I heard once, and now I forgot where, that hipsterism is officially dead: All hipsters have just become foodies.
That’s the kind of sweeping statement that begs to be analyzed (see: The Atlanticarticle on such things). It’s the kind of hyperbole you just have to sink your teeth into. Anyway, after thinking hard about it for maybe two minutes, I have to disagree.
I can say, with all confidence, that food is not the next bastion of hipsterdom — it is, quite obviously, sports. Think about it — if you were to to unfairly generalize hipster character traits the top of the list would have to be a love of irony, unapologetic geekiness, a carefully cultivated appreciation of pop culture, and a finely-tuned sense nostalgia. All of these things, to me, point directly to sports.
Example #1
Here is a group of three names: Malcolm Gladwell, Dave Eggers, and Chuck Klosterman. If someone told you they were collaborating on a project together, what would you think it would be? A youth literary fundraiser? A roundtable on the plight of self-awareness in literature? A celebrity somolier app for your iPad? All these things seem more likely than the truth, which is that they are all editors at Bill Simmons’ ESPN-backed sports blog Grantland. Gladwell, Eggers and Klosterman — THE TRIUMVIRATE OF COFFEESHOP NAMECHECKING — all with a profound passion for sport. Also, check out Simmons’ recent podcast with John Walsh that focused solely on another hipster idol /sports fiend, Hunter Thompson.
Example #2
Hipsters strive to let you know that they appreciate something you love on a much deeper level than you do — doing so validates that their passion is more authentic than yours. They also like to geek out. This is why hipsters love sabermetrics — it’s an way to say, “Yes, I enjoy this too, but my enjoyment of this is considerably deeper and more rewarding than yours.” This same argument has been made about everything from The Velvet Underground to The Muppets. And don’t get me going about Moneyball, or the fact that Moneyball was adapted by Aaron Sorkin. Everybody was jazzed about that one. The only bigger announcement for the hipster world would’ve been if Noah Baumbach directed a rotoscoped version of Kafka on the Shore.
Example #3
Nostalgia is the lifeblood of the hipster. Everything you find in the attic that was packed up as a kid — it is now gold. Because the past = youth = innocence = authenticity. Sun-faded photos of kids on big wheels are the stuff of indie EPs! Parent’s gigantic plastic reading glasses are urban fashion de rigueur. That old replica jersey of Will Clark?! YES! Do you have that Dream Team T-shirt? That shit is TIGHT. It is FOR REAL! Wear it to LOLLA!
Okay. I doth protest too much. I like sports. I like Moneyball. I listen to Bill Simmons all the time. I may talk about football on this blog more than anything else. That said, I welcome the emergence of sports fanaticism as something that both jocks and art kids can love. Could I just throw out there that I even tried to start an Indie Rock fantasy league? True Story.
But lo and behold, hipster culture dictator Pitchfork Media broke a VERY interesting development a few weeks ago: The story of a fictional classic rock band Geronimo Jackson / real San Diego throwback rockers The Donkeys. The Phork reports:
On a recent episode, the character Jin (Daniel Dae Kim) is heard listening to a Geronimo Jackson song called “Dharma Lady”, and last week, the song appeared as a free download on iTunes. Over on the “Lost” message board Dark UFO, someone noticed that “Dharma Lady” is almost the exact same song as “Excelsior Lady” by the Donkeys …
The non-fictional Donkeys
Well played Dark UFO dude! Pitchfork, thorough journalists as they are, took it straight to The Donkeys’ label, Dead Oceans, to pose the question, “Are the Donkeys Geronimo Jackson?”. The reply was revealing, also, hilarious:
“It seems as though it’s possible that the Donkeys also existed as Geronimo Jackson in 1977. It might be possible that they were part of a Dharma Initiative experiment on time travel … Geronimo Jackson is likely to appear on extras of the season five ‘Lost’ DVD, where they will feature the band recording ‘Dharma Lady’.”
Hahahah. It seems they did indeed. Alrighty then. A simple “yes” would have sufficed.
