get down scare down

Two vlogs in one week? Shit's like fucking Christmas.



There we are, trying to talk about Thao and mostly failing. For the record, I love her voice, her lyrics and her stage presence. She's super rad live and we are just as shitty at vlogging as we are at blogging so take what you can get I guess. Hey, how about a video of Thao with the Get Down Stay Down live? It's almost as good as if I wrote something long winded about childhood memories and wistful longing and the sound of her voice.



Actually, it's better.

Poppycock

I spent way too much time looking at lolcats this morning so this might be a mess 'cause I gotta go to work in an hour and I still have to brush my disgusting mane and get my makeup on, you know, gotta paint the barn.

We saw Thao with The Get Down Stay Down last night at Chateau Casbah and her set was really fun and stuff, but we are going to vlog about the show and I don't want to give it all away now (that's what she said). We had a quickie (interview) with Justin Ringle from one of the opening bands, Horse Feathers and he offered to let us shoot him an e-mail with more questions. So, gentle readers, what do you want to know about the dude whose voice sounds like a thousand tiny angel kisses? Don't let these ponies resort to familiar tricks like "who's your favorite Bronte sister? SAY EMILY!"

not naming names on that last one or anything,

'stina.

Rugs are Oriental, people are not

I have a half-breed friend (she's half Chinese and half honkey) that once told me her Chinese mother told her eyeliner or something made her look "Oriental." That must suck. My mom just tells me that God invented whiskey to keep the Irish from ruling the earth. I don't know what she's talking about, she's usually drunk. That's why I call her the slurricaine.

Anyways, Megan and I are going to see Thao with The Get Down Stay Down at The Casbah tonight, Sharpies in hand waiting to sign titties. Megan has previously stated that signing tittes would make her uncomfortable so I guess just ask me. Miss. Beatrix Dynamite is in town but is a little under the weather so she won't be making it tonight. Send get better vibes her way!

Thao is pretty cool, we'd hang out with her. The "Swimming Pools" video is cool too:

all in a ball

At first blush the title of the Thao with the Get Down Stay Down album We Brave Bee Stings and All might strike you as ironic and clever or impossibly twee, but, like, have you ever SEEN the movie My Girl? I cried like a bitch in that movie. I cried like a bitch for twenty minutes after the credits ended. FYI: I happen to be a really tough broad. I don't even cry when I lose at scrabble, if only because that never happens.

The point is, bee stings are serious business and so is Thao Nguyen. When she sings the words, "I have seen fear and convenience, I have never glimpsed romance" or when she repeats the refrain from the same song (fear and convenience) "did he hurt you in a new way?" the sweetness of her delivery belies the sadness/wistfulness that lingers even in more ostensibly upbeat numbers and mingles with wry humor in songs such as "Bag of Hammers" and "Swimming Pools". Speaking of "Swimming Pools":



See what I mean?

The album closes with a sweet cover of Smokey Robinson's "You've Really Got a Hold On Me". Homegirl has a sexy voice and she's not afraid to use it. And when that song ends and you release your kitty from your deathgrip slowdance of eternal love (when I say "you" I'm talking about "me"), the cd will turn around and reward you with another listen to "Beat (Health, Life and Fire)", another stand out track.

To sum up: sweet indie pop, slight country influence but nothing annoying, lyrics that are both witty and heartfelt, a refreshing summer treat "like a lick of ice cream".