I Am Still Wild And You Can Be Too.

Where The Wild Things Are Motion Picture Soundtrack.

When you were a kid, if you were one of the lucky ones, perhaps every so often in your room a forest would grow, and your “ceiling hung with vines.” Maybe “an ocean tumbled by with a private boat” to sail you in and out of days.If you were super lucky perhaps you even got to be “king of all the wild things.”

If you have no clue what I am talking about, you are never too old. Run out now and get yourself a copy of Maurice Sendak’s award winning book, Where The Wild Things Are.

For those of you who are following, you probably have been eagerly awaiting the release of Spike Jonze’s new movie version of the beloved children’s book. I have, but with some hesitation. Can you take something that represents a child’s unequaled power of imagination and turn it into a movie that we can all agree on? I don’t know, but when I see this movie I will be back to tell you what I think.

One thing I can say is that Karen O and the Kids have succeeded in making a soundtrack that lets the mind soar at will. It’s creepy. It’s beautiful. It’s imaginative. It’s reminiscent and hopeful. It fits the book and my imagination perfectly.

In an interview with New York Magazine, composer Karen O, says she was influenced by the Langley School Music Project, which is my favorite children’s choir piece, because of it’s sweetness, and imperfections, it’s just pure honesty. This soundtrack has this same raw sound. However, the sounds these young voices emit, somehow sands away the rough edges.

The songs are simple. The instruments are lo-tech and childlike. However, this is not a children’s album by any means. The track “Animal” is scary and wild. It could fit perfectly on Fever to Tell. “Hideaway” is sad and painful and a step forward for Karen O. The rest of the musicians that pieced this project together include some of the most influential in the current indie scene. Including, Bradford Cox from Deerhunter, Dean Fertita and Jack Lawrence currently from The Dead Weather, Aaron Hemphill form Liars and of course the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

This album totally warms your heart, makes you yearn for simpler times, and reminds you that after all your big adventures, all you really want is a dinner that is still hot and someone who loves you “best of all.”

Diary of a Band: Odessa Stair

When Eat Our Cocks, Dr. Dog: The Odessa Stair Story is released in book stores everywhere, readers may be surprised to learn that we weren’t always the SteveDanPat line-up that girls dream about at night. There are a few former soldiers that helped turn Odessa Stair into the fear-mongering hit machine that it is now.

Doug’s an old friend of mine who has the noble distinction of being the first person to join the band, and the not-so-noble distinction of being the first one fired. Nevertheless, his enthusiasm for guitar was second-to-none. As October ’08 ended, I taught him my songs and accompanied him on bass.

I met Jonathan through Craigslist at the beginning of November. A great guitarist with an amazing sense of rhythm, he could turn my lamest riffs into garage rock anthems. He also taught me the most important question to ask potential band mates: “So, uh, you don’t do coke, right?”

I hadn’t talked to Dan in years when we met up at our friend’s sex toy party last April. The grotesque dildos on display sparked our discussion about making music that sounds like a giant rubber dick getting shoved into your eye. He took over on bass a few days later. I moved to the drums, which at this point consisted of a tom and a frying pan.

We were having fun but things weren’t… right. The greatest band in the world sounded pretty awkward, which is to be expected when half of your drum kit is used to cook breakfast. Morale was starting to dwindle. People were skipping practices or ignoring phone calls. By June, Jonathan had quit, and I decided to let Doug go. It’s never easy firing a friend, but I wanted a real drummer and I no longer saw room for two guitarists. People often see this as harsh, but that’s usually because they’ve never met a real man before.

Dan posted an ad on Craigslist for a new drummer (an excerpt: “You’re going to be part of a movement that will destroy lives.”) and only Pat was brave enough to respond. Pat auditioned with pure gusto and declared his love of trashing hotel rooms. He was the perfect fit.

I’m still friends with everyone and their influence can still be heard in the band; Jonathan and Doug have writing credits on many of our songs. I’m grateful for their help getting Odessa Stair off the ground. Without them, Hipsters Eat Soy Animals would have to find some other sap to write diary entries for free.

~ Steve