Tori Amos Interview

It's always weird to meet those artists who you've grown up with, even more weird is meeting an artist who has that iconic persona attached to them. I wouldn't consider myself a Tori fan--the ones who have seen her play 30 times and know every word to every song--I met some of these people last night and I loved their unabashed enthusiasm. I would consider myself an admirer of her work. I got all her CDs as a teenager from my mom who thought she was a smart, but also strange enough to be a good role model.

She walks into the interview sits down next to me and before I can say a word she goes "So whats you're story?". I can honestly say most artists never take the time to get to know who is interviewing them, and it really struck me that she honestly wanted to know. Even better is that she gave me 40 minutes, I'm lucky to get 15 minutes most of the time. She spoke very gracefully about everything from her new record to her daughter and husband who travel with her on tour.

The interview will be up on the Daily Indie site in about 2 weeks. So I will send out a link when it's ready. I just think people should know when certain celebrities astound you with their good intentions. Especially with Tori fans, they love her so much I want them to know that she deserves every bit of their applause. Yes, she's a little strange, but just the right amount for a role model.

Lily Allen's Heart is Murmuring

• Lily Allen has a heart murmur

• A christmas card designed by John Lennon back in 1965 is being reprinted and will be available to buy. They haven't released any pictures of it yet!

• If you sign up at loud.com you can get a free Wu-Tang song and mix cd. It’s like Myspace for MC’s. My friend Brandon signed up to get the free Wu Tang music, but I think he’s going to be a full time MC now and quit his job.

• This is why I need to live in LA.

Song of the Day: Muscles-"Ice Cream". Listen at Muscles' Myspace page.

I candy heart you,

Christy

Disney, Madonna, Bloody Valentines

Make your own Disneyland signs. I didn’t waste any time playing with this today. And, I stand behind that statement, the Jonas Brothers do suck.

Through The Wilderness is a tribute to Madonna with vocalists like Giant Drag and Lavender Diamond. Pick it up tomorrow.

My Bloody Valentine are releasing a record themselves online. Radiohead style, except you can’t name your own price.

Hawthorne Heights' Guitarist Found Dead

Over the weekend Hawthorne Heights lost guitarist Casey Calvert. He passed away in his sleep on Friday evening, the casue of death is still unkown. The band is asking for privacy for Casey and his family at this time. For more information read their Web site post here.

8 nights please!

Happy Hanukkah suckas! 8 days of awesome and here are 8 of my favorite Web sites to find interesting, cool and unique gifts this year. 

#1 

I Heart Guts
-Stuffed animals for the whole family.

#2 

Reform School
-Art, Clothing, Furnishings and more.

#3 

Curiosity Shoppe
-Vintage finds, jewelry, one-of-a-kind paintings and more.

#4 

Alternative Apparel
The new American Apparel.

#5 

Bountee
-The New threadless.

#6 

Tom's Shoes
-Buy one pair of Tom’s shoes and another is donated to a child in South Africa

#7 

Barsuk Records 2007 Holiday Package
-Get all of Barsuk CD releases from 2007 for one low price.

#8 

Gigposters
-The ultimate concert poster Web site. Buy according to band or designer.

Get the latkes and matzah balls ready. I love hanukkah.

 

Indie Tabloid Fever!!

Czech out this video of Lovefoxx (CSS) and fiancé Simon Taylor-Davis of the Klaxons cuddling on the Tube. I’m so hot for them, or maybe that’s just my InDiE TaBloID FeVuH!!

And Now The News

 -The United Nations doesn’t like Amy Winehouse.

-Tapes and Tapes have a new album!

-Blender knows Indie

-Check out the 12 best videos of the year,  according to the Plug Music Awards. Glad to see several of my nominations made the list! Brooklyn Vegan has them all up for you to watch here.

-Peter Pan got Married!

-Great article in the Washington Post about the cost of the war in Iraq.

Happy Holidays From The Daily Indie

Dear Santa,

Here are some ideas I had for the holiday season. What do you think? 

-Decode your DNA this holiday season for $1000!

-Indie compilation album is $7 and all the money goes to Toys for Tots.

-I want a Lomo camera! Someone hook me up!

-A blender that only works when you growl at it! So much cooler than my Hello Kitty toaster.

