Days of Lore

Living in the past
Wait one gosh-darned minute … you mean I have to write another one of these things? I’m ready for another vacation! Where’s Nystrom?!

I kid, of course … BUT, as they say, many a truth is said in jest, so maybe I’m not actually kidding! Although, I really am. Or am I?

OK, let’s get on with it then.

I said a few years ago that it wouldn’t be long before ’80s cover bands like Tainted Love became obsolete, and that the ’90s would soon be all the rage. I was only half-joking—besides, who wants Flock of Seagulls and Journey when you can have Pavement and the Toadies? That’s right. I said the Toadies.

Well, the future is now … which actually means the past is now. Chew on that one.

One hip, young director is taking us back to the summer of ’94 with The Wackness. The film, directed by Jonathan Levine, tells the story of a teenage dope dealer and his psychiatrist, and just won the Audience Award for best drama at Sundance. Sounds kooky. Adding to that is the fact that we finally have Ben Kingsley, Method Man and Mary-Kate Olsen together in the same movie. That’s Ben Kingsley. Method Man. And Mary-Kate Olsen.

And that’s not even the story.

What’s for Launch?
With any period piece comes the soundtrack that is sure to get people all misty with nostalgia and pining for the days when they were taking bong rips for breakfast, beer-bonging Keystone Ice for lunch and humping without protection for dinner, all while maintaining a solid 2.0 GPA in college.

Although not much has been leaked, The Wackness is said to have an impressive soundtrack filled with early-’90s hip-hop groups including A Tribe Called Quest.

But the big news here—the news that’s taken me 319 words to finally get to—is that (wait for it … ) Chico’s own Vomit Launch will also be on the soundtrack. The band will offer up “Exit Lines” from its second full-length, Exiled Sandwich—and vocalist Trish Howard told me in an e-mail that they just finished negotiations. (“And, yes, we used an entertainment lawyer—we’re not rubes.”)

No news on when the film or the soundtrack will be released, but I hear that Trish has a box full of copies of Exiled Sandwich (which was released only on vinyl) in her garage. Me first!

Pop perfection in Paradise
There are some 300 bands in Chico and the surrounding areas—that’s right. Some of them, like The Kevin Reid Project, are just quietly kicking it in little ol’ Paradise and making some impressively produced pop music. Even more impressive is the fact that the members range in age from 17 to 20.

“Leave Me Alone” is a ridiculously catchy tune, layered with horns, piano, tambourine and hand-claps. This is good stuff. The band will perform at Augie’s Feb. 16. More info: www.myspace.com/kevinreidmusic.

My vampire weekend
I am finally going to see for myself what all of the hubbub is about on New York’s Vampire Weekend, the band that has been getting lotsa love from their buddies at Pitchfork as well as every other music critic with a pulse. OK, I’ve heard only a few songs, but I can’t say it really excites me.

The band is playing a free show at Amoeba Records Fri. (Feb. 1) in San Francisco. And since I’ll be there for this year’s West Coast conference for the Association of Alternative Newspapers, I’m going to have to sneak off and see if these vampires really suck.