shut up and play the hits.

dear james murphy,

james murphy, i love you but you're bringing me down. my heart is broken because lcd soundsystem no longer exist. i know that i will always have the music but with the ending of lcd, i realized i will never again be able to dance myself clean at an lcd soundsystem concert. and let's be honest, i would not have done those drugs at the hollywood bowl if i knew that was going to be my only lcd soundsystem concert. it was amazing and the drugs made it insanely amazing but i don't have any real memories of show, and i wish i did.

i remember where i was when i found out about your final show. i read it on laist's twitter at the chinatown gold line stop waiting for a friend. i freaked out about the news and was hopeful it was a rumor. but that was not the case. i was tempted to buy a ticket but with coachella in the same month, could not afford both (i was on unemployment at the time.) plus with all those damn scalpers i probably would have ended up ticketless. by the way, very cool how you guys did those terminal 5 shows to make up for those basterd scalpers.

but luckily for me, you made a documentary and concert dvd, which my middle-of-nowhere town had in their library system. so i checked it out (also thanks to my friend justin for posting about on fb which inspired me to look for it in the library's catalog). so not only did i get to try to come to terms (somewhat) with your decision, i was able to experience the concert even though i wasn't there. i also was able to buy some merch from the final show. i noticed your panda tote on your visit to keith and looked online and ordered one for myself!

so let's start with the documentary. first of all, kudos to dylan southen and will lovelace and probably the director of photography, reed morano, visually it was stunning. and wow what a clean apartment you have. and though i am not a pet person would consider getting a french bulldog cos yours is so cute!

i loved that chuck klosterman interviewed you. i love all of his books. but seriously man, reasons for the band ending are bullshit. because your getting old?!?! so your body is falling apart, that is not because of the touring, it's because that what happens with age. it sucks, i'm getting old too and it sad how quickly your body turns on you. i used to not be this fat but it doesn't mean i am going to stop living. and so a few gray hairs shouldn't stop you from being a band. also don't you realize that retirement is never healthy for older people? the healthiest old people are the ones that stay active via work.

and i get wanting to start a family but again no need to end the band. look at gwen stefani she had kids and toured. it is possible to have a family and make music. you can create music in a home studio which would allow you to still play dad. plus who says you have to constantly be on the road, you can find a nice balance between touring and home life. plus i just googled your wife a fashion designer? i've watched rachel zoe and her busy is just as chaotic? is she quitting too? it is possible to find a balance between life and work, people do it everyday, rockstarness is not different, in fact it's probably easier cos your night limited to the such a strict work schedule. i see the amount of leisure time industry people have in la, so your family reason is not legit enough.

i know you want to lead a normal life but you are no longer normal, sorry. and no offense but will lcd really ever reach that level where you will not be able to ride the subway? i'm sure you get recognized in brooklyn but let's be honest, your fans are way to hip to ever bother you. move to la, we ignore or celebrities because we see so many of them.

and just as the doc and klosterman framed it, you are jumping ship because you are afraid of failing. its like barry's sub question in "high fidelity": "is it in fact unfair to criticize a formerly great artist for his latter day sins, is it better to burn out or fade away?" actually it's not cos you are choosing to neither burn out or fade away, you are quitting. you think you're burnt out but you are just scared. and it's okay to be scared but don't be a coward. see what happens next instead of going out when you are on top. this might not even be your peak but we will never know. but just like you tried to avoid saying it in the documentary, it was already written in your face, this quitting will be your biggest failure. this will be what you are known for not the great dance music you created. and i mean this is the nicest way possible but i hope you hit rock bottom so i can attend your reunion set at coachella 2015.

i'll stop being so harsh but my final thought on your quitting is "you fucked up."

okay so now for some praise:

your extra features were great! i loved the story you shared about the reading festival. i love in la, so i know all about that type of horrible crowd but there are those among us who truly love the music so don't short change us. btw i've seen you listed at hard and s.s. coachella for dj sets, how is this different for touring as LCD soundsystem?

also your segment with keith was great! loved you two in the mower.

and the concert. amazing!!! wish i was there. i watched it with my little brother who is 9, and i made him have a dance party with me. i even busted out some light up toys. he had a lot of fun. and it's sad to think, i'll never be able to take him to one of your shows.

i am also going to try to get my friend danny to throw a dinner party/dance party featuring this DVD.

and i hate to be such a poser but only really know "this is happening" and off course "daft punk" and "tribulations". but that little robot rockopera song/set/experience was amazing. thank you. and if you are wondering "home" is my favorite.

so i guess thank you for allowing this moment in your history to be captured. it was nice to be apart of it somewhat. last but not least please reconsider this whole quitting business, you have to be bored by normal life by now. didn't all of those fans crying at the end get to you?!?!?

