There's something about writing this blog that gets me to freely admit to all my trashiest pleasures.

I found a new one last week...it's Gossip Girl.  Geez, I know.  But it's so much fun to watch!  It's all scandal and drama, unfolding at an addictingly breathtaking pace.  In a refreshing move away from the oversaturation of shows about high schoolers in Southern California, Gossip Girl takes place on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.  It's about smart, bratty uniformed kids at a prep school and their sensational, overwrought lives.

This show is surprisingly good in all the ways that new "women-friendly" shows like Lipstick Jungle and Cashmere Mafia are not.  It's exceedingly well-cast, with pretty rich boys and perfect princess girls.  More importantly, the cast noticeably gels together instantly-- from the first episode they fit together and are believably friends, unlike the aforementioned Sex in the City ripoffs, which seem shallow and awkward.  This show zips along, understanding its subjects effortlessly; a major portion of the show is the oh-so-2008 spread of gossip through cell phones.  Something scandalous happens and every character knows instantly -- it's already been texted to them, or they have checked out the Gossip Girl blog, where the unnamed narrator of the show presides over regular posts about certain 'in' prep school kids' every move.  This all creates an accelerated feeling of excitement -- most soapy nighttime dramas slowly unfold their drama over weeks of overly fraught and extensive close-ups. This show smartly recognizes that the nature of technology has brought us to the point where if a school mate is buying a pregnancy test and anyone happens to see it, within 2 minutes everyone not only knows, but has a damning picture of the event taking place thanks to their handy cell phone.  Thus, the action on Gossip Girl is pleasingly quick, sort of instantly thrilling and constantly moving on.

For someone who works in a record store, it's been a surprisingly long time since I've sat and just listened to a record on my headphones.


Astral Weeks by Van Morrison is the kind of record that demands close attention like this.  The playing and imagery on the album capture the feeling of that pinnacle moment we've all experienced at times in life -- of love, of hope, of desire.  There's a tinge of loss to the record as well. 

The album sounds miraculous to me, and when the circumstances surrounding its recording are revealed, it becomes only more so. It was recorded over a mere 3 days in 1968, when Morrison was, incredibly, only 23 years old.   He used jazz musicians he had never met before to record, and a great deal of each song was improvised.  It's one of the only records I find almost impossible to sing along to-- the phrasing is incredible!  As for the musicianship on the album, the bassline in "The Way Young Lovers Do" alone is like nothing else on any rock record I've ever heard.  It's insane.  Each musician's work elevates the sound to a place of complexity and also cohesion.  Together they create a sense of otherworldliness, and that is what makes the album so special.

I can easily bring myself back to a very particular time in my life when I hear this record, and it's funny but even now, the more I listen to it, the more I hear, and the more I can sink my teeth into.  I guess what I am trying to say is that the album brings more pleasure with each listen, even over a period of many years!   When I hear the first few bars of the starting track, "Astral Weeks," I can't help but grin and sink down into the couch or wherever I happen to be sitting.  It's like revisiting an old friend.  The tracks gracefully amble along and I recapture things old and discover things new as I listen.  This record has the ability to gut you on first as well as each subsequent listening experience.

One of the central figures in The Beatles' lives and career died yesterday. 



Neil Aspinall went to school with Paul McCartney and George Harrison and he remained a trusted confidante until the end.  Neil worked as a personal assistant and road manager to the Beatles throughout their rise to fame and became an indispensable member of their inner circle.  When the boys formed Apple in 1968, they made Neil Chief Executive.  I remember reading somewhere that Neil had no idea what that meant or what precisely he was supposed to do, but in the halcyon days of the late 60s, it was anything goes and he managed to make it work as best he could, though Apple Corps is known to have leeched money from the get-go.

Nonetheless, Neil remained at Apple until last year.  He must have figured out the way to run the company successfully because he saw Apple through the breakup of the Beatles all the way to the lawsuits against Apple Computers and Steve Jobs.  He was behind the fantastic Beatles Anthology series, and contributed his own set of interviews to the documentaries, which was one of the few times he allowed himself to be seen on camera talking about his career.

Tonight's a special night for many of my nearest and dearest.

It's the farewell show for long-standing local band barbarasteele.

The band has had many different incarnations throughout its many years of existence, and tonight at Cafe Du Nord, all former and current members will perform in a climactic send-off for Nero Nava's barbarasteele. 

Nero has lovingly created The Barbarasteele Mixtape, including demos, premixes, live cuts and rare stuff, which will be offered to all attendees of tonight's show free with admission. 

It has been a year since key 'steele member Mike Jilali died, forcing a sudden but, due to the circumstances, inevitable end of the road for barbarasteele.  In addition to being the final night to hear barbarasteele songs performed, the show will function as a celebration of Mike's life.


Here's the official line up for tonight -- show starts at 9pm and costs $8:

Nero Nava and the Invitation to Love
Sexx
Ultraset
and performances by Jacqui Elliott & Marc Perry, Goliath and Relise

After tonight, Nero will continue with his new project The Invitation to Love, so keep your eyes peeled for future gigs.  Hope to see you there tonight.