She’s In Control ///////////////////////// Volume 1
Greetings, citizens of the Blogosphere (errr… readers)!
I’m Rya (21/F/NYC… that’s how you kids talk, right?), Derek’s friend, classmate, and former co-intern at Vice. Every week, I will grace you with a new edition of Rya’s Romantic Review (Ed’s note: we are definitely not calling this that) where I use this little cyber soapbox to talk about music I (wait for it…) love! Derek asked me to write this column because I really like music, but my taste tends to diverge from Derek’s a good bit at times. If I had to put my finger on my favorite music genre… well, I couldn’t, because that’d be lame. So, I really hope you like this or else it’s back to the streets for me.
I’ve just received a radio-rip of Interpol’s new single, “The Heinrich Maneuver.” Please take this with a grain of salt as I know I’m physically and emotionally incapable of creating music any better. However, I feel the same way about this song as I do for orange juice: if it’s in my fridge, I’ll take some, but if it’s not, I’m not going to be all that disappointed.
The thing is, I really like Interpol. Back when I was young and hip and had my ear to the ground, I purchased Turn On The Bright Lights the day it came out. Enjoyable story: on the day of my senior prom, I happened to see none other than Daniel Kessler on the street (in typical, all-black, fancy Interpol garb, mind you), and I asked him to be my arm candy for the evening’s festivities. He said no, but you can’t hold a grudge forever. Hold on, let me pick up that name I just dropped… anyway, the point is I’ve waited long enough for this album and I don’t really hear anything new.
A friend once sent me this link that played two Nickelback songs at the same time and they turned out to have the SAME fucking song structure but different (beautiful, duh) lyrics and chords. While “The Heinrich Maneuver” isn’t a carbon-copy of the rest of their repertoire, it comes pretty close (what’s up, “Slow Hands”?). I guess my verdict is that it’s pretty harmless; I can already see it being played on shows that my fellow females might congregate to watch in the common room of a dorm - which is not necessarily a bad thing. It’s just that unlike such gems as “The Specialist” and “Roland” where I have to stop whatever I’m doing when they’re being played, “The Heimlich Maneuver” is background music. To be fair, the vocal harmonies are a pleasure and a joy to listen to, but there’s not much else here. I’ll keep you posted if the rest of this song ever grows on me.
MP3: “The Heinrich Maneuver” (Radio Rip) - Interpol
My first favorite album of all time was Odelay by Beck and I listened to nothing but that album for over a year. It got to the point where I listened to it so much that I wore it out and had to spend my allowance to go to the Sam Goody on 61st and 3rd (now inhabited by Dylan’s Candy Bar) to get another copy (on cassette, of course). If I had a penny for every time I listened to this during my formative years I’d be too busy diving into my pool full of Cristal wearing a bikini made of unicorn hair and diamonds to write this. That entire album spoke to me, but “The New Pollution” was something else. I brought that song in as my “show and tell” song in sixth grade. My printer was broken so I had to handwrite the lyrics, and this was before song lyrics were online, so I thought I knew the words by heart, but I wasn’t positive so the whole thing was riddled with question marks. But the point is, when I played that song in class, everyone thought I was the biggest loser ever because, you know, it wasn’t Ace of Bass or whatever sixth graders were listening to at the time. But Beck and “The New Pollution” taught me that it was okay not to care if people thought I was totally lame for listening to something that wasn’t force fed to me on z100. In a lot of ways, I was alone in my own, prepubescent new pollution, and I knew I’d turn out just fine. How deep, I know.
MP3: “The New Pollution” - Beck
Up until The Information, I would’ve considered myself a Beck Superfan, and I’m a little too well-versed in his catalogue. “Minus” is one of my favorite songs ever because, well, it gets me really pumped. In retrospect, I don’t know how my lanky body never suffered from any form of whiplash when I’d head bang to this track all by my lonesome at the ripe age of 10.
