jenny and alanis

petrov went with his "poo-bear" to see Rilo Kiley at 9.30club. the concert was great and petrov loves the suddle hints of country music that break through the songs. On one end there is "Silver Lining" and on the other there is "The Moneymaker". Further it amazing what you can do with a gold stage curtain, petrov usually enjoys the video backdrop, but for Rilo Kiley, the curtain seemed just perfect. for further detail on the show you can check out BYT (here). They took the effort to get close enough to the stage to see that Jenny Lewis was wearing hoochie shorts, which petrov couldn't see from the back. so much for a show Mr and Mrs Petrov could go to.

on a second note, petrov found out a few weeks ago that everyone has not yet seen Alanis' "My Humps" video. shame on you! obviously its a diss on Fergie (and rightly so) as the song turned out better and the video is well.... just watch. does anyone have an mp3 of the song? petrov can't find it :-(

Alanis Morissette - My Humps

battles better fought elsewhere

despite all the positives that have recently been gained at petrov's day job, he found out this week that he his losing his corner office for a new office with only a view of SW and 395. its a little bit sad, but considering where petrov thought he was six months ago, he'll let this battle be fought another day, especially since he can talk hockey with his new officemate.

the blogosphere brought the Battles' song "tonto" to petrov a month or so ago, but something about watching the video again this evening made petrov feel it is noteworthy for here. the song is in this constant state of about to go into a full out hardcore rock song, but it remains subdued throughout. its certainly a song to jam to when chilling out at home playing cards with your friends. the video is quite well done, yet very simple. it reminds petrov a little of Bloc Party's stage lighting earlier this summer.

Battles - Tonto

a musical revelation weekend

well this was quite the weekend for petrov. thursday was obviously the mountain goats and saturday night was Ra Ra Rasputin at the Velvet Lounge. Further, petrov used the great weather on sunday to journey out in his car where he proceeded to get fully acquainted with The White Stripes' "Icky Thump" album.

This was petrov's second Ra Ra Rasputin show (and he believed Ra Ra's third, maybe fourth, show total). Petrov was much impressed with the latest show. Ra Ra Rasputin is sort of a cross between The Rapture/Q and Not U/Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. The music has a funky jam nature to it, while the vocals at times have a very Rapture-esque nature to them. Overall the band has clearly been doing their homework as the sound is more congruent and much easier to bounce a little bit too. (The later was not a problem for many of the kids in the crowd.) For more on the band visit their myspace (here) where the videos don't do justice. See The Rapture video below for some related musical goodness.

Petrov had to take the small asian to BWI sunday afternoon. so petrov enjoyed the ride home listening to The White Stripes' new cd, which petrov has listened to on several occasions, but never had the chance to really really listen to (always just in the background at work on wretched little monitor speakers). but as u know, a bose soundsystem, 60mph, and a beautiful sunday afternoon gave petrov a chance to get down and dirty with the album. its the shite, if petrov does say so. its some good old rock music and petrov highly recommends getting the album if you haven't already. the only problem petrov has is that he didn't pick up on this cd back when he first heard it, but alas this is the way petrov's musical listening habits have developed. See below for The White Stripes - Prickly Thorn, but Sweetly Worn. (the irish touch to this song is spectacular with a good bass system going)

The Rapture - Whoo Alright Yeah!


The White Stripes - Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn

mountain goats

petrov went with bizzy to see the mountain goats last night at blackcat. petrov is certainly familiar with the mountain goats, but has never really listened that close to them before. who knew, they are pretty good. for those not familiar, its just two guys from Carolina (petrov thinks). this vague recollection is substantiated only by the fact they have a song named "Cotton". and as we all know, petrov likes cotton. but this a side track... they are two guys from Carolina that just play a guitar and a bass. they actually got people shaking for a couple songs, and that is quite a feat for DC. you would think the young whipper-snappers that clusterf*ck blackcat, would be more into dancing, but alas its just a DC thing to stand there and not dance.

The Mountain Goats - Cotton

festival season is over :-(

the festival season is over and petrov only made it the the less than stellar, but still fun Virgin Music Festival at Pimlico (b-more). Next year may be the year for a roadtrip (or short flight) to chicago to catch a larger more robust festival. petrov is jonesing for some daft punk, real bad.

Though its over... here is The Arcade Fire and The Hidden Cameras with interviews with Tim Kingsbury (AF) and Joel Glibb (HC), aka petrov's heartthrob. The video, via CBC Radio 3 (check link on side column) also includes the latest Hidden Cameras video, "Death of a Tune". in case you hadn't caught on, both bands are Canadian.... blessed is indie-rock-canada.

CBC Radio 3 Breaking New Sound - Episode 18

club wonderbread

fall is fully upon us and petrov loves it. this fall/winter dc will get to experience a new (gei) club called Town, which will be located on the adjacent block to 9.30club. Petrov may have to make the move to the U St corridor, the home to DC's music scene to appreciate both these venues (and Nellies). Town is taking over this old partially rundown warehouse/factory that god only knows what was produced in it. the place will be two floors and have a lounge atmosphere on one. the pictures of the floor looks huge and will apparently be adopted to create a high quality sound system, step #1 in creating the perfect environment. step #2 will be appropriate music on said soundsystem. what the music will be, is yet to be determined, but petrov thinks it will likely entail what it is the kids are listening to these days.... think Rihana (spelling?), petrov doesn't know. all he knows is she is the chick in the britney spears VMA performance that is laughing at the stripper on her dinner table (appropriately so).

