Month: July 2009

The duo of Susanna Hoffs and Matthew Sweet may be the perfect assimilation of vocal chops and instrumental savvy, as shown on a pair of recent albums titled Under The Covers (Shout! Factory), with volume one re-examining big hits from the ’60s and volume two tackling the ’70s. The track record for Hoffs and Sweet speaks for itself. Hoffs’ band, the Bangles, was the only member of the hallowed Paisley Underground scene to sell more than a handful of records, cracking the national top-30 no fewer than eight times from 1986-89. Sweet’s breakthrough album was 1991’s Girlfriend, which paved the way for later power-pop classics like Altered Beast and 100{e5d2c082e45b5ce38ac2ea5f0bdedb3901cc97dfa4ea5e625fd79a7c2dc9f191} Fun. The pair plans to take an acoustic version of their Under The Covers act on the road in September, but in the meantime is guest editing magnetmagazine.com all this week. Read our Q&A with them.

Susanna Hoffs: Go-go dancing is fun to watch and fun to do. There is a groovy vibe and beatnik spirit in these dances and a charming awkwardness to the moves, like the Jerk, the Swim, the Frug, the Watusi, the Twist and the Pony. Terri Garr and Toni Basil did some stellar go-go dancing on The T.A.M.I. Show, which was filmed at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in 1964 and featured musical performances by the Rolling Stones and James Brown. And who can forget the adorable Goldie Hawn in a bikini and psychedelic body paint, dancing on Laugh-In? Video of go-go dancing to the Byrds after the jump.

The duo of Susanna Hoffs and Matthew Sweet may be the perfect assimilation of vocal chops and instrumental savvy, as shown on a pair of recent albums titled Under The Covers (Shout! Factory), with volume one re-examining big hits from the ’60s and volume two tackling the ’70s. The track record for Hoffs and Sweet speaks for itself. Hoffs’ band, the Bangles, was the only member of the hallowed Paisley Underground scene to sell more than a handful of records, cracking the national top-30 no fewer than eight times from 1986-89. Sweet’s breakthrough album was 1991’s Girlfriend, which paved the way for later power-pop classics like Altered Beast and 100{e5d2c082e45b5ce38ac2ea5f0bdedb3901cc97dfa4ea5e625fd79a7c2dc9f191} Fun. The pair plans to take an acoustic version of their Under The Covers act on the road in September, but in the meantime is guest editing magnetmagazine.com all this week. Read our Q&A with them.

Matthew Sweet: What can I say? I love the creatures as much as I do humans! Sensitive and standoffish, wily and sweet, they remind me of someone I know … ahem … I’ve lived with cats for as long as I can remember. I felt I was sort of a protector of the indoor/outdoor cats we had when I was a kid. A cat was always welcome in my room. Once away at college, a long line of beloved indoor cats ensued. Right now, we have four cats: a pair of two-year-old silver Bengal girls (one spotted, one marbled), and a seven-year-old brother/sister pair of brown marbled Bengals. They are wonderful cats in their interactions, but a little wild, too! I see cats and can’t help but see the same simple patterns that govern humans: Love goes a long way. Peaceful vibes go a long way. A little food works wonders.