MP3: “Minus” - Beck
Beck sampled my beloved Beastie Boys’ drum track from “So Watcha Want?” in “E-Pro” off his 2005 release, Guero. Obviously, a mash-up had to be made, and this one’s actually prett-ay, prett-ay, great.
MP3: “So Whatcha E-Pro?” - DJ Erb (Beastie Boys vs Beck)
What would a romantic review be without a love letter? I harbor crushes on many a musician, but Chromeo’s Dave 1 ranks very high on my list of Unattainable Love Interests. I thought I could best express my adoration for their new track, “Fancy Footwork,” in an open letter to the man himself.
Dear Dave 1,
I remember the time you came into the Vice office and I had to leave to get an iced beverage not only because your presence added 100,000 degrees (Celsius!) to the already scorching room, but because I knew I’d do something extremely embarrassing if I stayed within the same confines. It’s not just your good looks, your delicate mustache, your candidacy for a PhD, and the fact that you’re a Semite that I’m extremely attracted to you.
You’re also very talented.
It goes without saying that She’s In Control was an extremely enjoyable album - a pleasure and a joy to listen to. When my friend, Webmaster Derek Davies, sent the Fancy Footwork EP my way, the songs were, in a word, tasteful. I was especially taken however, by the eponymous track (the original, classic version).
MP3: “Fancy Footwork” - Chromeo
There’s really nothing wrong with this track – it’s a real rug-cutter, you know? I need to show off my fancy footwork when this song blares through my iHome (the world’s shittiest joke of electronic equipment ever… but I digress). I love your slight accent. At least I think you’ve got an accent, the point is your diction is way sexy - especially that moment at 1:59 when you casually go “eyyy!”… melt my heart a little more, why don’t you? I extra love that beat, those synths, and I know I just spoke volumes about the angelic timbre that is your voice, but I could really enjoy an instrumental version of this song. I’d play it at all my cocktail and tea parties (I’m extremely sophisticated, Dave 1… or do you prefer Mr. Macklovitch?). I no longer work at the magazine that supports your record label, but I do pray that our paths cross sometime in the not-so-distant future. In all likelihood, it will be when I pay to be in your company to hear this song live.
Love (or should I say… amour),
Rya
Speaking of Chromeo, fancy footwork and rug-cutting in general, my friend Nick made this and well, I suppose it speaks for itself.
That’s enough out of me for now. I really hope you enjoyed our time together because I have a lot more to talk about, and I have all the time in the world. Please leave me feedback, but don’t be a dick, okay?
May 1st, 2007 at 1:16 am
sweet! thanks for the interpol track in particular. hadn’t seen that one floating around yet.
May 1st, 2007 at 1:33 am
hahaha i think i have a new favorite writer
May 1st, 2007 at 2:04 am
I think the correct title for the above Interpol song is “Heinrich Maneuver” or am I mistaken?
May 1st, 2007 at 2:20 am
yeah, you’re right sorryangel
May 1st, 2007 at 2:52 am
That’s my bad, I tagged it that way. Shit is like “Brianstorm” all over again.
May 1st, 2007 at 3:34 am
it’s Ace of Base, not Bass
May 1st, 2007 at 3:41 am
thats a loverly post. youve made me like GWfAs even more.
May 1st, 2007 at 3:52 am
ive picked up a few new moves for this weekend from this Nick fellow. no doubt
May 1st, 2007 at 5:00 am
Nice post
May 1st, 2007 at 5:15 am
it’s all right. great post, btw.
May 1st, 2007 at 6:05 am
that was a great read, and thanks for the Chromeo track!
May 1st, 2007 at 8:00 am
there are two other interpol-tracks on the web. the quality is not that good, since they are from a live recording, but the song “pioneer” sounds great to me (the other one is mammoth).
so i guess the new album will not be that bad
http://www.interpolnyc.com/forum/index.php?s=70840d72a92736babfe680854a7aa8ed&showtopic=14024&st=1750&p=550225&#entry550225
May 1st, 2007 at 8:02 am
…oh, and the heinrich maneuver is there as well, that’s why you can download them as a pack of three songs
May 1st, 2007 at 10:02 am
awesome article. and i’m in love with chromeo too.
