TS: Magnetic Fields vs. The Aluminum Group

I think that's what I was trying to say without saying it.

Yay! Tempting as it may be, don't start with the Jim O'Rourke-produced album. Start with Happyness.

and, um, heavenly in a cakewalk.

(Btw, what do you think of More Happyness, Kenan?)

I like it. It stretches out a bit more than Happyness. Has more going on in the corners. Very nice.

http://www.apple.com/retail/northmichiganavenue/

Scroll down to "music nights."

But I don't like the Magnetic Fields at all. Just a schtick band.

*whew* This is pretty off topic.

I remember the afternoon I found the wayward bus and distant plastic trees. oh my god! who did I rush over to play it for? frankie, of course. we were both so floored, moved and excited.

so my answer is kind of one-sided, but I love frankie's songs and spirit so much. what can a brother say? I love them both, the fields and the other half of the aluminum group.

the apple store, by the way, was fantastic! It was perfect. we performed with ipods and sang our little songs while we navigated through our website, exploring the cool new features, projected on a huge screen behind us. who could ask for a more perfect set? It was like self-improvement seminar meets aluminum group with powerpoint presentation. I loved every second of it. I just wish paris hilton had been there. we're going back to apple store in feburary 2004.

check out our new website, go to:

thealuminumgroup.net

thanks for thinking about us. It means so much. wait till you hear little happyness, the follow-up to more happyness. we've spread our wings a little wider. frank's songs are killer! headphones, milligram of happiness and beautiful eyes. It's been a beautiful week. happy holidays. johnny navin/the aluminum group

(Pam and Gail send their love, JN).

Mr. Navin, you are loved.

kenan, you are a very special person to frankie and I. you've been such a support. I look forward to meeting you someday. and when we meet, wherever that might be, well, I'm just going to hug you, that's all.

london lee, can I autograph your panties? a t-shirt? can I have my friend jason make you a t-shirt (or panty if you prefer) for me to sign? he also has been sewing vinyl vaginas, which we sold as merch for a show at the hideout and at the fez in nyc. you're a girl, right? if not, I'll have him make a jock.

jaymc, the show was kind of good, wasn't it? sort of funny. there was magic all around. so many lovely folks turned up. sheila brought us homemade cookies, which we devoured on the spot. pete took us out for supper right after the show, across the street to ralph lauren's restaurant (so christmassie). gabriel and jessica brought frankie a spanish telanovella glossy magazine (frank's adddicted to the spanish soaps- I could only sit through mari mar and betty la fea, betty the ugly, they're all pigmailian myths, my fair lady, etc., etc.). what else?

michael, be nice. stephen's a sweetheart to be sure. my god, the pressure that boy is under, our modern day irving b. frank and I don't have to worry about such things. we always get lumped with the cheese from the 60's and 70's. you know, fluffy stuff. it's all good. but if you ever have a chance to get stephen on a one-to-one, there's no one funnier or more brilliant. he stayed at frankie's house once, claudia at mine. It was during the 69 sessions. at that moment he wanted to do 100. could you imagine? anyway, he was staring at himself in the mirror, and frank was like, "what's wrong? wrinkles? get over it, stephen!" we had a fun weekend. we took them on a tour of chicago, but not meis or sullivan or calder or miro or anything of the sort. we took them on a special tour, of mansard roofs we like in the city. oh, it's silly. we're obsessed with that style. but stephen's not so grim, or if he appears so, it's because so many people (believe me, I heard them) fawn, flaunt, all the "f" words, all over him. frank walked into his dressing room once and almost puked. but he deserves it. he's a national treasure, just like paris hilton.

chris, why are we more gay than merritt? because there are two of us?

so kids, looks like I'll check up on you every now and again. It's fun, and thanks for having me. I will not go on and on. promise. but I will try to answer honestly to the best of my abilities.

does paris check this site out? poor thing. i want to be her spersonal assistant. seriously. I can type.

we're in the studio all day tomorrow with john mcentire. can I tell you a secret? maybe we might be styling tortoise for a photo shoot. we've been kind of laughing about it. bettina said, "okay john (me, not mcentire), navin eye for the tortoise guy, what do you think?" I was like, "girl! I've only been asking to style tortoise and sea and cake for years!" not that they need it, but could you imagine what fun we'll have with the guys? "okay, doug, try to smile, just a little. that's it!" of course, johnny herdon (he's expecting his first baby!) is perfect, so handsome and sweet just the way he is, and his hair is all kind of hippy now. mcentire? how can you improve on that? he's so photogenic, such a handsome man. jeff is perfect, too, with his beautiful hair and eyes. bitney is the one who always smiles inside. he's the happiest camper of them all I think. thank god for bitney! we all need his joy. stay tuned.

