlining and I'm hosting in this great, great venue. Come out!
More info here

Alright, RADIO tonight!! Gotta run.