I USED TO SAY DUMB THINGS I GUESS I STILL DO

It was a disappointing sunset, only 'cause my hopes were much too high.
Harpo: Movie Star

Via Greil Marcus (again) via Simon Frith's Sound Effects via Roland Barthes: I wonder if part of what attracts me to Jens Lekman's wonderful Night Falls Over Kortedala (9.0 from this schmuck) is the sense of what Barthes called signifiance (not a typo). As Marcus puts it:

"Barthes argued that the thrill of music is not a result of one's consious or subliminal response to 'significance' (the rendering of an important idea, emotion, moment in time, or whatever -- think of how you've tried to make sense of your response to 'Like a Rolling Stone' or 'Gimmie Shelter'); rather, the thrill comes from one's response to signifiance. This odd and intriguing word has baffled Barthe's translators (some, as if to say the hell with it, have rendered it as'significance'), but Frith handles the word best: signifiance refers not to a sign but to 'the work of signification'-- not to meaning, but to 'the making of meanings'. We do not respond to symbols (doom in the dark chords and apocalyptic lyrics of 'Gimmie Shelter,' escape and release in the rising choruses of 'Like a Rolling Stone'), though we seize on such symbols and connect them to historical events or personal situations in order to explain our response; we respond to symbol creation."

Marcus/Frith go on to hold up Elvis Presley as the prime example; who the hell knows what he stood for, but sure as Memphis sits on the mighty Mississippi, Elvis stood for something: standing for something.


If we all decide that there are five pints in a quart, that's objectively true. (And a bargain!)
Jens Lekman: Interview in Paris

So if Elvis stood for signifiance, then maybe Lekman's album stands for the possibility that we can be in control of the process-- that we can make our own symbols, just as he shores these pop fragments against our 21st-century cultural ruins. I don't really have this all pinned down yet. See in the above interview (posted yesterday) how Lekman sort of makes a similar point to the one in my review-- he says the wealth of unedited music on the Web allows us all to edit out our own favorite tracks, decide for ourselves which matter, create our own Jens Lekmans and have them, Whopper-like, our way.

Side note: I love how on "Shirin", he sings, "I won't tell anyone," just as he is telling, um, everyone.

Something capable of revealing that point of access which provides a shortcut to the magical realm behind this spectacle.
Mainly Spaniards: That's What Friends Are For

Here's something worth getting political about. In Vanity Fair, Evgenia Peretz goes on at length about what the indefatigable Bob Somerby calls the press corps' two-year "War Against Gore": the one where the brightest, best-paid pundits at The New York Times, Washington Post, NBC, and MSNBC-- not just FOX or crazy right-wingers-- falsely convinced you that Al Gore said he'd invented the Internet, claimed he personally discovered the infamous Love Canal toxic-waste site, invented that he and Tipper were the inspiration for the novel "Love Story" (the author has said they were), changed into "earth tones" at the behest of Naomi Wolf (Wolf has denied this, the original reports were based on speculation by disgraced former Clinton aide Dick Morris, and besides, who doesn't occasionally wear "earth tones"?), etc. etc. etc.

A sample of the kind of misconduct which, in any other profession, would get someone fired or possibly sued:

"MSNBC anchor Brian Williams went after Gore's clothes at least five times in one week. 'Here is a guy taking off his suits.… This is the casual sweater look—what's going on here?' … 'He would have been in a suit a month ago.' … 'He's wearing these polo shirts that don't always look natural on him.' Williams's frequent guest Newsweek's Howard Fineman later chimed in: 'I covered his last presidential campaign, in 1988. One day he was in the conservative blue suit, the next he was playing lumberjack at the V.F.W. hall in New Hampshire.'

"And Gore just kept going on about issues. Alluding to five speeches he made in two months on education, crime, the economy, faith-based organizations, and cancer research, [the Times's Katherine] Seelye wrote, 'Mr. Gore becomes almost indignant when asked if his avalanche of positions might overwhelm voters.' The Washington Post's David Broder later found Gore too focused in his convention speech on what he'd do as president. 'But, my, how he went on about what he wants to do as president,' wrote Broder. 'I almost nodded off.' As for the environment, while Gore was persuaded by his consultants not to talk about it as much as he would have liked, whenever he did, many in the media ignored it or treated it as comedy. Dowd wrote in one column that 'Al Gore is so feminized and diversified and ecologically correct, he's practically lactating.' In another, referring to his consideration of putting a Webcam in the Oval Office, she wrote, 'I have zero desire to see President Gore round the clock, putting comely interns to sleep with charts and lectures on gaseous reduction.'

"The trivial continued to dominate during the postmortem following Gore and Bush's first debate, on October 3, 2000. The television media were sure Gore won—at first. But then Republican operatives promptly spliced together a reel of Gore sighing, which was then sent to right-wing radio outlets. Eighteen hours later, the pundits could talk of little else. 'They could hear you audibly sighing or sounding exasperated as Governor Bush was answering questions,' Katie Couric scolded him the next day on the Today show. 'Do you think that's presidential behavior?' For the Times's Frank Bruni, the sighs weren't as galling as Gore's familiarity with the names of foreign leaders. 'It was not enough for Vice President Al Gore to venture a crisp pronunciation of Milosevic, as in Slobodan,' he wrote. 'Mr. Gore had to go a step further, volunteering the name of Mr. Milosevic's challenger Vojislav Kostunica.'"