-Toilet decals make good stocking stuffers.

-Don't forget to pick up your Indie Rock-In-A-Box from Insound this year.

-This is the best DVD of the year. 

Hey Santa, did you know that Santas in Australia now have to say Ha Ha Ha instead of Ho Ho Ho? It's offensive to chicks. I'm just telling you so you don't have a lawsuit to deal with post holiday season. 

I love you Santa Claus,

Christy 

And Now The News.

-My Chemical Romance Loses Guitarist. The black parade will go on…sadly. J/K I love those geeks!

-Lily Allen to star in Dr. Who? Trainers and dresses are so sci-fi.

-Boy George is in trouble. Again.

-Quotes from the Oasis brothers from their audio commentary on their new DVD.
“Is that the little one from The Fratellis'?" - Liam on the midget at the birthday party.

-Feel good news of the day: Spiderman saves baby.

-Jay Z is number 1!! Last year I made a hip hop nativity scene. Jay Z was the baby jesus. Check it:

-White Stripes and Beck collaborate. They recorded the songs in Beck’s living room. I bet that cat has a ton of Lazy Boy’s.

-Plain White T’s will work on a new album. Hey There Delilah the sequel.

You should've gone to China, 'cause I hear they give away babies like free iPods. You know, they pretty much just put them in those t-shirt guns and shoot them out at sporting events.

I was lucky enough to see an early screening of the film JUNO, starring Ellen Page and Michael Cera. People are already calling this film the “Little Miss Sunshine” of the year, with rave reviews at both the Toronto Film Festival and the Telluride Film Festival.

Ellen Page carries this movie, with clever direction from Jason Reitman (he also directed the awesome 'Thank You For Not Smoking'). There are some hilarious lines from writer Diablo Cody delivered perfectly from an all-star cast, including Allison Janney, J.K. Simmons, Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner. Side note on Jennifer Garner—usually can’t stand her but she really made me feel for her in this film. Michael Cera plays his adorable self—with some of the cutest lines in the film. “You weren’t bored that night. The Blair Witch Project was playing on Starz….”

Despite some moments where I felt the lines, characters and set design were drowning in forced quirkiness (hamburger phones, Tara Mcpherson art on the walls, Moldy Peaches and Belle and Sebastian songs), the movie was very funny and memorable.

This movie is one of my favorites this year; I wish it was coming out sooner so I could see it again. More info and the trailer here.

Daily Indie Film Reviews courtesy of The Honda Fit!

News Roundup

-David Bowie is on SpongeBob tonight!

-Weezer has a new album coming out April 22^nd.

-Kanye’s mother has passed away following a cosmetic procedure.

-David Byrne interviewed Thom York for WIRED magazine.

-2 hour Radiohead webcast on friday, worth the wait for super fans. It didn’t work on my computer, sadface.

-A musical score in the Da Vinci’s Last Supper?

-Ladytron signs with Nettwerk Records. A new record is coming out just in time for my birthday…in May.

Geek The F*ck Out!

 

My So-Called Life DVD Box Set has been re-released!

I used to record episodes of My So-Called Life (or MSCL as I used to call it) on VHS tape and watch it with my friends.

I even thought Jordan Catalano was hot...and then he had to go start that shitty 30 Seconds To Mars band.

Here's the best scene ever.. when Jordan decides to be with Angela for the reals!! LOL! OMG! I'm awesome. 

So we got the whole box set. Tell me who your favorite character is and why, and I if I think you deserve to own the box set (which includes a book of quotes, facts and stories) then I will send it your way!

Neil Young is Cooler.

 

-I just wasted like 15 minutes voting on the NME Readers choice cool list. I didn’t vote for Alex Turner once, I don’t know how he is number one. WTF mate.

 

-If you want to partake in some online voting, vote for me and The Daily Indie on this dig poll.

 

-Interesting Read: When Pigs Fly: The Death of OINK, the Birth of Dissent, and a Brief History of Record Industry Suicide.

-I want this.

I saw Neil Young on Monday. He played a full acoustic set and after the intermission rocked out another set with his band. Yes that was me holding up my cellphone during The Loner, while everyone else (the 45-65 year old crowd) was smoking. I love it.

