Kiss me with apocolypse.

One week from exactly this moment, I will be drunk.

In all likelihood, I'll be drunk tomorrow since there's a party less than two miles from my house. That state will probably start at around 6:00 PM and continue into the next morning depending on whether or not Hollywood Alley becomes my post-party destination for some Vin Fiz. Oh, what makes one week from now special is where I'll be enjoying said inebriation... Saturday 23rd, Kings of Leon with Secret Machines @ the Wiltern in LA. Continuing on into the next day, we've got... Sunday 24th, Kings of Leon with Secret Machines @ 4th and B in San Diego.

The Secret Machines stole Coachella '05 for me. I checked their tourdates and saw that they're too cool to come to AZ so its me that's got to make the pilgrimage. Sure, I listened to the album. It took me a while to fully enjoy all of the tracks (which is actually a lie since I still think "The Pharoah's Daughter" is a steaming pile) but it doesn't hold a candle to the power of their live show. They played in either the Mojave or the Gobi tent and it was incredible. In the tents, sound is retained; nothing escapes. I remember the sound being so thick and omnipresent, coming from all sides in equal force. If ever I thought the effect was wearing off, I'd simply close my eyes and concentrate on amaing fidelity of the show. Add to that, there was such an active lightshow that with closed eyes it felt like a dizzying hallucinogenic tryst. It was probably the single coolest musical experience of my life. Being desperate to relive the experience, my friend, Sean, and I bought tickets for both shows to the tune of $75 total per person.

First, these CA ticket prices are horrendous. Second, the fucking service charges on what would have been a $26.50 ticket caused the total for the Wiltern show to end up being around $37! As such, I expect an extra good showing... which is of course a completely unfounded and illogical expectation. I bet their best show ends up being Ed's Hitching Post in Shitsville, OK. All the same, goddamn it, I pray for a mindblowing experience.

Tonight's show at the Modified was a bit of a wash but it was all of five bucks. The line-up was Bodhisattva, Le Joshua, Asleep in the Sea, and Wives. Bodhisattva surprised me with their two man line-up; for two dudes, they crank out enough sound for three times that. While Sean didn't like their drummer, I thought the guy awesome... like a machine rhythmically gunning along with the thick, wall of sound guitar that their frontman would double and triple with the use of looping effects. Le Joshua had some crazy energy but they were so goddamn loud and out of control that I couldn't stick around. Asleep in the Sea, still the reigning musical champs of AZ, played a formidable, yet short, set but it was far from their best. I think their short 25 minute-or-less set could be attributed to the late start time of the gig. Doors opened at 8:00 but nobody started playing until maybe 9:20. Wives get a big 'fuck this' from me based on what little I saw. I was going to buy the Bodhisattva EP but then I saw that they were giving it away with the purchase of any item from the touring bands so... I bought the disc by Wives. Since I laid down good money for it, I hope I like it. I'm not above changing my opinion on something as long as its warranted.

Sean and I went through a 12 pack of Honey Brown which has surely ursurped Amber Bock or Rolling Rock as my favorite beer. Its not riddled with Rolling Rock's inconsistancies and has more flavor than Amber Bock. Oh, and its like $10 for a 12 pack. Bottoms up, players.

While I don't know when its actually supposed to come out, the Super Furry Animals' latest album 'Love Kraft' is the top contender for best album of 2005. Its floating around on Soulseek and the like so check it out. If you've never heard them to begin with, this album is a great jump-off point. Easily has the highest fidelity of any of their albums. Total ear candy... pull out those headphones. I think Spoon's 'Gimme Fiction' has a pretty phenomenal sound to it and if you like the general feel of that recording, you'll really appreciate this. I'm not talking about the music in this respect, just the recorded sound. The music is, as always, a sort of lush melodic psychedelic-influenced brit-pop... I don't know, its fucking amazing at any rate. Great attention to detail... I'll just stop here before it gets completely absurd - CHECK IT.

Grand Buffet is coming back in September, god bless.