Comments on: Songs about Los Angeles: “In California” by Neko Case Lisa Marr http://blogging.la/2009/04/07/songs-about-los-angeles-in-california-by-neko-case-lisa-marr/ Lizard people dude. Seriously. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:54:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Songs About Los Angeles: "Can’t Take This Town" by Colin Hay | Los Angeles Metblogs http://blogging.la/2009/04/07/songs-about-los-angeles-in-california-by-neko-case-lisa-marr/comment-page-1/#comment-41053 Songs About Los Angeles: "Can’t Take This Town" by Colin Hay | Los Angeles Metblogs Sat, 18 Apr 2009 21:00:54 +0000 http://la.metblogs.com/?p=24226#comment-41053 [...] of life in Los Angeles. It’s a good companion piece to “In California,”  which Lucinda Michele reviewed last week. Hay’s song is perhaps a bit less poetic, but it gets the point across while exploring things [...] [...] of life in Los Angeles. It’s a good companion piece to “In California,”  which Lucinda Michele reviewed last week. Hay’s song is perhaps a bit less poetic, but it gets the point across while exploring things [...]

]]> By: Songs About Los Angeles: "Moving to LA" by Art Brut | Los Angeles Metblogs http://blogging.la/2009/04/07/songs-about-los-angeles-in-california-by-neko-case-lisa-marr/comment-page-1/#comment-41052 Songs About Los Angeles: "Moving to LA" by Art Brut | Los Angeles Metblogs Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:00:53 +0000 http://la.metblogs.com/?p=24226#comment-41052 [...] “Moving to LA” is a celebration of all those illusions Lucinda Michele (and Lisa Marr) warn us we had better put aside to make our peace with this place : When I get off the plane The first [...] [...] “Moving to LA” is a celebration of all those illusions Lucinda Michele (and Lisa Marr) warn us we had better put aside to make our peace with this place : When I get off the plane The first [...]

]]> By: lucindamichele http://blogging.la/2009/04/07/songs-about-los-angeles-in-california-by-neko-case-lisa-marr/comment-page-1/#comment-41051 lucindamichele Thu, 09 Apr 2009 19:11:21 +0000 http://la.metblogs.com/?p=24226#comment-41051 Jeff, you are so damn cool. Jeff, you are so damn cool.

]]> By: flowerofhighrank http://blogging.la/2009/04/07/songs-about-los-angeles-in-california-by-neko-case-lisa-marr/comment-page-1/#comment-41050 flowerofhighrank Thu, 09 Apr 2009 06:26:46 +0000 http://la.metblogs.com/?p=24226#comment-41050 Lucinda: that was...glorious. I'm posting what jodi noted on my blog. It says what I woulda said, only you said it first and better. I was born here. Lucinda's heard the story, she's the only one who knows, but trust me- it's bloody. If it weren't for gunfire, I'd be from Colorado. Never mind. In one of the first posts I ever read at Metblog, someone tried to convince me that L.A. was a great place because you don't really have to trust anybody; it was so plastic and fake and full of crap that it didn't matter what you do. The words 'bonehead' and 'ass' flowed before my eyes. L.A. is tough. People say NY is tough. NY plays tough in the movies (we make those here, don't we?). We are tough because everyone expects us not to be. Everyone comes here to live out their dreams...and then sometimes we have to hold them and tell them, 'no, sorry, your dreams...are not so good. Come, let's go behind Vons for cardboard boxes and I'll help you pack.' I still say Steely Dan gets this place, but I had a rocky '80s and my '90s were literally spent in a mansion in the jungle. So, what do I know? -Jeff Lucinda: that was…glorious.
I’m posting what jodi noted on my blog. It says what I woulda said, only you said it first and better. I was born here. Lucinda’s heard the story, she’s the only one who knows, but trust me- it’s bloody. If it weren’t for gunfire, I’d be from Colorado.
Never mind.

In one of the first posts I ever read at Metblog, someone tried to convince me that L.A. was a great place because you don’t really have to trust anybody; it was so plastic and fake and full of crap that it didn’t matter what you do. The words ‘bonehead’ and ‘ass’ flowed before my eyes.

L.A. is tough. People say NY is tough. NY plays tough in the movies (we make those here, don’t we?). We are tough because everyone expects us not to be. Everyone comes here to live out their dreams…and then sometimes we have to hold them and tell them, ‘no, sorry, your dreams…are not so good. Come, let’s go behind Vons for cardboard boxes and I’ll help you pack.’

I still say Steely Dan gets this place, but I had a rocky ’80s and my ’90s were literally spent in a mansion in the jungle. So, what do I know?
-Jeff

]]> By: lucindamichele http://blogging.la/2009/04/07/songs-about-los-angeles-in-california-by-neko-case-lisa-marr/comment-page-1/#comment-41049 lucindamichele Tue, 07 Apr 2009 22:22:28 +0000 http://la.metblogs.com/?p=24226#comment-41049 Jodi--I too have watched with great disappointment while a friend fails to "get" LA. And I've seen many people leave. She's not for everybody, and everybody's not for her. Bummer, that. :\ Jodi–I too have watched with great disappointment while a friend fails to “get” LA. And I’ve seen many people leave.