Anyway, Geronimo Jackson seems to be a recurring reference in the show — on T-shirts, on posters, but most prominently in the scene below. Hurley and Charlie (who could easily pass for clerks at Championship Vinyl) sift through the Dharma record collection and come across the GerJack LP Magna Carta…
Innnnnnnteresting Charlie. Hmmm. You say you’re an “expert of all things musical,” but you’ve never heard of them, eh? Hmmmm. Maybe that’s because YOU’RE IN THE BAND in the past (future episodes)!?!?! Wha? Sounds ridiculous, but why not?
I personally like to think that Charlie is bound to show up again. First of all, one of the lesbians hiding in the Looking Glass told Charlie that the stations’ passcode was the song “Good Vibrations” and that it was originally programmed “by a musician”. That’s a weird tidbit of information to throw out there as your dying words, isn’t it Bonnie?
Also Charlie gets the code on the first crack before he drowns. Is it too crazy to assume that Charlie himself wrote that passcode? I don’t think so. Meaning, Charlie didn’t die at that point, and is sure to have lived and done other things, like, ummmmm, jumping through time and forming a band in the 70s. It’s possible. After all, we’ve seen people we thought were dead come back to life in the show before. Isn’t it possible that Charlie is in the band Geronimo Jackson? Could be.
Also, is it at all possible that Geronimo is actually the name of Jack’s son? Doubtful.
Thanks to the idiotic “Radius Clause” inflicted on Chicago every summer, while we eagerly anticipate which bands are announced to play its two major music festivals every year, we know immediately who WILL NOT be playing.
For 60 days before and 30 days after their Lollapalooza appearance, Lolla performers are prohibited from booking a show within 250 miles of Chicago (which includes Madison, Milwaukee, Champaign, Indianapolis, Ann Arbor and Iowa City)
Because of these bullshit protectionist agreements we know that any band that plays P-fork (July 17th to 19th) cannot play Lolla (Aug 7th to 9th). Boo, fucking, hoo. But it gets more interesting than that.
Provided that Pitchfork also follows these festival rules we know that any band playing between ~May 18th and ~August 16th will not be sweating it up on stage in Union Park.
This includes TONS of bands, most of which are inconsequential. But there are a few groups that are well-regarded by the haute-indie online tastemakers that now cannot play. (Pitchfork ratings in parenthesis):
I’m especially suprised to see SXSW * bloggy sweethearts School of Seven Bells and Passion Pit on this list. St. Vincent, though only registering one album on p4k, has been a favorite over the years. As has Art Brut who will be doing a 5-day residency at Schubas over the summer.
Wow, it’s been a while since I updated. First July show is up, Pitchfork has announced some of their lineup, and people, namely TimeOut Chicago and Chicagoist, have already begun tittering about Lollapalooza.
I’ll talk about a few of the new exciting ones coming up later (HELLO Yo La Tengo all-request show?!?!), the ongoing free shows at Logan Square’s The Whistler and the continuing resurgence of Early 90′s Alterno-rock… two more of which are from Chicago. Hi Smoking Popes! Jesus Lizard! Also, hi Toadies! Make up your mind… MAKE UP YOUR MIND AND I PROMISE YOU!
Very suprised to see what bands will be making the rounds in the Spring. Namely industiral music originators Throbbing Gristle will do two back-to-back shows at Epiphany (yes, that church place)… after playing NY and Cochella shows.
Throbbing Gristle, “What a Day” MP3 (c/o blog Farced)
Next on the suprise turn-back-the-clock list is Chicago’s own Red Red Meat. The band’s roster is a who’s-who of Chicago indie rock icons, including Tim Rutili, Ben Massarella and Tim Hurley (of Califone), plus beloved producer Brian Deck (Liz Phair [when she was cool], Tortoise, The Sea and Cake, Modest Mouse).
Lastly in the old-news-made-new-news list this week, Bob Nanna (Braid, Hey Mercedes, City on Film) has a new full-band type project with ‘Mercedes bandmate Damon Atkinson called Certain People I Know and he’s twittering his little heart out about it. As of right now, CPIK ranks as my third-favorite Smith-referencing bandname… right behind The Boy Least Likely To and Pretty Girls Make Graves. Fittingly, the pride of the Illini are playing their first show in Urbana on March 13th at Courtyard Cafe and then make they’re way up to Chicago to play at The Beat Kitchen on the 19th.