May 1st, 2007 at 1:15 pm
I demand pics of the poster!
May 1st, 2007 at 1:45 pm
Nice
just got SMDs album, fun fun
May 1st, 2007 at 1:47 pm
TOTALLY LOVIN THE BECK. good choices!
May 1st, 2007 at 2:21 pm
chromeo guy teaches french at columbia university
May 1st, 2007 at 3:21 pm
You are sooooo right on about Chromeo guy’s total freaking hotness. I’m with you!
May 1st, 2007 at 4:48 pm
don’t ever deny the superfan!!!
after reading your reminiscing about Odelay, it brought me back to high school and listening to that album on repeat for-ever!!
May 1st, 2007 at 6:14 pm
mannnn i’ve been there with the beck obsession. Its waned as of late, though I spose. great post tho! shameless plug: check out my song of the week on all-things-go, I thought about doin’ Lost Cause or some such slower Beck song. eh?
May 1st, 2007 at 7:39 pm
great post - yet another reason to keep coming back to gwfa - by the way what is the name of the song that nick is dancing to in the video?????????
May 1st, 2007 at 7:42 pm
Hi Rya–welcome aboard
May 1st, 2007 at 7:51 pm
Glad you all approve of Rya. I keep her around for a reason, you know.
“Fratster”, Rya’s shooting some hot nudez for you as we speak, and Sue, the name of the track is “Needy Girl” by Chromeo and it’s 1000% ill.
May 1st, 2007 at 8:55 pm
I love Rya. based solely on that pic. Legal Vice Magazine interns r kewl!!!
May 1st, 2007 at 9:30 pm
A million and one thanks for all the nice comments! Sorry about the Interpol name confusion earlier… what if we\’re all wrong and it\’s really \”Hinrich Maneuver\”: a musical tribute to Interpol\’s favorite point guard? Because if there\’s one thing I see when I see Interpol, it\’s sports fans.
\”Fratster\” - If you click on my name, you will be magically whisked away to the hottest picture of me pretty much ever. And yes, there\’s plenty more where that came from.
Nique - Your comment really opened a Superfan-sized can of worms. Please don\’t do \”Lost Cause.\” That\’s the equivalent of going to Le Cirque (way fancy Manhattan eatery) and ordering a hot dog (unclassy)… kind of. What I\’m trying to say is I think there are a million and one way better \”slow\” Beck songs than \”Lost Cause.\” Suggestions: \”Nobody\’s Fault But My Own,\” \”Ramshackle,\” \”Static,\” and \”Sing It Again.\” I\’ll stop boring you now.
Anyway, again, thank you for the warm welcome and I\’ll see you next week… wear something sexy.
May 1st, 2007 at 10:52 pm
Nice post, looking forward to more!
May 1st, 2007 at 11:19 pm
Enjoyed the post Rya. You and Derek must have worked with one of my favorite people in the entire world, Elhaam.
May 1st, 2007 at 11:48 pm
hahahaha ahhh…i thought you might say that. i’d go with static out of those, probably without the diamond bollocks half.
May 2nd, 2007 at 12:27 am
your friend nick has got some serious skills.
May 2nd, 2007 at 12:56 am
check that, sing it again…cause i wanna sing the country harmonies. sorry i know you probably don’t care, i just want to redeem myself as a Beck fan.
May 2nd, 2007 at 2:23 am
Very nice post, Rya; looking forward to hearing more from you.
May 2nd, 2007 at 6:58 am
Why is it that whenever anyone vaguely female posts a photo of herself on the internet, scores of horny geeks profess their undying affection for them?
Christ, it’s as though they’ve never seen a girl before.