She’s not for everybody, and everybody’s not for her. Bummer, that. :\

]]> By: Jodi http://blogging.la/2009/04/07/songs-about-los-angeles-in-california-by-neko-case-lisa-marr/comment-page-1/#comment-41048 Jodi Tue, 07 Apr 2009 19:49:30 +0000 http://la.metblogs.com/?p=24226#comment-41048 What a great post and like Julia said--inspirational. One passage really resonates: "To really love this city–to find your home here, truly and deeply–requires an initial surrender of all those early visions of what you thought Los Angeles would be, or of what it would give you. Until you can let go of those images you superimposed, with great hope, over LA, you can’t really get in." I was able to do this and I love this city, warts and all. I have a lot of friends though who just can't get past their idealized view of what L.A. should be and what it should give to them. It makes me a little sad and I've tried to stop "selling" them on what the city has to offer. And then I'm supportive when they move away. What a great post and like Julia said–inspirational.

One passage really resonates: “To really love this city–to find your home here, truly and deeply–requires an initial surrender of all those early visions of what you thought Los Angeles would be, or of what it would give you. Until you can let go of those images you superimposed, with great hope, over LA, you can’t really get in.” I was able to do this and I love this city, warts and all. I have a lot of friends though who just can’t get past their idealized view of what L.A. should be and what it should give to them. It makes me a little sad and I’ve tried to stop “selling” them on what the city has to offer. And then I’m supportive when they move away.

]]> By: Travis Koplow http://blogging.la/2009/04/07/songs-about-los-angeles-in-california-by-neko-case-lisa-marr/comment-page-1/#comment-41047 Travis Koplow Tue, 07 Apr 2009 19:27:34 +0000 http://la.metblogs.com/?p=24226#comment-41047 Sigh. I hear you! Okay, right after tomorrow's X post. This week. I promise. LA sublime coming up. Sigh. I hear you! Okay, right after tomorrow’s X post. This week. I promise. LA sublime coming up.

]]> By: lucindamichele http://blogging.la/2009/04/07/songs-about-los-angeles-in-california-by-neko-case-lisa-marr/comment-page-1/#comment-41046 lucindamichele Tue, 07 Apr 2009 19:24:59 +0000 http://la.metblogs.com/?p=24226#comment-41046 Thanks for that, boyhowdy, and I'd love to burn those albums from you if you're able... Incidentally, perhaps your comment will be the impetus Travis needs to write her much-discussed, never-drafted post about the sublime in Los Angeles. [hint, hint] Thanks for that, boyhowdy, and I’d love to burn those albums from you if you’re able…

Incidentally, perhaps your comment will be the impetus Travis needs to write her much-discussed, never-drafted post about the sublime in Los Angeles. [hint, hint]

]]> By: boyhowdy http://blogging.la/2009/04/07/songs-about-los-angeles-in-california-by-neko-case-lisa-marr/comment-page-1/#comment-41045 boyhowdy Tue, 07 Apr 2009 19:18:51 +0000 http://la.metblogs.com/?p=24226#comment-41045 Lisa Marr is an amazing songwriter. I tracked down one of her (rare) live performances after being turned on by Case's rendition of "In California." Her group, The Lisa Marr Experiment, has recorded (at least) two albums well worth every bit of effort one must take to track down. One gets the sense that Marr has indeed surrendered to the sublime (look that word up if you think it means something like 'pretty' or 'nice' or 'happy - cuz it don't) charms of LA, and her songs have given me courage and something maybe south of hope but well north of despair on many days when the sunshine and red car tracks that don't go nowhere get to be too much. Lisa Marr is an amazing songwriter. I tracked down one of her (rare) live performances after being turned on by Case’s rendition of “In California.” Her group, The Lisa Marr Experiment, has recorded (at least) two albums well worth every bit of effort one must take to track down. One gets the sense that Marr has indeed surrendered to the sublime (look that word up if you think it means something like ‘pretty’ or ‘nice’ or ‘happy – cuz it don’t) charms of LA, and her songs have given me courage and something maybe south of hope but well north of despair on many days when the sunshine and red car tracks that don’t go nowhere get to be too much.

]]> By: Julia Frey http://blogging.la/2009/04/07/songs-about-los-angeles-in-california-by-neko-case-lisa-marr/comment-page-1/#comment-41044 Julia Frey Tue, 07 Apr 2009 17:56:09 +0000 http://la.metblogs.com/?p=24226#comment-41044 Wow, great great article. Thank you! This really inspires me... Wow, great great article. Thank you! This really inspires me…

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