*NOT The Cardigans.
Also of note is a band I randomly came across on The Next Big Sound site, Raise High the Roof Beam. They’re doing not one, but TWO shows in the upcoming months. The production value on these songs are iffy at best, but I do enjoy the sound. It has the strum-and-pluck of solid indie pop (as the Salinger reference would infer) but I also hear a little bit of playful Johnathan Richman, and I can almost gurantee they’re fans of Wes Anderson. Just a hunch.
Will re-post the article below, and extend it with some more rambling commentary…
In a giddy fit of keyboards, falsettos, and saccharine dance beats, Boston newcomers Passion Pit are charming their way west during their first national tour. P.P. bounced their way through a congenial but criminally short set last night at Schubas, as Michael Angelakos engaged the audience with the same disarming manner and sky-high vocals that seep through every track of his debut EP, Chunk of Change.
The set started out playful and keyboard-heavy with Angelakos’ ear for pop melody pushing to the forefront. Flanked a guitar, drums, two Rolands, a Moog, and sitting behind a Yamaha synth himself, Angelakos’ dare-you-to-sing-higher-than-me octaves pierced through riffs, piano lines, and programmed back-beats. Espousing sentiments that in lower vocal ranges might be cringe inducing diary entries, the proper set ended with the dance-happy electropop of “Sleepyhead” and “Better Things” to which the sellout crowd lost their collective brains to, bloggers and ALTBros alike.
Angelakos apologized repeatedly for the abridged set, but, the audience couldn’t blame them for succinctness – Passion Pit just haven’t been around long enough to have a full set.
In a backstory that’s impossible not to repeat; Passion Pit’s origins couldn’t be more endearing: Originally a late Valentine’s Day present for Angelakos’ g/f, the “Chunk of Change” CDR made the rounds at Emerson University, made waves in Boston, and made headlines after some stellar sets at this year’s CMJ music fest in New York. A few months later, after some east coast practice gigs, they’re on tour backed by new label Frenchkiss, playing the six songs that everyone knows and road-testing a few new ones.
Passion Pit’s sincerity and DIY style fits with just a few other bands who somehow dodge be criticized for being goddamned “sincere” all the time — people have seemed to get really sick of that recently. (The fact that, as 20-something culture consumers, we already have issues with earnestness is fodder for a different blog).
I see Angelakos along side other singer/songwriters like Khaela Maricich (The Blow), Ben Gibbard (a-la The Postal Service), and Robert Wratten (Field Mice) as artists that manage to be shmultsy but nevertheless loveable.
Let it be a lesson to those aspiring coffeehouse guitar wankers… if you’re inspired to put your love / breakup letters to music and share it with the world, do two things:
I actualy won tickets to this event but can’t go! First one to comment on this blog entry gets added to the list! For real.
Also, you can download Rocktapussy’s new ’09 Mixtape for free here. Featuring: He Say She Say, Silverghost, Flosstradamus feat. Caroline, CSS, Tegan & Sarah, Audio Bullys, Alphabeat, Seelenluft, Prairie Cartel, Kaiser Chiefs, Solid Gold
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In a concept as classy as their name, adorable DJ tandem Rocktapussy (Jessica “A-Cup” Gonyea and Chess “Mother” Hubbard) are hosting SPANDEXXX! at Sonotheque later this month with He Say She Say and Silverghost. (Don’t bother trying to read the font on the flier).
So… um, if you’re dressed in 70% or more spandex you get in free. If you RSVP at UR Chicago, you get in for 5$. You can also win free tix by using brain power over at Venus Zine.
Considering what a Spandex ensemble will cost you at American Apparel (and all the friends you’ll lose in the process), I’ll take the 5$. Also please note; while accessories will make your outfit “pop”, be careful not to over-do it and drop below the 70% spandex requirement.
My alert beer-drinking friend Kenny found this news that I am upset by, as you should be.
Old Style, as Schlitz has recently done, is going back to their traditional brewing practices in order to elevate their brand from delicious discount beer, to mediocre “premium” brand beer. Via the Suntimes:
Old Style going old school
KRAUSENING | Resumes brewing process it used for 9 decades
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The beer brand familiar to generations of Chicagoans is returning to a process it started with in the 1900s and abandoned in the ’90s.
