Last year, M invited me to listen in on a Vienna, VA bookstore lecture via zoom, which was informative, fun and empowering. We took a tour of myths and legends of the sea, and the many, mostly feminine, creatures: selkies, sirens, Calypso, Circe, russalka, the Lorelai. We browsed a collection of lit on the topic, and then M and I made some connections with our favorite songs, T V series, movies and stories we never realized were assc. w/ oceanic folklore. It was fun discussing extraordinary feminine creatures that haunt history with tales of their suffering and vengeance, and also broadening my understanding of the world around me. While some of creatures are so fantastic, I feel they must be allegories or representations of universal truths, some of the contemporary historical-fiction novels present the argument for real-life legendary women of the sea: I still have to check out The Island of Sea Women, which tells the tale of a group of Korean divers from the WWII era to present. That's on my list for today. But, since we are a music blog and one of our favorite groups to support is Car Seat Headrest, I wanted to mention my thoughts on "Bodys" by Car Seat Headrest, because its a total, total favorite. Going to this lecture helped me remember a little thought that is in the back of my mind sometimes about "Twin Fantasy." Here are my two speculations for why "BODYS" is (artfully) misspelled on the Twin Fantasy album (which is ever so fun to discuss.) To me, the misspelling is a sticking point, and I'll repeat the title over and over in my head, trying to decide how it's meant to be pronounced. Sometimes, as it echoes up there, I light upon mythological sea creatures, and it is fun trying to validate my instinctive connection with the bare-all trials of love on the album. So my theories unfold: Why? 1. It's "awk..." like the kind of new, insecure sexuality this artist reflects on and revels in/despairs over/embraces/despises, it's "cringey" or self-aware. Our minds/mouths slow to a crawl and attempt to wrap ourselves around this funny-spelled word. We are trying something new and it's bending our minds. The artist appeals to our feelings of angst, and insists dancing really helps shake out the feels. I kind of favor this interpretation because it suits the subject matter of the song. 2. But I also want to glorify the song, and imagine it's actually very sleek and cool, and instead of struggling over the pronunciation, I pronounce it in a more sleek, glib and sexy way, like "bodice." Bodys. And when I do that, and think, well, being awkward was part of my grand plan all along, I am suddenly transported to another place altogether -- the Classical mythical battle of man vs. the sea in Scylla and Charybdis! Am I making a stretch? (I don't care, I'm just having fun.) Our songwriter insists lovers are actually going into each others' mouths, being eaten when they embrace each other! There is imagination saturated in mythos, transporting me to the past, painting the drama of relationships with numb, distance, and with help from Homer and Odysseus. The concepts fill me with wonder and endearment. Erring lovers, for we are deeply predisposed to love, become embattled in a crazy vortex of force comparable to like, the awesome musical power of the second half of the "Twin Fantasy" album! The intro to this album makes a perverse comment on the functions of mythology, folklore, legends on society: that they are cautionary tales that don't work. I kind of agree that no matter how much we've read or learned, "hindsight is 2020," and it's easy to be taken as unawares as Odysseus, in situations every bit as emotionally tumultuous as a pair of giant, neighboring whirlpools. The ancients saw it coming You can see that they tried to warn them In the tales that they told their children But they fell out of their heads in the morning (Beach Life-In Death) What happened to him/ the speaker? Simplest explanation? "He got eaten." One of my takeaways from the folklore lecture was learning to appreciate the origins of myths and legends and lore, appreciating the stories for what they belie about their cultures of origin, and dwelling for a moment on what role lore and legends play in society? Why do they come about? What need to they meet and in what manner do they meet it? How do they work? Who is the intended audience?
I like imagining that this song, facing up to death and asking us to give the opposite, to dance! is so much fun, and literally, "epic." Appealing to a common memory of our parents and grandparents reminds me that generational relationships are how we keep stories, traditions alive. It's from them that we learn to be humans!