These people are still among the most prominent, highest-paid people in my profession. They are responsible for George W. Bush. They are responsible for the Iraq war. They do not care about you. And they will not do their jobs (John Edwards has fancy haircuts! Rudy Giuliani is Mayor of America! Fred Thompson is hung like a mule!) unless we stand up to them.


Final thought: If anyone knows where to find the "dub" version of Shai's "If I Ever Fall in Love" that Diplo uses on this insanely awesome mix, please, for the love of Christ, hook a writer up.

NO ONE CAN LIFT THE DAMN THING

The harder it gets the more he screams "CALL ME ELWAY!"
Brad Neely: American Moments of Maybe

i think people think i'm being funny when i'm being really serious. i don't like to act serious, because i think that's empty. i think most of rock is the opposite. people don't mean anything, but they act sincere and emotional and that's supposed to be enough. like, bands that feel it and they make faces when they sing and they sing this meaningless drivel that's emotive, and people think, "oh, they mean something." but they don't mean anything.
- james murphy


Cool yet desperate, ours yet yours.
Whigfield: Saturday Night

Just so you know, a woman who has as much teaching experience as my fiancee-- a mere three years, mind you-- who claims to have achieved astronomical test score gains no one can document, and who also claims to have been praised to high heaven in countless newspapers despite no evidence of such praise existing, is about to get paid loads of money as chancellor of the Washington, D.C. public schools. Previously, she paid herself loads of money as the head of a nonprofit. Naturally, this woman, one Michelle Rhee, has lots of rich friends who will vouch for her. That's as good as proof of her seemingly bogus qualifications, apparently, because the city council, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and even the Washington City Paper have all stopped asking questions-- whatever, it's only black kids, right? Bob Somerby hears The Music Man.

1. Jonathan Richman: Not So Much to Be Loved as to Love
2. The Lucksmiths: Great Lengths
3. Bob Dylan: New Morning
4. Van Morrison: Sweet Thing
5. The Zombies: This Will Be Our Year
6. Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald: Our Love Is Here to Stay
7. Gal Costa: Baby
8. Nick Drake: Northern Sky
9. Iron & Wine: Lion's Mane
10. The Softies: It's Love (PRELUDE)
11. Yo La Tengo: Our Way to Fall (PROCESSIONAL)
12. The Divine Comedy: Perfect Lovesong (RECESSIONAL)
13. The Magnetic Fields: The Book of Love (FIRST DANCE)


I think the most important message of all is that we can't let ourselves be like Mark Hogan and forfeit all aspects of our daily lives because we are certain about the day and hour of Christ's return.
Hello Saferide: Long Lost Penpal (feat. Firefox AK)

It's finally time for your offnotes RIFFMARKET Status Ain't Hood Quarterly Report, Mid-Year Traxx Edition. I'm not certain as to numerical placements just yet, but what the hell, we have a world of Boredoms drum thingies to win:

1. UGK: International Player's Anthem (feat. Outkast)
2. LCD Soundsystem: All My Friends
3. Josh Ritter: Right Moves
4. LCD Soundsystem: Someone Great
5. Los Campesinos!: You! Me! Dancing!
6. Simian Mobile Disco: I Believe (feat. Simon Lord)
7. R. Kelly: I'm a Flirt (Remix) (feat. T.I. and T-Pain)
8. The Tough Alliance: First Class Riot
9. The Field: Paw in Your Face
10. Gui Boratto: Beautiful Life

Let's also talk about:
Lullatone: Bedroom Bossa Nova
Lil Mama: Lip Gloss
Justice: D.A.N.C.E. (Radio Edit)
Good Books: Leni (Crystal Castles Remix)
Panda Bear: Comfy in Nautica
Chromatics: In the City
The Honeydrips: (Lack of) Love Will Tear Us Apart (feat. Hanna)
Deerhunter: Wash Off
Arctic Monkeys: Do Me a Favour
Frankie Valli: Beggin' (Pilooski Edit)
Cool Kids: Mikey Rocks
Curtis Vodka: Hey Girl
Amerie: Gotta Work
The Tough Alliance: Silly Crimes
Lil Wayne: Black Republicans (feat. Juelz Santana)
Lil Wayne: Upgrade (Freestyle)
Young Jeezy: 3AM (feat. Timbaland)
Taken By Trees: Lost and Found
Art Brut: Direct Hit
Avril Lavigne: Girlfriend (Remix) (Feat. Lil Mama)
Ne-Yo: Because of You (Radio Edit)
Natasha Bedingfield: I Wanna Have Your Babies
The Postmarks: Winter Spring Summer Fall
A Sunny Day in Glasgow: 5:15
The Teenagers: Homecoming
WinterKids: Tape It
DJ Khaled: We Takin' Over (feat. Akon, T.I., Rick Ross, Fat Joe, Birdman & Lil Wayne)
The Go! Team: Grip Like a Vice
Swizz Beatz: It's Me Bitches
The Good, the Bad, and the Queens: 80s Song
Young Jeezy feat. R. Kelly: Go Getta
Simian Mobile Disco: It's the Beat (The Teenagers remix)
Fat Joe: Make It Rain (feat. TI, R. Kelly, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne & Baby)
Sly Hats: Vampire Sips (Muscles Remix)
Robin Thicke: Lost Without U
Kate Nash: Foundations
Feist: I Feel It All
Lucky Soul: Lips Are Unhappy
Gruff Rhys: Skylon!
No Age: Neck Escaper
Roisin Murphy: Overpowered
Matthew Dear: Deserter

