http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/sashafrerejones/2007/10/thats-all-folks.html

Surprisingly—in a pleasant way—Butler was a civil correspondent, and wrote not simply to defend Arcade Fire, as any proud band member would, but also to engage the ideas in the piece:

First, I would encourage you not to ignore the Latin element in rock-and-roll history. “Twist and Shout” by the Beatles is in fact “a fairly faithful rendition of a 1962 R. & B. cover by the Isley Brothers.” But that 1962 version is a fairly faithful rip-off of La Bamba by Ritchie Valens, which is a fairly faithful rip off of a traditional Latin tune plus a rock and roll beat. A song like “Stand by Me” (written by a black man with the help of a couple Jews) was written in part to cash in on the Latin craze in America. But those kind of syncopated rhythms are now so embedded in our culture that I, at least, have a hard time recognizing them as Latin.…

Secondly, don’t forget that miscegenation need [not] be across color lines. Poles and Italians and the Irish don’t mix, traditionally. I think an artist like Joanna Newsom is stealing Old World folk-style music (dare I say Irish?) and mixing it with more American Folk, which is partly white and partly black and partly mysterious (which you touch on in your article).

As for the MP3, there are parts where I can’t identify exactly what parallels Butler is drawing, but many of them are self-explanatory.

Keep in mind, I’m not saying we’re the funkiest, most soulful bunch of dudes and ladies (though we do, at least, always clap on 2 and 4).

We will end with clapping, entirely aware that it isn’t applause. The two and four will hold us for a while.

link here:
http://thenewyorker.typepad.com/online__sashafrerejones/files/arcade_fire_key.mp3

Mmm it seems that not only is Tarantino forging a movie career based on underclass taste but his soundtracks follow the same pattern as well, the man by himself practically resurected surf music and has propelled the musical careers of many long forgotten artists on each one of his films. I have to say most of the times I’m more excited about his soundtrack selections and their place on the film than on his actual films.

And hey! cool music selection, specially fond of the Son House, Moondog and public enemy ones,I had to doublecheck on the latter because I was reading public enemy but I thought I was really hearing Arthur Russell, the drums sound kind of murky and overlapped but i find the under-production appealing.

Hey sq I was wondering and trying to solve the puzzle of well, you and I need to ask: are or were you a beatnik at some point of your life? Your thoughts, music and relation to nyc kind of lead me to that conclusion… of course I’ve been drinking, slept 5 hours yesterday and i’m beginnign to drift off… so should shut up instead of meandering on my ignorant thoughts. Just curious :P

when I was a kid and took myself way to seriously, a friend insisted chaplin is funny. And I say it’s just a jerky black and white slapstick. Cartoon is way better.

To this day I still can’t see what’s so funny about the three stooges.

Good lord! Please don’t tell that to Charlie Chaplin fans.