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I can't think about Car Seat Headrest's 2020 album "Making A Door Less Open" without celebrating what little I know of the life of John Lennon. I don't know what about it - maybe the chant of nine nine nine on "Famous," (I tend to mishear lyrics but it works,) or the fact that my first fave Car Seat Headrest album "Twin Fantasy" always made me think of "Double Fantasy" by John Lennon. I don't know many John Lennon songs - I grew up on Jealous Guy and Imagine, and then when I got older, I discovered some more. Watching the Wheels is so darn beautiful. I just associate John Lennon with peace. And I guess the breakup of the Beatles was a big symbol for me of political turmoil and the way it affects people's personal lives. John Lennon turning from the public eye disrupted people's core values and identities. The band's music was profoundly connected to modern life -- people depended on it. The 2000's film, Across the Universe, a 1960's-70's period movie, an innocent love story artfully inhabiting the Beatles music, captured the way the war and race politics of the 1960's dominated young people's lives and relationships on their journey into independence. Lucy forms a relationship with an Englishman, Jude, and soon finds herself entrenched in Vietnam protests, and wonders at how it happened. Her dedication makes her feel estranged from her family, except for her brother Max, who is drafted and finds himself entrenched in Vietnam, and wonders at how it happened. People get swept into the wide world and Lucy holds fast to her friendships even when it requires outstanding resistance. In Lucy's story, she joins a protest that is too radical for her boyfriend, Jude, and insists "We should all be radical!" American civil rights issues feel separate but closely-related to her protest against the Vietnam War, which is the focus of the plot. In "Making a Door Less Open," the idea of being committed to a thing to the point where your life is on the line, to being part of "some sort of war," and kind of waking up to the consequences -- it's modern and unique, but also calls back to an era of innocence, love and war already set to popular music in my head. BACK HOME AND FULL OF POTENTIAL Car Seat Headrest frontman, Will Toledo, experienced a well-attended homecoming Monday, Dec, 12, at The National in Richmond. The indie rock group, amidst their “Teens of Denial” album tour, will yet make their way up to New York, tap into Canada, hit Colorado and go as far South as Texas (way down, way down if you attended last night,) before returning to their home-base in Seattle toward the end of November. Toledo is a Leesburg, Va. native and a 2014 graduate of The College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, Va. Toledo was taken aback by the homecoming cheer, but said he was glad to have it. “There is no way there are that many people from Williamsburg here,” he said, a few songs into the energetic, mosh-pit show. There weren't. We were just noisy. During an early number I thought I could hear Toledo’s voice echo off the upper balcony, and reverberate in the white plaster dome high above the dance floor. I turned and saw audience members singing along to “Fill in the Blank,” a new release. Now, I'm still trying to get a grip on what happened since two springs ago, when we all were graduated. There's no way Car Seat Headrest was friends with all of those people in the audience...right? I guess I didn't know him too personally, either -- just thought CSHR shows were fun, and that "The Beach/ Life in Death," was good enough to take up a quarter of my radio slot almost every week. I spoke to an audience member, Maureen, a resident of Midlothian, who works for a Richmond non-profit, and was in attendance with her schoolteacher husband. She came to the show because Car Seat Headrest is her favorite band right now. Maureen listens to the radio, and she liked the songs she heard on independent music radio and podcasts. She currently blasts Car Seat Headrest while driving two teenagers to the bus stop. And, she mentioned while laughing, she cottoned them on and left them queasy thinking about what she may be up to that night. Kids, I didn't spot your mom dancing, but if she was like the other members of the crowded house, the show rocked right up to the “one more song.” Maureen said her teens didn't want to come with her. I remember coming around to my parents’ music, so that's what I told her. They’ll come around, I said. Now I am wondering whether through guidance of supportive parents, Car Seat Headrest's rockin' tunes will find their way to the hearts of a younger generation over the airwaves. To me, Maureen's support is a good indicator of this band's rising status. (This coming from another mom.) The band performed several tracks from their recent album. “Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales” and “Unforgiving Girl,” brought cheers. Drummer, Andrew Katz, thanked the Richmond audience for always “going hard.” The band gave the spirit back in a hard-driving jam after “Drunk Drivers.” They had to leave the stage and regroup after guitarist, Ethan Ives, snapped an E string. Toledo held down the fort, covering a Frank Ocean song. The encore, a two-fer, “Bodies” and “Stop Smoking,” came from a Williamsburg era album, Twin Fantasy, which has been reproduced by Toledo's new label. “Bodies” rocked the house like it did in Williamsburg, with lots of jumping around, and familiar faces (Dan and Alric) gathered in the middle of the moil. Toledo called the show here a “special occasion” for debuting crowd-pleasing “Bodies” on the current tour. The band adopts an alternative manner with the crowd. Their sing-along following for the new songs belies, to me, a pleasantly-surprised fan from the later-college days, the possession of the same skill to connect