sincerely,
krisha mendoza

p.s. can you please let aziz ansari, i am a huge fan (read: what to make half indian babies with him)? he's funny, a foodie and has great taste in music!

paris, i love you but you're bringing me down. rosecrans baldwin (66)

i normally hate oprah but i have to admit i owe her one. auntie tracey has a subscription to her magazine and while reading the june issue in the water closet, i came across a recommendation for rosecrans baldwin's "paris, i love you but you're bringing me down." i normally would not trust oprah but my love for lcd soundsystem is stronger than my hatred of oprah, so i decided to judge a book by a title and give it a go.

and yes the title is an lcd soundsystem reference. how could it not be? for you purists, it was confirmed when baldwin mentioned running to "north american scum" and thanked the band in the acknowledgements. also here's the video for the inspiration for the title "new york, i love you but your bringing me down":
 

so i was a little hesitant about the book. though i have never been to paris, i am in love with it. thanks to "midnight in paris" (and of course cole porter, hemingway, the fitzgeralds, and gertrude stein), "an american in paris" (the gershwin definitely helped), "funny face" (i want to do a fashion shoot with balloons), "amelie" (and maybe bring a gnome with me), "je'taime paris" (i want to visit oscar wilde's grave) and of course "sex and the city" (though carrie did realize paris was not all it was cracked up to be), i am nostalgic for a paris that i have never experienced. so when i saw the title i was worried it might crush my love. but it didn't. i mean an lcd reference and sloan crosley (love her book "i was told there'd be cake") gave an endorsement quote for the back. it couldn't bring me down.

though baldwin did not have the easiest time in paris, it still filled me with a desire to go. for every shitty experience he had, there was an amazing one.  and even he admitted that, a bad day in paris is still kinda great because you are in paris.  it seemed like the worse part about his life there was the langauge barrier.  but i think i could deal with that, i mean the french would hate my bad accent and my inability to speak french but everything else would make up for it.

his book actually made me wish i was married.  well more like married to someone who would have an opportunity to find work in paris, so i could move with them.  or maybe just to married to a french.  oh and before i go on, i'm glad that baldwin discussed how his friend charlie's gaydar was thrown off by the french.  i have the same issue.  i always wonder, is he gay or is he french?!?!?  lol  glad to see that i'm not the only one with that issue.  but back to marrying a french, in a perfect world, he would be a french chef, i mean  reading about the food baldwin ate was driving me insane.  every italicized macaron mention made me sad that i was not eating one.  i mean i was jealous of his description of french air economy food!  but back to this imaginary french chef, he would also have to be childless.  the book discussed that every french man has a child, so i must magically find one that is childless.  so aside from dreams of going to paris, it also gave me this lofty goal in life.  lol

random sidenote.  not really because marriage would be the link.  but i enjoyed how baldwin included stories of sarkozy and carla bruni.  it reminded me about a discussion i had with a friend's cousin from france one night.  i alluded to bruni, who i had just discovered on the "(500) days of summer" soundtrack.  he told me the french hated her, but i didn't understand because i liked her music (kinda like baldwin's co-worker) but after reading this book i got it.

actually, marrying a parisian or living there would not be enough.  after reading this novel, i kinda wish i had been born a parisian.  i always tell people that i'm extremely grateful to have been born in california.  i believe that we do have a sunnier look out on life.  i mean imagine growing up in the midwest.  gag me with a spoon. (that reference was intended).  but to have been parisian would have been exciting.  i want to to be a coquette by blood like little adele from jane eyre (who was described as "coquetry runs in her blood, blends with her brains and seasons the marrow of her bones.") to have a french look on love, to be have wild love affairs, and be crazy.  it all seems so romantic and a little neurotic.  and at the risk of sounding insane, i would also be french since it is apparently acceptable to make black jokes, jew jokes and comments about penis size.  i hate how americans are so pc.  i like dave chapelle, am a equal opportunist when it comes to make fun of people.  also i would want to be french for the work day. i mean how often did baldwin's day end in a random potluck with drinks? though that could be an advertising thing.

but enough of my odd dreams and back to the book.  i thorougly enjoyed this book.  i had to interrupt my reading of "war and peace" because i was unable to renew it, so started after reading part 1 of "war and peace." i found it interesting how both works have a french theme.  but baldwin's work was a nice break.  it was a great read and i couldn't put it down.  i finished it in a weekend.  baldwin is a great story and i would totally be friends with him in real life.  i share stories here but you should really read it for yourself.  my only regret is reading this after "eat pray love" cos now i want to add paris to my list of places to travel.  i also plan on putting in a request for a "how to speak french" book. and last but not least, seriously, when is picard coming stateside?