Friday, August 6, 2010

TVD's Idelic Hour with Jon Sidel





Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

As I recall, it was a hot summer’s day in 1990 that I got a call from Perry Farrell. He and Casey, his longtime girlfriend and creative partner were in an editing room working on their film “The Gift.” Perry sounded completely stoned. I remember thinking “and I thought I was strung out … this guy is wacked!”

What I thought was so wacked was Perry's description of a “utopian” rock festival he called Lollapalooza. Right off the bat I loved the name. He wanted to work together creating a tent, a psychedelic circus of sorts, that would go hand in hand with a stage featuring our generation of bands. I loved his dream and sarcastically suggested he take a few more “hits” and keep this “Lolla-whatever” nod going.


I’ll be dammed, but a year later I drove up to the Lollapalooza stage in my Chevy Impala convertible and dumped Gibby Haynes right into a Buthole Surfers set. Perry’s dream turned into a grungy explosion and launched a bunch of our friends into stardom.

Many of those band’s moments have come and gone but it seems Perry and MWA have done a cool job revitalizing Lollapalooza. What became a bit of an over-commercialized bummer now feels like a well thought out rock festival whose festival grounds and diverse line up competes with any world-wide. Welcome back Soundgarden and The Strokes! Arcade Fire playing their brilliant new album, MGMT and tons more.

Perry, you keep dreaming brother!

xosidealer
idelicsounds.com | @sidelic

The Idelic Hit of the Week:
Young Blood - The Naked & Famous


TVD Takeover | Jesca Hoop


A playlist for you of ten of my favorites:

Tune Yards - She is a very surprising artist. She's got wild, feminine creativity. She is quite raw and childlike. Her voice is striking. She is not completely accessible. . .even for my taste and I like that.

White Denim - I like the way these boys twist and turn. The guitars take an original view on themselves. It’s neat messy music.

MIA - I don’t care if she moved into Brentwood with a Hollywood tycoon. . .MIA rules in her domain. Although I haven’t heard her new record yet. . .I am really hoping that she has held the standard.

Ike and Tina - I love early Tina. . .man. . .if I had pipes like hers.

The Shins - James Mercer is a great songwriter if you ask me. I never really know what he is talking about, although I know all the words to his songs. I like that.


The Clash - I can’t believe I never saw this band live. . .I don’t believe I have actually lived.

Kate Bush - Naturally. . .'The Dreaming' is one of the best records ever made..but if you want to hear an obscure yet truly brilliant song search "Emptying The Bull Ring" by Kate Bush.

Elbow - I have seen Elbow shows like. . .35 times. . .seriously. . .I love every time. They put on one of the best live shows I have ever seen. Way to go boys.

Jaime T - I like this kid a lot. . .He loves The Clash. . .you can tell. . .He is blending hip hop. . .punk. . .reggae. . .rock in with his own bag o tricks. . .I like his band. . .They’re in it to win it.

Paul Simon - Always makes me feel at home. No matter how long it has been since I have heard a tune of his. . .it always comes back to me. I grew up on his music so I guess its stitched in there.