Great tracks, btw.
May 2nd, 2007 at 11:32 am
…and if there’s one term I’d use to describe Rya it has to be “vaguely female”.
May 2nd, 2007 at 1:21 pm
Prediction - In 2 years Rya sues GWfA to get the rights to publish her posts in a book. GWfA refuses, Rya changes her name to a combination of the astrological sign for pisces and the symbol of venus.
May 2nd, 2007 at 2:54 pm
she’s cute
May 2nd, 2007 at 5:40 pm
dude screw you derek, i want rya writing for my magazine! =P
btw please mail me about above magazine article.
and check out justice’s new video.
May 2nd, 2007 at 7:43 pm
Music video for “Needy Girl” is also very high on the scale of “illness”.
May 2nd, 2007 at 9:28 pm
Vice interns? No wonder you guys are douchebags. Oh yes, listening to Beck in middle school was social suicide. Give me a break.
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:05 pm
Oh, Anon (that is your name, right?), I\’ve been waiting for someone like you to throw in your two cents! Ironically, your attitude has got \”Vice intern\” written all over it; let me know if you\’d be interested.
May 3rd, 2007 at 6:06 am
BOOM! that interpol track is lush! not quite up to slow hands/specialist/nyc scratch, but still very very very good! thank youuuuu!
May 3rd, 2007 at 4:45 pm
[…] Die New Wave of the New Wave kehrt zurück und läutet eine weitere Runde ein: The New Wave of the New Wave of the New Wave oder so ähnlich. Wie auch immer: es ist auf jeden Fall ganz spannend, die beiden Neo-New-Wave-Bands Editors aus England und Interpol aus den USA im direkten Vergleich zu hören. Bei beiden Bands stehen nämlich in Kürze neue Veröffentlichungen an und von beiden kursieren zurzeit von der jeweiligen ersten Single Radio-Rips Internet. (via und via) Editors - Smokers Outside The Hospital Door […]
May 3rd, 2007 at 6:57 pm
Welcom Rya… best line ever, “I feel the same way about this song as I do for orange juice: if it’s in my fridge, I’ll take some, but if it’s not, I’m not going to be all that disappointed.”
I have to put that to memory and use it often!!!
Tsuru
http://www.tsururadio.com
May 4th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
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May 4th, 2007 at 4:38 pm
Roland was a butcher he had sixteen knifes.
Americans make me chuckle.
May 6th, 2007 at 9:47 am
.there s a new woman in town!!! allllllllright….. just knew interpol are coming this summer to little portugal. nice in nice! see you.
May 6th, 2007 at 4:22 pm
stella was a diver and she was always down. great post - yesterday I picked up tix to interpol’s show @ the metro.. can’t wait
May 6th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
do like that chick on polloxniner and get yer tits out.
May 8th, 2007 at 9:41 pm
prett-ay, prett-ay, prett-ay, prett-ay, prett-ay, prett-ay good.(Is someone a Larry David fan?)
May 9th, 2007 at 4:59 pm
i tried reading it, i got bored
May 14th, 2007 at 7:42 am
Why are there so many shoe ads in Vice?
May 15th, 2007 at 11:53 am
[…] Lo podéis bajar escuchar en Goog Weather for Airstrikes. […]
May 18th, 2007 at 10:25 am
[…] My week just keeps getting better and better. On Wednesday I had an incredible night of musical discoveries; new Franz Ferdinand (an LCD Soundsystem cover - seriously the best thing I’ve heard in ages), new Hot Chip, new Editors, a snippet of new Interpol, a SebastiAn (although this is debated) remix of the Rage Against The Machine classic ‘Killing in the Name‘, some Bloc Party remixes (including a SebastiAn reworking), a Muse remix by Simian Mobile Disco, a hot new Rakes b-side, some old Justice and Klaxons, a Serge Gainsbourg cover by Blonde Redhead, plus a heap of other aural delights. […]