with people's spirits through songwriting. On the one hand, Toledo rarely breaks his poker face. On the other hand, he uses his voice clearly and touches so many people. Hearing talk of him going from college on to a producing studio, knowing he's formed a band with other studio musicians -- this is my closest brush with peers on a well-established record label, so it's fun to watch them conduct themselves on stage. The same dedication, adaptability, and good momentum should carry them through this tour. I'd certainly be interested to see their reception farther from home. Maureen said she appreciates the raw energy of young performers, and likes listening to what they have to say. This band played hard, covered the ground of their new album, played a few for their local friends, and conveyed a couple of take home messages, including my eternal favorite: “But as long as we move our bodies around a lot....(garble something something....) when we DANCE! When we DANCE!” ~~~~~~~~~~~ Take your hands off your neck and hold On to the ghost of my body You know that good lives make bad stories You can text me When punching mattresses gets old Don't think it'll always be this way Not comforted by anything I say We were wrecks before we crashed into each other... -Sober To Death, Car Seat Headrest (azlyrics.com) ~~~~~~~~~~~ Michelle's and my first concert together where we intended to blog. THANKS for helping me get the camera working without flash. Yes, we had a press-pass. No, only for the opening act, Gold Connections. Yes, carrying a camera bag cramped my style, but Yes, worth it! Why only posting now? ....... Seeing Car Seat Headrest at a legitimate venue with lots of adoring fans was kind of surreal. Although frontman Will Toledo claimed that “nobody cared too much” about his music at his alma mater William & Mary, where we both went to school at the same time, and that “people would come to shows […] more for something to do rather than anyone caring too much” (Vice), I think I cared a quite a bit -- I mean, I might not have been one of his revering online fans, but I really liked his music and thought he was pretty cool. Now, I wasn’t cool enough to be his friend or anything, but I like to give myself some credit for showing him to people who I think ended up booking him some shitty shows in the NoVa/DC-area, and who knows, maybe Matador found him somewhere there (I don’t think that’s how it really it went or am dumb enough to believe anyone legitimate would dare be seen at one of those shows, but I still like to give myself credit).
Plus he’s from Leesburg, and I sort of romanticized Leesburg growing up since it was slightly less shitty than my ultra-suburban neighboring town of Ashburn, and was actually in downtown Leesburg the night before at a local brewery thinking of what it must have been like growing up there, then going to W&M, and somehow becoming an indie rock star later -- I guess it makes sense, lots of angst/suppression/little to no outlets. Although Will says “There was zero music scene locally” (Rolling Stone), I was pretty proud of my shitty little high school music column where I somehow managed to interview some decent bands online and sprinkled in some of the local, shitty teenage bands who mostly covered Oasis and Dashboard Confessional to impress girls at parties. Who says that’s “zero”? Plus, I totally know “the Target and Kohl’s near the Battlefield Shopping Center” where he apparently recorded in the back seat of his parents car (Washington Post) and went to his high school for various school things, so the whole thing is kinda weird -- that music that has resonated so much with so many people originated like in my backyard and overlaps with my life in different ways, but I guess a lot of people feel that way about people they tangentially know -- but Leesburg? William & Mary? Not super cool places for the kind of sound Will managed to come out of it, but I guess context isn’t everything. Without further adieu, the setlist: 1) “Can't Cool Me Down” I love this new song! I think this was my boyfriend’s favorite, and definitely one of mine of the night/their whole discography (I’m aware of) so far. I read on Stereogum that they debuted it in Boston earlier this tour and it’s great, a very exciting suggestion of what direction they may be headed musically. Super synth-heavy (the intro was amazing and a great show-starter), and angst-laden with claustrophobic lyrics about holes in the ceiling and smokes pouring out the wall, I loved the droney vocals and chorus especially. It sort of reminded me of possibly referring to new-found fame with the “can’t cool me down” theme but still anxious-ridden lyrics about not supposed to be someplace and “blood turning watercolor.” The longer length (about 8 minutes I think) with “Beach Life-In-Death” encore also framed the whole show really nicely. Plus all the guitar-work, sort of choppy at the beginning and throughout parts, and solo at the end, were fucking cool. 2) “Bodys” (did not know they were on Jimmy Fallon, weird! Cool version though, pretty funny) Great, faster-paced song. “I just wanna hold you” and “You got some nice shoulders / I’d like to put my hands around them” with the terror of the other person’s body falling apart at any second… really fun, really sweet, really relatable (stealing alcohol from parent’s and grandparent’s, not talking a lot, letting our bodies talk instead and dance, etc!). 3) “Cute Thing” Fun, sexy, one of my favorite intros. “I am loved” and sleeping naked, great lyrics, fun, dance-y. I know Twin Fantasies is like their biggest album and I probably don’t know enough about it to know how popular this track might be, but I was pleasantly surprised to hear it! 4) “Maud Gone” Will warned this would be slower, and it was well-timed in the show. Croony, I love the instrumental that repeats with the guitar at the end, and it sort of reminded me of a weird version of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” (I know he has some Beatles influence but this is probably a stretch) with the repetition of the person being gone and it kind of wailing. 