Finland

To borrow a phrase from Logos, who borrowed it from 4 Hero, this week I embark on a "cold mission." I'm heading to Seinäjoki in Finland to give a keynote speech at the Mars Festivaali. It takes place at 11 AM on Friday 31 January. More info here.

(On the Wednesday 29 beforehand, I'm also speaking at a seminar at the Sibelius Academy (Helsinki's University of the Arts), but I don't think that one's open to the general public).

Cold Mission is actually one of the things I'll be talking about in the speech, which is titled "Retromania 2014"

                                        

intros (slight return)

Great eerie, unconnected-to-the-rest-of-the-song intro on Lorde's follow-up hit, which I'm starting to like even more than "Royals."

And wasn't she awesome on the Grammy's last night?

Oddly reassuring that the poptimist position on Lorde appears to be "a bad thing". As if gaucheness, ambivalence, adolescence (real as opposed to Simulacrum), and Thorstein Veblen should have no place in pop. 

Sorry to hear that Williamsburg's underground music venue 285 Kent is closing. Not long before moving out to the West Coast, I saw Oneohtrix Point Never perform there -  a gritty, just barely repurposed warehouse with no heating and little lighting. Dead of winter it was  and even inside the building so freezing you could see your breath in the air. It's the first and so far only time I've watched a gig wearing an overcoat, hat, scarf and gloves. 

The venue's booker Ric Leichtung (of Altered Zones and Ad Hoc renown) has organised a series of farewell shows for the week ahead:

Saturday, 1/11/14:

8pm: Doors

9pm: Bookworms

10pm: ITAL

11pm: Autre Ne Veut

12am: Special Guest

1am: Laurel Halo

2am: Maxmillion Dunbar

Friday, 1/17/14:

8:30pm: Uumans

915pm: Tonstartssbandht

10pm: Ava Luna

11pm DJ Dog Dick

12am: Dan Deacon

1am: Special Guest

2am: Dust

Saturday, 1/18/14:

815pm: Sugarm

9pm: Lussuria

945pm: MV Carbon

1030pm: Alberich

1115pm: Noveller

12am: Wolf Eyes

1am: Special Guest

Sunday, 1/19/14:

830pm: Lodro

915pm: Guardian Alien

10pm: White Lung

11pm: DIIV

12am: Fucked Up

radio slammers

Forget nu-grime, how about some nu-sub lo:

The mouths behind my favorite singles of 2011 and 2013 unite:

Approaching gabba-levels of pummel power on the first dancehall tune to prick my ears in a long while: