NYC POPFEST

(This has nothing to do with the post, but my mind seems to have split—I just love the puns.)


Okay, so I totally lied about updating the blog more, but quite frankly all I can think about is my thesis. So unless you want to hear all about phenomenological experience, the production of spectacle, and the turn in presence in art after 1960, there’s not much I can do.

But to get back on track (and to procrastinate writing the last six pages): NEW YORK CITY POPFEST!!

To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of music festivals—they are usually in the summer in the scorching sun as I sweat buckets and get to watch mediocre bands from a distance. I mean, at least The Pains and The Vivian Girls are playing Pitchfork here in Chicago this year, but that is barely a consolation.

New York City Popfest is definitely something I can get behind, though. Pop shows at night, scattered around New York, what could be better? Oh, the fact that Cats on Fire, Liechtenstein, The Radio Dept., The Tartans, The Smittens, Eux Autres, The Ballet, and Very Truly Yours are all playing? Well… I guess.

I must admit, San Francisco Popfest is just as tempting, maybe even more given this will be a rare stateside appearance for some of my favorite Scandinavian bands: Suburban Kids With Biblical Names, Champagne Riot, Northern Portrait, Pelle Carlberg, and Springfactory, not to mention what will possibly be TULLYCRAFT’S LAST EVER LIVE PERFORMANCE, but San Francisco is four hours away, and tickets to New York were just so cheap…

Bought my plane tickets, hotel reserved, Popfest tickets all secured, I am totally ready.

Now I just need for this stupid thesis to finish itself…

ethical dilemma in re: tullycraft

As I am preparing for tomorrow's radio show, I am having a bit of an ethical dilemma.

Last week, someone called in to my show threatening to report me to the FCC because of the word "fuck" appearing in QWEE!'s themesong, Tullycraft's "Twee." The word appears three times throughout the song, in the ever-classic "You can keep the punk rock, ska, rap beats, and house, fuck me I'm twee!" My last show marked the three year anniversary of QWEE!, at least two and a half of those years have started with "Twee" at least bi-weekly. And no one, not once, has ever called in to complain.

So now I am faced with this dilemma, and I'm sure the answer to it is obvious. I've edited "Twee" to remove those three obscenities, leaving it squeaky clean in its references to the indie pop greats, but now I can't help but feel dirty. Am I destroying this song? Is this wrong of me? I certainly don't want to get WHPK in $21,000 worth of trouble (apparently the price at $7,000 an offense), but it just seems wrong... I am pretty sure, however, that would be the first obscenity fine in twee's history.

So to that asshole who called in: fuck you.

Good thing I can say that here.