5) “Weightlifters” This one might be new, too? Can’t really find it anywhere, besides this recent YouTube video from this tour. One of my favorites. Jaggedy guitar, sort of an older sound reminiscent of more traditional rock influences vs. like low-fi, indie sound in my opinion. I liked the dissonant, thudding sounds at the end too but not sure everyone else did or whether it was sort of a “fuck you.” 6) “Fill in the Blank” Energizing, popular, dance-y crowd-pleaser. Very representative of the sort of blasé apathy characteristic of the band, but in a pretty sincere and genuine way. The “hurts, hurts, hurts” especially resonates with me and right to be depressed and holding your breathe, I jokingly wondered if this was the one on 13 Reasons Why when I couldn’t remember (I actually really like “Oh! Starving” and hope that it’ll still be played live despite the whole controversy thing). 7) “Sober to Death / Powderfinger” My absolute favorite. Sort of, slightly, country-twangy/classic rock-y, I really liked the other vocalist on this one and commented on how interestingly his and Will’s voices complement each other, and the way one of the opener band Naked Giant’s vocalist ended the song. Beautiful, great musicality, really sticks with you with the vocal delivery. 8) “America” Hadn’t heard this one before, really lyrical and nice slow one (to start, very dynamic throughout) in between big tracks. My boyfriend and I just saw his favorite band called The Midnight in their hometown of Brooklyn and they have an America song my boyfriend thinks is a nod at the Paul Simon one (his favorite musician of all-time), so I was silently making all of these illegitimate comparisons that didn’t make much sense. 9) “Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales” Obviously, another crowd-favorite. During our post-show discussion I shared that I wasn’t really sure what this song was about, like it’s got to be more than just drunk driving (otherwise I’m sure health teachers across the country would rally around it, but that’s probably just the teacher in me thinking) -- my boyfriend thought it might be metaphorical of a relationship, but it was interestingly timed toward the end while a lot of the crowd was drunk (and pretty obnoxious I might add, this one guy in particular kept requesting songs even after they started playing and it was so cringey but I thought the band was pretty graceful about it)... and killer whales? 10) “Destroyed by Hippie Powers” I like the sort of auto-biographical vibe (“killing the fucker [chubby little kid who smiled so much and loved the Beach Boys] and took his name and got new glasses”), it’s also relatable and has super catchy guitar work I probably overlooked falling behind on their newer music. (I miss “Something Soon” :( p.s. wtf). Encore: “Beach Life-In-Death” One of my faves, super dynamic, I knew immediately upon hearing it that it was an encore song and it was a great way to end the show. Overall, a really memorable concert and fun to see how many people rally behind this little band I used to see at the over-crowded Meridian Coffeehouse on South Boundary Street/Magnolia House in Cville, weird new pizza place that opened before I graduated, and music video I’m pretty sure was recorded at the dorm room we both lived at my junior year. The 7-piece act incorporating the opening band, Naked Giants, was overwhelming at first, but I thought that the additions provided some nice enhancements at some parts (their drummer at the end went CRAZY with the cow bell). I think Will has really found “his people” in the sort of cult-following fan base that has developed and can relate to the angst, implosion, and amazing flailing around on stage (so many dance interludes interwoven into each song) -- sure, I might have harshly joked how many Starbucks baristas it looked like were in the audience, but they were super passionate and into every song; it was fun and endearing and I loved it. Spotify playlist link of the tracks that are currently available on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/mgabro/playlist/2B7FSpBdueieBfzgQ6CRxN?si=MjisXNXBSd6zz97Zax52uw But I had a fantastic adventure in Santa Fe, New Mexico, taking in the luxurious display of art, admiring the offerings at the farmer's market, and trying to keep Byron's ice cream on his cone. I'm visiting friends in New Mexico for a week, and since I'm pretty young and my friends only just settled in together, I think this is the first major experience I've had taking advantage of the hospitality of my peers. They are extremely wonderful, have taken time to show me around their town and state every day, and first thing first, made sure I got hooked up to their wi-fi. E, B and I took a back road to Santa Fe, tourists together, with our ultimate destination being Meow Wolf. I thought it was a hike, since E told me to look it up and see if it was too much for B, (the B.) More later. Our drive into town, I dedicate to Will Toledo and his 2010 album, Twin Fantasy. A sculpture peeking over a residential wall, high above our car on a sudden slope, reminded me of his album art: I'll always remember the Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, and it's famous Miraculous Staircase. The whole town was vibrant on this October Saturday. Farmer's market-goers and brewery-goers made a circling throng in the Santa Fe railyards. Apples were small but extremely sweet and tart. And the heirloom tomatoes were sometimes gargantuan, a little squishy, some looked like doughnuts or fritters. I was charmed by the sage and wildflower bouquets and chili pepper-Indian corn wreaths.