anyway, located within the same vicinity is another rundown building that was formerly the Wonderbread Hostess Bakery. anyway, when petrov makes his first million, he's going to buy it up and start a new club that will fall somewhere between 9.30club, Rock and Roll Hotel, and what petrov envisions this Town to look like. The exterior of the bakery will be kept intact, with the exception of the obvious need for better windows/doors etc... Petrov isn't sure if the place should be one floor or two, but there is a possibility of three (two on the left side and one on the right) -- see picture to the left via flickr member stgermh. This would give the abiltiy to have shows on the right side or smaller shows on the left and a full bar area. Petrov has business skills, but he'd rather leave that to someone like the redhead, while lesbian #1 will provide the sweet sound and lights, and lesbian #2 will promote, while the pocket will look pretty and consult on pop culture issues that petrov doesn't follow closely enough. Petrov would be in charge of booking bands, and have a board (said business partners) who will conjointly plan events. Obvious name for the place is Wonderbread, but should copyright issues get in the way... perhaps The Bakery. Petrov thinks the later is a bit bleh, but it might do. Certainly some homage to the building's former self will be required. If anyone out there wants to provide petrov's necessary cash flow for this project, make checks payable to Petrov Cotton LLC.

fun facts about salmon

"The Salmon Dance" has sat in petrov's music collection for a several months now and was only heard for the first time yesterday. Now it has been played a few too many times. The beat is extremely catchy and the thought of the puff fish doing it is quite humorous. The only problem with the song is petrov doesn't like the slow down transition, it just doesn't fit right into the song, but hey you can't have everything can you?

Did you know salmon can swim from the US to Japan and back? Thanks Sammy the Salmon!


The Chemical Brothers - The Salmon Dance

daily dose of electroclash

nobody ever said petrov was on top of his shite.... today's song was released on the album "I Created Disco" back in June. "The Girls"by Calvin Harris is a fun little song, granted not one petrov would blast in his car going down 17th St. Petrov acquired the cd today, but has only had the chance to hear this song and "Acceptable in the 80s". Are the 80s coming back? Petrov is afraid they might be. See here. This whole bit about fashion coming in cycles... Petrov doesn't believe in it, until men are wearing 3/4 length trousers with stockings and a colonial hat. Why in god's name would 80s fashion come back? is someone waiting to grow out their rattail? if show they should be shot on sight. petrov thinks it is more of a basic laziness of designers to actually come up with something new. the good news is Uggs were not part of the 80s.

To mix it up, there is even a Dragonette cover of the song (which petrov would play loud going down 17th St)


Calvin Harris - The Girls


Dragonette - The Boys

hipster olympics

another video making its way through the video interwebs.... Hipster Olympics (via Poofygoo (here) -- love the name btw). Poofygoo was even kind enough to post the Monty Python's Twit of the Year Contest from which the Hipster Olypmics pays homage.

petrov personally loves the choice of the Bruce Willis album "the return of bruno". quite smashing indeed.

Hipster Olympics



Twit of the Year

oh bea arthur!

so petrov originally saw this at JR's one night.... he randomly ran into it again on the intertubes..... who can't love bea arthur? sally struthers.... that's still questionable, but big points for her here though.

Sex and the City

wish upon a falling (pop) star

oh girrrrrll.... no you didn't! ok maybe a little too gay, but the message is relayed none the less. petrov got to work this morning and he was informed by his 42yo co-worker that britney spears performed at the MTV VMA's last night. unfortunately petrov a) didn't know the VMAs were last night and b)didn't know britney had a musical career anymore. so petrov puddled back to his desk and began search the intertubes for this. and oh did this not disappoint the tragedy that has been the last year named "britney spears." petrov was most pleased to see that she still hasn't mastered the lipsync (or else MTV.com has shitty sound-video syncing on their videos). but the real question lies in why she lacked the onstage charisma that she used to have? she looked bored to death and lacked any real dance moves. (well hopefully the lack of dance moves is because she has been in rehab)

anyway....petrov expended a whole 5minutes on that subject.... time to move on. well how does petrov follow up on this subject for all you pop kiddies? ah yes another fine pop-like band with a brand new video that in fact reminds petrov of britney spears (isn't she pretty in the video?). The Shins!

The Shins - Turn on Me

the national

tonight at 9.30club is The National with the Rosebuds opening up. Petrov is excited. he would also be equally happy seeing either band individually. which unfortunately, is not a common occurrence at 9.30club. the last time petrov remembers wanting to see an opening band as much as the main act was Smoosh at The Pipettes show at Blackcat. This won't be a jump around show for sure, so DCers prepare your crossed arm head nod perfected crowd mentality.

The Rosebuds - Silence by the Lakeside


The National - Mistaken for Strangers

editors

it would be petrov's guess that most blogs began when someone ended up having a very dull couple of months on hand. this was petrov's case, however, recently life has sped up a bit and now it seems like a constant battle trying to catch up in blogging.

last night petrov began the fall concert line up with the Editors at 9.30club. coming off a long weekend (both in days and tiredness) petrov made it with the lesbians to the show, but gave up part way through the encore and missed Ra Ra Riot. the lesbians were in love with the band and had nothing but praises for the superior performance live compared to recorded. Petrov, however, found Tom Smith ( lead singer) to have an amazing voice. There was nothing technically wrong with any of the music, but petrov just felt that the music lacked a diversity in sound required in keeping a less than die-hard fan engaged for the entire show. petrov thinks that another album or two will develop these kiddies into a formidable band.

Editors - All the Sparks