I can't wait to hear this record...more Greg Dulli news

This video was directed by Mike Myers in my 'hood - the LES.

It's for a guy named Mark McAdam, a talented singer/songwriter who is signed to March Records. I've met Mark a couple of times. He's a cool guy. And I remember hearing about Mike Myers filming in the LES. Great to see the finished product.

Excited for this...Dulli is sure to come through again...

Greg Dulli's band The Twilight Singers finished their album in Katrina's wake, with little power or water

Greg Dulli is no stranger to working under difficult conditions -- the Twilight Singers' second album, Blackberry Belle, was written in response to the death of his closest friend, film director Ted Demme. But it's hard to imagine more trying circumstances than what his Twilight Singers endured in recording the band's forthcoming Powder Burns, due May 16th. The record -- which features guest vocals from singer-songwriters Ani DiFranco and Joseph Arthur, as well as an appearance by Dulli's ex-Afghan Whigs mate John Curley -- was completed in New Orleans just a few weeks after Hurricane Katrina hit.

"It was hard to finish because the power kept going out," says Dulli. "We had to use generators a lot of times to get the electricity going again. There wasn't any hot water. There were rolling blackouts almost every night, and the curfew was still in place while I was there. So it was kind of a police state that we finished it under."

Dulli had begun the record in the Crescent City before Katrina, departed for Europe on a scheduled trip -- where he watched the destruction daily on CNN -- and returned three weeks later to finish what he had begun. Though a lot of artists might have moved on to a new locale, Dulli never viewed that as an option.

"I had to finish it there because that's where I started it," he says simply. "And New Orleans had shown me so many great times that the last thing I was gonna do was abandon her at her hour of need. What that city needed more than anything at that time was life in it. So I was there for two months of the curfew. It was one of the most surreal times of my life."

Along with the serious practical hardships created by the storm and the flooding, both the Twilight Singers and DiFranco, who was also recording in the city when Katrina struck, believed their tapes might be lost. Luckily, their work was salvaged by producer Mike Napolitano, who also recorded Blackberry Belle. "Mike had to do a kamikaze-style rescue," says Dulli, "blast the roadblocks, get around the National Guard and the cops to get into the [French] Quarter to get both my tapes and Ani's tapes."

But whatever trials Dulli endured, he says, it was nothing compared to what he witnessed. "I went to the houses. Unless you would've seen what I saw -- you could see it on television and stuff, but the 360-degree, live-on-location look of New Orleans was like Armageddon. It was the worst thing I'd ever seen."

The environment, says Dulli, "absolutely" influenced the album's sound, with four tracks written after the disaster -- including the title track, "Bonnie Brae," "Underneath the Waves" and "I Wish I Was." The latter song is a kind of tribute to the city, "sung to New Orleans as if she were a woman."

Another Powder Burns standout is the melodic, slow-grooving "Candy Cane Crawl," featuring Curley and DiFranco. Dulli says the singers came courtesy of Napolitano. "Napolitano knows everybody, and everybody loves him. So if you're a friend of Mike's then you're automatically friends with his friends."

Now a few months removed from the devastation, with a Twilight Singers tour beginning in late May, Dulli sees Powder Burns, his eleventh album, as a snapshot of a harrowing, challenging time. "This one is a look back at a rather difficult portion of my life," he says. "And probably what I take away from it is, 'I can't fucking believe I'm alive.'"

I'm a traveller of both time and space...to be where I have been...

Recognize those lyrics? It's from "Kashimir" by Led Zep from the album Physical Graffiti. More importantly do you remember the album cover artwork for that album?? Now's your chance to rent an apartment that is in the building featured on the cover. It's in the east village. A 2 bedroom going for $1995 which is not bad for NYC. Raawwkkkk on! Make sure click on link in the lyrics above to see the actual listing for the rental. Click through the different photos on the site so you can compare the apt building to the cover. And you must check out the cheesy description in the listing by the agent. Too funny.

Someone is a happy girl today - 30 gigs more happy!!

I treated myself to a new iPod!! And I will christen it tonight as DJ Catskillz (that's me) will spin for my friend Carrie's Billion Dollar Babe sample sale. I'll have to figure out what music makes people buy more clothes! Ha!!

Not believing...it could begin and end in one evening...

My friend Sophie and I went to see Feist play the other night at Webster Hall. Fellow Arts & Crafts label mate Jason Collett opened. It was a magical show. While Sophie and I had to wait outside for Jason to come get us and get into the show, (massive guest list problems!!) we spotted Norah Jones on her way into the show. She's a massive Feist fan. In fact, Feist introduced me to her at the May 2004 Bowery Ballroom show. Norah actually smiled at Sophie on her way in. She's a tiny little thing and very pretty.

Feist did many songs from her album "Let It Die" including my faves "One Evening", "Inside and Out" and "Gatekeeper". She was super charming and talkative with the crowd. I'm so glad that her album has finally taken off in the U.S. She deseres it!

She was the guest on MTV2's Subterranean the other night. And they played the US version of "Mushaboom" which is fabulous. Feist flys!!!!
Check it out here

ONE EVENING

The evening was long
My guesses were true
You saw me see you
That something you said
The timing was right
The pleasure was mine

The time and the place
The look on your face
Sincerest of eyes

If you're ready or not
The state of our hearts
There's no time to take

When we started
Both brokenhearted
Not believing
It could begin and end in one evening

We were caught by the light
Held on the day
'Till it became hours
The minutes went by
The cab is outside
There's no time to take

When we parted
Moving on
And believing
It could begin and end in one evening

When we started both brokenhearted
Not believing
It could begin and end in one evening
When we parted
Moving on
And believing
It could begin and end in one evening

This looks like a cool music movie

For the past 4 years, I have made the trek out to the Coachella Music Festival near Palm Springs. It's one of the best US music festivals around in my opinion. I've seen some amazing performances there for sure. Pixies, Radiohead, The Cure, Foo Fighters, Arcade Fire, M.I.A., Queens of the Stoneage and many more.

They have made a movie of it and it's screening in NYC if you are interested.
The Coachella movie will have three screenings in New York City at The Pioneer Theater (East 3rd Street). This should get you nice and psyched up for the 2006 Festival...woo!

Coachella: The Documentary @ The Pioneer Theater
Friday 3/3/06: 11:00 pm
Friday 3/10/06: 11:20 pm
Friday 3/17/06: 11:00 pm

You have to check out this super cool video from Vitalic

This makes me happy...I hope to see it being shot...

From the NY Post:

Actress Drew Barrymore is set to play Hugh Grant's latest love interest in a romantic comedy from Two Weeks Notice writer and director Marc Lawrence. In the film, titled Music And Lyrics By, the duo will play songwriters who fall in love while collaborating on a music project. Shooting starts at the end of March in New York City. Barrymore's company, Flower Films, will also executive produce the romantic comedy. Lawrence made his feature directing debut with Grant and Sandra Bullock on Two Weeks Notice.

...it's halfspeed...it's a cruel world...BSS on TV!

I say yay Brendan...yay Kevin...yay Andrew...yay Justin...yay Leslie...this is awesome exposure! And it's a great performance from Broken Social Scene! Thanks to Judy for the link.