Old Style is re-employing krausening fermentation — a traditional German process — will provide a smoother finish, the company says.
(Sun-Times file)
Re-employing krausening fermentation — a traditional German process — will provide a smoother finish, the company says.
“It’s something our longtime consumers have asked us to take a look at,” said Kevin Kotecki, president of Woodridge-based Pabst Brewing Co., which acquired the brand in 1999.
The brewing change will push Old Style into the more costly premium category of Coors, Miller and Budweiser. Among several brands Pabst has recently focused on propping, Old Style is now in a subpremium category with the likes of Busch, Keystone Light and Pabst Blue Ribbon.
The company will promote pub crawls and block parties to reach a target audience of 20-something Midwesterners who grew up seeing the brand at family gatherings, said Senior Brand Manager Keith Hill.
It’s actually an interesting idea. Being from Chicago where Old Style once held the majority of the market share, I DO remember the can all around family gatherings. But this still upsets me for a few reasons:
I drink Old Style because I like the taste. Everyone needs a “staple” beer — a beer with body and taste but not overwhelming… this is what I demand from a classic American pilsner, and this is what Old Style is.
I also drink it because it’s affordable (and affordability makes it taste even better). I choose it over PBR because Pabst has gone from a sub-premium brand to some sort of hipster calling card which I hope not to be attached to.
Within the last year the cost of Old Style has risen from about 10.99 for a 30 pack to 13.99. Not a wallet-buster but still annoying.
Within the last year Old Style has discontinued the 30-pack in favor of the 24.
PBR however, still sells 30-packs which now seem to be a better deal than Old Style.
All this means I’m in search for a new good, cheap beer. I’m thinking… Tecate? I could always slink down into Mountain Creek, but I simply can’t bring myself to do it.
RSVP before Thursday and check out a DJ set by The Rapture’s drummer Vito Roccoforte at Sonotheque (the best sounding venue in town), all for free ninety-nine.
yrrrrrrrrr welcome.
FREE entry for this event BUT YOU HAVE TO RSVP TO rsvp@gobang.biz
Curious what you might hear? A while ago Artist Direct asked him to put together a “crate diving” playlist form them, and this is what got Vitoed (song clips available on their site):
1. Chicago – “Street Player”
A classic track with a great hook.
2. Boz Scaggs – “Lowdown”
When I was in Australia there was an infomercial for a Time Life music series called Soft Rock’s Greatest Hits or something like that. This track came on, it rules. Here’s a link to a clip of a live version of the song with the legendary Jeff Porcaro on drums.
3. Map of Africa – “Black Skin, Blue Eyed Boys”
Really awesome cover of a great track by the Equals.
4. The Imperials – “Can You Imagine”
When I’m feeling down, this Daft Punk-sampled song makes me feel good.
5. Chicken Lips – “He Not In (DJ Greg Wilson Edit)”
One of my favorite Greg Wilson edits of one of my favorite Chicken Lips tracks.
6. Hot Butter – “Popcorn”
A great track. Amazing moog line.
7. Frankie Valli – “Beggin’ (Pilooski Edit)”
A truly beautiful song, one of my favorites right now.
8. Scorpions – “Sails of Charon”
One of the best metal songs or songs in any genre ever.
9. The Incredible Bongo Band – “Bongo Rock”
A classic. Just found it on 7″ again—total awesomeness!
10. Timbaland – “Oh Timbaland”
I can’t stop listening to this first track off his new album.
MillerCoors to remove caffeine from Sparks energy drink in deal with states
By EMILY FREDRIX | AP Food Industry Writer
MILWAUKEE (AP) — MillerCoors LLC announced Thursday it will remove caffeine and three other ingredients from its Sparks alcoholic energy drink in a deal with 13 states and the city of San Francisco, who had contended the drink targeted young drinkers.
A coalition of state attorneys general had complained the stimulants reduced drinkers’ sense of intoxication and were marketed to young drinkers, who were already more likely to have risky behaviors in driving and other activities.
*cough* BULLSHIT *cough*. What the hell. I’ll have to go back to slamming a pot of coffee, and then slamming a pint of Guiness. Actually, that doesn’t sound that bad.
