RETURN OF THE LOUP
The last night in the studio with Cosmopolitants was an epic 20-hour session where we did two lead vocals and all the backing vocals for the album, and made rough mixes. I staggered out of the studio at 8.30am Saturday...the streets were just starting to be active, and the sky was clear and pale blue. It was frigid. The walk to Natxo's flat, which is normally very pleasant, seemed like an endless slog. I couldn't get undressed fast enough. But by 9 I was asleep. I got up just before 3, and had a quiet afternoon. We all had lunch at home, and *then* I went and had breakfast--my last visit to L'Aroma. They gave my coffee for free! As I had ran out to buy soy milk for them when they ran out...and, in two weeks' time I had become a regular. I spent hours in a net cafe, with the delicious feeling that I had nowhere to be. I went back to the studio in the evening to finalize my affairs there, say my goodbyes, etc. That night I went to Natxo's band, Poet in Process, play at the Sidecar (where I played on the Soft Commands tour in 2004). They did a great show--I was dog tired but I propped myself in a corner and watched. Natxo is the bass player, and there's a guitarist, a very virtuoso-style drummer, and the anglo-iberian Lynne Marti sings and plays acoustic guitar. She has a soulful, pliable and dynamic voice. I was trying to explain to them after the show that some of their songs sound like Rush and that this was a good thing...anyway, the splashy drumming, stereo-chorused guitar, counterpoint bass lines and stratospheric vocals (and lofty, anthemic lyrics) would be instantly familiar to any fan of
Signals.
I hung out for a bit after the show, but certainly wasn't in a party mood, and eventually (knowing that cabs on La Rambla would be impossible and that the metro was finished) I walked back to the flat. I woke up this morning at 10.46--I was planning on getting a cab to the airport at 11--and thus I got ready in a hurry (I had been smart enough to pack the night before). I had a cab in about 30 seconds after getting downstairs, and had plenty of time to take care of business at the airport. I had breakfast, etc. The flight wasn't that full so I had a row to myself (= zzzzzzzzz) and had my suitacse quickly and by 4pm I was home, with Aden and Dom. Aden had ben waiting by the door for me all day. Only because she knew I was bringing cadeaux!
This evening we stopped by Studio de La Seine, just 100 meters from our flat, to hear the new album by No One Is Innocent, old friends of Dom's. I recalled that the Posies had recorded a demo here in 1995 or 6, to be submitted for the film "That Thing You Do". We didn't make the cut, obv. but I did also submit what I thought was a great fake 60's song, "Runaway Girl" (which appears on the Chariot
I Am Ben Hur album). It didn't make it either, and then I realized that they weren't looking for 60's song, they were looking for fake Raspberries songs, and calling that the 60's. It's like making a film about the Roman empire and having Nero look at his watch.
I listened to Sarah Shannon's new album "City Morning Song", which is being released by Minty Fresh soon. She has the dudes from Seldom/Crystal Skulls behind her and she sings as beautifully as ever.
Last item--Lydia Lunch forwarded this article in the NY Times, an interview with Lee Hazelwood, who has a new album out, and is presumed to be in the last months of struggle with cancer. Gave me a little tear. I am very lucky that I got to see Nancy & Lee at the Fillmore about ten years ago.
New York Times ArticleLove
KS
Paris