I've gone on too long. I'm completely exhausted having worked all week in the studio with mac and frank, and launching the website, so forgive me. forgive me all!!!!!!

merriest christmas days and chanukah days, light all the candles, one by one, with children, let them light the candles. oh! it's perfect, isn't it? sometimes we get it right. and then happiest new year to you all. not little happyness (that's for frankie and me), but great, big, wonderful happiness to you and yours.

johnny

And who knows, maybe two is better than one. :-)

http://giganticmag.com/images/navineye.jpg

I started laughing so hard when I saw this! you're brilliant!!!!! gosh, I hope mcentire doesn't, no, I hope he sees this. It's so sweet. I was like, "that's not frankie!"

"It's macky!"

you're hysterical.

you're wonderful.

you made my night!!

johnny

but have I completely fucked up this discussion booth/thing/website? I think I have and I'm sorry. It's just kind of nice, knowing you're out there.

the proud towers

as in paradise lost, let us conjure up a scene
for you know as I, just what these towers mean.
Icarus takes off, he is proud and he is free,
but in the chaos, he is drowning there at sea.

somethings seem ordered like they're right where they should be.
I cut an olive branch off of an olive tree,
the oldest olive branch off of the oldest tree-
off of a tetrach's plant, a redwood by the sea.

something so simple is still unknown to you and me.
it's not the towers for we know just what they mean.
it is a theory about strings we cannot see-
and is a consolation like that of philosophy.

something has happened.  yes, it happened on the streets
of Pandemonium, our capital- paradise retreats
to where? and when? but we know why
Icarus takes off, how he must die.

Oh, goodness no. You're refreshing uncynical, compared to the rest of us, and we're glad to have you.

http://giganticmag.com/images/Neg01b.jpg

Hey, do you mean my brother Mark?

I remember that afternoon, and so do you. how funny! life is funny. I'll never leave you, I promise. unless, you ask me to.

mark cunningham is who I mean.

Yep, that's my brother.

It's from the morehappyness series. I know it's kind of over-the-top, but didn't sandro do a good job? frankie and I styled it. the dog is sasha, frankie's landlord's dog, the ipod's mine. the sweaters are of course another generous, wonderful gift from our friend, one of our oldest , fabio, at prada (names, names, names). birthday presents!!! we opened them the same day. they're so soft and rich. knitwear. love it! he sent three ties for each of us, and shoes and shirts. can you stand it? we used them for this shoot. we didn't wear the sweaters in london two weeks ago, because they're so warm. we sweat too much on stage. I bought an argyle (it's everywhere this season) cashmere for me and a powder blue one for frank from brooks brothers. we performed with a card table set up- the new set design. I love the card table when I can sit across from frank and sing (or fiddle with a pencil or my maker's mark or the set-list or the ipod. don't touch! frank cues the songs!)

I came up with the underwear idea, and frankie came up with us kissing on a motorcycle. we're happiest with these photos. my girlfriend, susan, loved when we modeled the underwear idea in my apartment. you never know.

tortoise, well, we're researching old photographs as we speak, avedon, etc., etc., but what I said to john was, we'll shop for what we like and make it modern. It has to be modern. john mac has many ideas. he's brilliant and has an artistic eye.

what am I going on about?

I mentioned fabio because: 1) so proud of our friend, 2) so great is our friend, look at the shoes! look at everything at prada, and 3) he's our guy, he's always supported us and cared about what we've done since day one.

kenan, you have to know that fabio organized the first aluminum group show in milano in 1987 when we weren't aluminum group but still bleakhouse. he got us a show in the most historically cool discoteque in milan, killer plastic. nicola, the owner of the club, booked us then and booked us llast spring. how happy we were to retiurn to plastic 13 years later, thanks to fabio. thanks to nicola.

he's so important to frankie and I. he's our brother.

Okay, carry on.