Attorneys general and advocacy groups have long been targeting MillerCoors, a joint venture of SABMiller’s U.S. unit and Molson Coors Brewing Co., and market-leader Anheuser-Busch due to the making and marketing of such drinks.
As part of the agreement, MillerCoors agreed to remove caffeine, taurine, guarana and ginseng from Sparks, the leader in the alcoholic energy drink category, and not produce caffeinated alcohol beverages in the future. The company also will pay $550,000 to cover the cost of the investigation into Sparks. The agreement does not mean the company was found to have engaged in unlawful behavior.
I’m glad they’re getting rid of the guano though.
“They are fundamentally dangerous and put drinkers of all ages at risk,” New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said in a statement of the drinks. “Today’s agreement will ensure that from here on out, these drinks are kept off New York shelves and away from New York consumers.”
The MillerCoors settlement also includes the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, New Mexico, Ohio and Oklahoma and the city attorney of San Francisco.
“We are always willing to listen to societal partners and consider changes to our business to reinforce our commitment to alcohol responsibility,” Long said.
Time to head back to Wisconsin next time I want to make Hyper Vipers.
The money will be split between the states and San Francisco, MillerCoors spokesman Julian Green said.
MillerCoors noted that labeling and all formulas for Sparks had been approved by the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. It said it marketed the drinks only to legal drinking-age consumers.
MillerCoors President and Chief Commercial Officer Tom Long said in a statement the changes mean the company can keep marketing and selling the brand to legal drinkers.
St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch said in June it would reformulate its Tilt and Bud Extra drinks to remove the stimulants as part of a settlement with 11 attorneys general.
Groups say these drinks target young drinkers, even those underage, because those consumers are already drawn to highly caffeinated drinks like Red Bull.
As part of the agreement, MillerCoors will sell through its remaining Sparks products and stop making them by Jan. 10.
Green said the company will then start brewing the new formula after that.
Marketing of the brand will also change, the agreement said. The company must also eliminate all references in advertising to caffeinated formulations and not promote Sparks as a mixer for caffeinated drinks. It will remove the plus and minus symbols — which evoke a battery — found on the blue and orange cans for the product. The company also agrees not to use batteries, rockets, lightning bolts, or the terms “powered by” or “ignite” in marketing the new formulation.
The company also took down the Web site for the brand, as part of the agreement, which said MillerCoors may launch new Web content for Sparks to promote only the reformulated version.
Green said the company will continue to expand the brand. SABMiller bought Sparks and Steel Reserve, a slow-brewed lager, from McKenzie River Corp. for $215 million cash in 2006.
Sparks holds about 60 percent of the alcoholic energy drink category, he said. But in MillerCoors’ portfolio it makes up less than 1 percent of the brewer’s total volume. The brand is growing, though. Data from AC Nielsen in a recent 12-week period showed the brand’s sales in convenience stores were up 15.9 percent from the same period last year, Green said.
He noted that advertising for the brand was minimal, compared with the company’s other brands like Miller Lite, and said there had never been any television ads for Sparks.
“We remain committed to the Sparks franchise, including the possibility of line extensions,” Green said.
Steve Gardner, litigation director for public advocacy group the Center for Science in the Public Interest — which has a suit against MillerCoors over Sparks — applauded the agreement. In September the group filed a suit against MillerCoors to stop the brewer from selling Sparks, saying it’s going after teenagers with the drink.
“It’s a devil’s brew of a product because it combines caffeine with alcohol,” Gardner said.
He said much of what the group wanted from MillerCoors — to remove caffeine, guarana, ginseng and taurine from the product — was accomplished in the agreement. He said he was not yet sure what the agreement means for the case, which was pending in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Posted by BDazzle 
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First Zima, Now Sparks?!
December 18, 2008How are we supposed to get all hyphy before we ghost ride now!?!?!?!
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-ap-energy-drinks,0,4219784.story
*cough* BULLSHIT *cough*. What the hell. I’ll have to go back to slamming a pot of coffee, and then slamming a pint of Guiness. Actually, that doesn’t sound that bad.
I’m glad they’re getting rid of the guano though.
Time to head back to Wisconsin next time I want to make Hyper Vipers.