TGIF&L: The Evan Dando memoir has a cover

Plus new Elias Rønnenfelt, a cool Most Things video, Metallica wants to play The Sphere, and more

Cheerio (I’m still in the UK). If you are also in London, next Friday August 15th, I’m hosting a screening of one of my favorite films of all time, Grosse Pointe Blank, at the Prince Charles Cinema. It’s part of the collection I curated for the Criterion Channel of 90s films with great soundtracks¹, and I’ll have a few Criterion Collection gift bags to give away as well, either by way of a trivia contest or random chaos. Might also do a little pub meet up before or after, when I figure that out I’ll put it in next week’s letter and also on IG.

• In keeping with my ongoing anglophilia, I’ve gotten very into the London duo (just bass and drums) Most Things. This week they put out a cute selfie-stick oriented video for their great song “Cuts.” I really like the sort of combination of whimsy and ennui in the vocal delivery (feels specifically British, very Raincoats or Delta 5). I’m going to see them play tonight and I’m very much looking forward to it.

• Elias Rønnenfelt of Ice Age (who recently look Most Things on tour, great taste and great cheekbones in one man) put out a new solo song featuring Yung Lean (under the moniker Jonatan Leandoer96) and American singer Fousheé called “Little Gods” and I’ve listened to it maybe a thousand times? It’s very twangy and folky, but like, sound cloud folk? It’s not stompy or clappy, per se, but I do think something is afoot in the ether. I really liked Elias’ solo album Heavy Glory from last year; his evolution is cool to watch. Semi-related: I think of Lust For Youth often. What a band.

• Speaking of stomp clap (sorry) seeing that cursed Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros clip circulating on X all week long as “the worst song ever” with all its related (and largely unnecessary) discourse is forcing me to admit I actually personally kind of like stomp clamp music; during a prolonged period of mental illness in like 2012 I listened to “Ho Hey” by The Lumineers multiple times a day and tbh it still occasionally hits. What not enough people seem to be remembering about the “Alabama Arkansas” band is that the front woman Jade Castrinos used to be an American Apparel model with super long hair², and that actor Ethan Embry’s brother was also in this band? Everyone knows Alex Ebert was electroclash before he went barn core but did you know Imarobot did the Suits theme song? Get another piece of pie for your wife! So many layers to this onion. Anyway my own hands are not clean; in like 2009 I was (briefly) seen in a long vintage dress singing (???) as a member of the Los Angeles Ladies Choir alongside Frankie Rayder and members of Warpaint, amongst others. We practiced at Flea’s house! We all live many lives.

• Anyway Alex Ebert says “Home” is NOT in fact “the worst song ever.” And you know what he is right and he should say it. (I’ve seen some of your worst song takes and it’s clear you wouldn’t survive a day in my shoes, spelunking through the 14th album of a once powerful artist’s never ending discography).

---

                          All the songs mentioned in this letter live in the Fast&Loose playlist

• The Evan Dando memoir has a cover and a release date! Available for pre-order now, it’s out October 7th. This book has been in the works for a long time, at least since The New York Times profiled Dando in 2019 (with beautiful photos by daniel arnold). I interviewed him once and it took seven years off my life so my hat is off to co-author Jim Ruland, who gave me this quote about the book: "Evan Dando has astonishing stories from every era of his punk, indie, and mainstream career. His memoir makes a strong case that everything really was better before the internet." You simply can’t argue with any of that.

• I do think Dando is one of the great 90s icons - perfect face, gorgeous hair, found himself frequently in the company of multiple other icons³ (Kate Moss, Courtney Love, the Gallagher Brothers) in often insane circumstances, and had a devotion to non-ambition that seems specific to the era. Producer dylan tupper rupert and I coined a term for this on The Lemonheads episode of Bandsplain, “no ambition just vibes.” The guest on that ep is fellow Dando-devotee Chris Black; it’s a pretty good one if I’m allowed to say so. I look forward to the memoir because I like to see how people recontextualize their past. Myth-making is important.

• Metallica says they want to have a residency at The Sphere. Or Lars Ulrich did anyway. I love Metallica and I do think that would be very cool however I still think NIN should do it first. I truly (madly, deeply) wonder what we will do when we run out legacy artists.

• Friend of the substack Militarie Gun has started a Discord. I am honestly too old and also too avoidant of further technology to know what goes on there. So I asked frontman Ian Shelton, and he said: “We are about to drop a new record and we wanted to make a place to play demos and do all the things that aren’t acceptable on all the other social media platforms.” Hardcore guy feet pics? Watch that space.

  

• John Brannon of Negative Approach hung out with Doug Martsch of Built To Spill at the Dinosaur Jr show in Boise, Idaho and unfortunately I’m forced to once again say: this is my Marvel cinematic universe.

• Paul Weller will NOT be going to see Oasis. “I’m not a big fan of big gigs,” he explained. Stars, they are just like us! Except not me in this case as I would probably go see this show twelve more times if given the opportunity. I’m going to miss my algorithm so much when this is all over.

• And last but not least, my dear friend and Ceremony guitarist Anthony Anzaldo put out his gorgeous solo album Live From An Ordinary Place (under the moniker Anthony Family) last week and it’s really sexy and vibey and special. I don’t even fuck with guitar solos like that but when Anthony does it, it hits different. If you’re in LA there’s a record release show tonight at the Philosophical Research Society.

That’s all for now! I’ll be doing Cameos this week only if you want one. If you are lucky I will be two pints of Guinness or one martini and a half in, those are the best ones tbh. Hope to see some of you at the Prince Charles xx

1. You can still use code SAYYES for 15% off a new Criterion Channel membership all month

2. if you ever went to Cinespace between the years of like 2003 and 2007 you probably know this

3. Did you know he was the inspiration for the Sebadoh song “Skull”?