SUMMER RERUNS UNTIL AFTER THE HONEYMOON. THE NEXT TIME YOU SEE ME, I WILL BE MR. MARC HOGAN.


Hand in hand on the nursing home bus.
UGK: International Player's Anthem (feat. Outkast)

WE HAVE A WORLD OF PLEASURE TO WIN, AND NOTHING TO LOSE BUT BOREDOM

Come as you are as a friend as I want you to be.
The Honeydrips: (Lack of) Love Will Tear Us Apart (feat. Hanna)

"[W]e commented from the outside looking in. And that's what a lot of people have difficulty doing nowadays. There is no longer an 'outside'. They have no idea what the outside is. Some people think the Gap is outside."
- Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, in the July issue of The Wire

Name one person who thinks the Gap is "outside".


We all gotta live with the fact that we aren't Bob Dylan.
Hot Chocolate: It Started With a Kiss

Better never than late: Chinese Democracy. Better late than never: your offnotes RIFFMARKET Status Ain't Hood Quarterly Report, mid-year albums edition (traxx list ideally finally arriving before my wedding date).

1. Deerhunter: Cryptograms/Fluorescent Grey double-LP


2. LCD Soundsystem: Sound of Silver


3. Lil Wayne: Da Drought 3


4. The Tough Alliance: A New Chance


5. Josh Ritter: The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter


6. The Field: From Here We Go Sublime
7. Panda Bear: Person Pitch
8. Sally Shapiro: Disco Romance
9. Feist: The Reminder
10. Simian Mobile Disco: Attack Decay Sustain Release

11. Justice: †
12. Art Brut: It's a Bit Complicated
13. Battles: Mirrored
14. Los Campesinos!: Sticking Fingers Into Sockets
15. Various Artists: After Dark
16. The Good, the Bad, and the Queen: The Good, the Bad, and the Queen
17. Lucky Soul: The Great Unwanted
18. The Tough Alliance: New Waves EP
19. Air France: On Trade Winds EP
20. The Twilight Sad: Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters

PLUS:
A Sunny Day in Glasgow: Scribble Mural Comic Journal
The Clientele: God Save the Clientele
Dan Deacon: Spiderman of the Rings
Gruff Rhys: Candylion
Gui Boratto: Chromophobia
Dinosaur Jr.: Beyond
King Khan & the Shrines: What Is?!
The Postmarks: The Postmarks
Lullatone: Plays Pajama Pop Por Vous
The Crayon Fields: Animal Bells
Sakert!: Sakert!
Spoon: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Blitzen Trapper: Wild Mountain Nation
Deerhoof: Friend Opportunity
The National: Boxer
Electrelane: No Shouts, No Calls
The Studio: Yearbook 1
Okkervil River: The Stage Names (probably with a bullet)
Taken By Trees: Open Fields
Pantha Du Prince: This Bliss
David Torn: Prezens
Marnie Stern: In Advance of the Broken Arm
Bowerbirds: Hymns for a Dark Horse
Matthew Dear: Asa Breed
The Tuss: Rushup Edge EP
Lil Wayne: The Greatest Rapper Alive
The Manhattan Love Suicides: The Manhattan Love Suicides
Junior Boys: Dead Horse EP
Young Jeezy: The Inspiration
No Age: Weirdo Rippers
Klaxons: Klaxons
Kathy Diamond: Miss Diamond to You
The Capstan Shafts: Her Versus the Sad Cold Eventually
Liars: Liars
!!!: Myth Takes
No Age: Weirdo Rippers
Sea and Cake: Everybody
Frog Eyes: Tears of the Valedictorian
A-Trak: Dirty South Dance
Ne-Yo: Because of You
Deerhoof: Friend Opportunity
Grinderman: Grinderman
Nas: Hip-Hop Is Dead
Stars of the Lid: And Their Refinement of the Decline
Ricardo Villalobos: Fizheuer Zieheuer
Arctic Monkeys: Favourite Worst Nightmare
Amerie: Because I Love It
Swizz Beatz: One Man Band Man
Boris with Michio Kurihara: Rainbow


Want you to turn the lights off, me on.
Gorillaz vs. Men Without Hats: The Safety Dance

TOO SOON TO CALL:
Animal Collective, Super Furry Animals, all the stuff I really like that I forgot