Downtown we went next, intending to find this Miraculous Staircase I remembered from childhood. We found both the cathedral and chapel closed for weddings, and a wonderful wedding day it was in the weather. We walked instead, past clumped stands offering colorful woven toys and clothes, under the shade of a long porch where Native Americans displayed worked silver, carved wooden figurines and other wares on a long row of blankets, and at ice cream in a central park where citizens gathered for a presidential campaign event, and buskers and pigeons entertained us. If you can get a tour of Loretto, you will see a spiral staircase built for nuns by a travelling carpenter in 1879. The nuns had their church, but space only allowed for a ladder into their loft where they sang hymns during the service. Many of the nuns found the ladder difficult or impossible, but all wanted to participate in the choir and service. This mysterious carpenter arrived in town and said he could make a staircase for them. It was a spiral staircase built, each step on the next, with no central beam. It was small enough to fit in the back of their church. The man built it from unfamiliar wood, to suit their desperate need, and wandered on. And he built it using no nails. The nuns and all of Santa Fe now cherish this stair, and its story, which for me, is redeeming and palliative. Finally we visited Meow Wolf, which I only found out when we were talking on the plane ( ;o ), is an art gallery inside an old bowling alley. Why might it be too much for B? In my experience, a toddler is a danger to an art gallery, and finds them boring. My B couldn't hurt Meow Wolf, and got to touch everything! Expect art installations, and though I want to save the surprise for you all, it reminded me of laser tag, and was indeed unforgettable. Check out this wonderful house inside a building that has gone all wonky in the aftermath of an isolated and mysterious union with another dimention. Piece together a family from their things. Take a stab at unraveling their mystery. I'm glad I brought my toddler. He cooed and played and was completely enchanted by the exhibit, and I, following him and keeping an eye on him in a place, you'll see, where three lefts won't put you back where you began. I have a little experience visiting the indoor installations my friend made at William & Mary. When I walked into a closet she used for an art space, I struggled against my expectation that the closet must show me something, like a secret or a purpose. At Meow Wolf, I walked through a space that usually resembled a lived-in family home, expecting to find answers in the bedrooms, books and family photos. My little one kept me from getting too sucked-into the house which is also a little like a casino. You don't know what time it is outside, and all the lights and colors are distracting. Shifting through books and odds and ends of the house, and admiring and navigating some truly spectacular 3D art, stimulating video art, and interactive music toys, I couldn't read too much into anything without losing sight of B. So I called clue-hunting a wash and enjoyed the art at my little one's pace. I felt, following him, the happiness of spontaneous effervescence, and was content without trying to fit any of it together. Although the installation invites attendees to come make sense of the event in its aftermath, I suspect that no matter how many hours spent, or visits, one cannot pin down the truth. Or take in all the whimsical workmanship that is so stimulating. Especially since I hear the place changes in small ways. When we went, it was decorated for Halloween. I'm grateful for my B, since he reminded me that a challenging piece of art, or a shocking event in my own life, can cause me to wrangle my brain to set everything in order, but I can also step back and appreciate the whole thing for its own complexity. Here is a photo of the Meow Wolf parking lot to give you a sense of the neon, glow-in-the dark vibe that carries into the space. Great effects for the kids, and if you read, undercurrent themes of severe mental illness, and the bizarre. Also, for your inspiration, this is the sight that greeted me when I stepped into the blinding late afternoon sun. Check and make sure the usual hours are in effect if you go, because the space closes early and becomes a concert venue on certain evenings. |
AuthorWe are Kieran and Michelle, two 32-year-old William & Mary grads living in Virginia. Archives
March 2024
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