Peng! 33, by Stereolab.
Hi, please meet my favorite band in the world of all time, Stereolab.
Facts:
- I’m sure the first album of theirs I owned was Mars Audiac Quintet.
- This song is from Peng, which I think came just before that one.
- I once saw them play in the NYU student center for $4.
- I saw them play a bunch of other times in New York at places like Irving Plaza, usually.
- My final sophomore video project was set to a song from Mars Audiac Quintet. It was kinda terrible, but very meta, which was my m.o., even then.
- I have lots of Stereolab records now, and some solo stuff from Laetitia Sadier, and even a couple Monade 7 inches, but also the UILab record, which is lovely, and idk what else. I don’t think I’m missing much, especially with the periodic roundups of singles and b-sides and tour 7 inches and whatnot compiled.
- I last saw them in September of 2019 in the Before Times, in Washington D.C., the only time I have seen a show at (not really the original) 9:30 Club.
- I also earned a $100+ speeding ticket that night thanks to some cameras and took an hour or more to find a place to park. I don’t love driving in D.C.
- I asked them to play Crest that night, and they did, in the encore, and I felt privileged AF.
- I looked at the chords to Crest today and went “oh. well that’s really not that complicated, is it.” and felt a little bad, but it’s still a pleasant little vehicle to rock out on.
- I played this sweet song because I liked the chord changes and it’s so positive, with a nice rising sound to it in the verses.
- I need more appropriate synth sounds for this, and started trying to understand how to download stuff and add it to garageband. I didn’t finish that job, but I’ll get there.
- I messed up the break and then messed it up different ways with each instrument, so that was cool.