-

I saw the movie Juno yesterday. I liked it. Full review to come. They used the song “Anyone Else” by Moldy Peaches throughout the movie. Gave me flashbacks.

The Who DVD Box Set!!!

This DVD box set includes two feature films -- Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who and Amazing Journey: Six Quick Ones. I’m a sucker for music documentaries, even the ones nobody else likes. But I watched the movie with 3 of my friends—all of them liked it. The screening was followed by a lip synching party to “Pinball Wizard” and “My Generation”. Epic.

It’s amazing to hear these anthems that you just know the words to because they are so much a part of our culture. I never remember learning the words to The Who—but somehow I know them. 

The first film is made for all audiences, but the second film, Six Quick Ones, is for the super fans. There are interviews with Noel Gallagher and Eddie Vedder, plus incredible footage from the bands early years. Keith Moon was seriously hot. The old footage is a fascinating look at their music but also an inside look at the fashion, politics and culture of the time. Did you know that...they almost named the band The Hair and The Who, they were banned from Holiday Inns worldwide and at 17 Roger Daltrey was the king of the neighborhood? The DVD is full of stuff like this.

That's me with Pete Townsend and Rachel Fuller at South By Southwest this year. I see this picture and it feels like its fake, a Pete and Rachel cardboard cutout. But I actually got to meet them. Surreal.

If you would like to win this copy of the DVD box set,  comment below and tell me why you love The Who, what your favorite song is and anything else you think will help sway my decision!

And thanks to the Honda Fit for supporting The Daily Indie and our obsession with music documentaries. 

Top 5 Terrible Songs from the 90's That Are Awesome.

Hi. It's Christy. I just returned home from a roadtrip that inspired me to make this list. 

I'm not going to post Mp3's, but youtube these or hit up the best invention of all time Seeqpod.

1. Savage garden-I Want You
Yeah they might be known for that terrible Truly, Madly, Deeply song, but I Want You was like 100 times better. Nobody knows any of the words in the song except for that one ch-cherry cola line. But I bet you wished you knew them all. This song needs to make a comeback-any DJ who plays this is my hero. Hey Panic at The Disco, cover this song and then you might be 1/10 of the cool you think you are. Fall Out Boy you too.

2. Toad The Wet Sprocket-All I Want
Turns out they have a myspace page and they are still playing. In fact, the "sprocket"  is playing the Rock Boat
along with the next band on my list Vertical Horizon. Whats the ROCK BOAT? A nightmare of a cruise where 30 somethings get wasted and re-live the glory days when they were front row at the Sister Hazel concert.

3. Vertical Horizon-Everything You Want
First of all, nice name, second of all every song sounded the same. But their main hit Everything You Want is so tortured. Somebody told me it was about homosexual love anthem, but I dont buy that--these guys got into the business in the first place because they thought it would get them some hot action with chicks. And guess what- the lead singer is playing that Rock Boat crap! I have a better idea, Fall Out Boy change your name to Horizontal Skyline and play V.H. covers and you might also be 1/10 of the cool you think you are. Panic At the Disco you too.

4. Gin Blossoms-Hey Jealousy
Did you now this band is still together? They released a record in 2006 after being broken up since 1997. Too bad they don't put any of their old/good songs on their myspace page. Their album, New Miserable Experience, came out in 1992, and I remember my mom and my sister jamming out to the album in the car. I still  know all the words suckas.

5. New Radicals- Get What You Give
Whatever happened to this band and the bucket hat lead singer? Terribly cheesy song, but everyone loves to sing along to the part at the end where they break it down by criticizing the big playa's:

Beck, Hanson
Courtney Love and Marilyn Manson
You're all fakes
Run to your mansions
Come around
We'll kick your ass in!

Yeah! You tell 'em New Radicals! Wait, who?

6. I know its a top 5 list but I also had to include Deep Blue Something's Breakfast at Tiffany's
My older sister bought this album, and then after one listen admitted that the rest of the album sucked royally. They put this song on all 4 of their records, which also sucked royally. But the Breakfast At Tiffany's song made all those skinny brunette high school girls feel special in a time when Jacinda from the Real Word and Kelly from 90210 were popular..or maybe thats just the brunette skinny girl in me talking.

You're turn. Worst 90's hits that are awesome?