Bat for Lashes

Astrid.
Originally uploaded by tokyohanna.

New Yorkers who will be in town tomorrow night (sadly, I will not) and are looking for something to do... check out Bat For Lashes at the Knitting Factory. I just found out about this band a week or two ago when they were nominated for the Mercury Prize. The music is haunting and beautiful. Here is the video for What's A Girl To Do:


I usually don't read interviews in blogs because they add up and take too much time from my day, but I read this one that Gothamist did with the band's Natasha Khan, and it was fascinating. I want to be friends with her. This observation of hers is very similar to parallels I sometimes draw between things:

You list "The Karate Kid" as one of your influences, explain.
This film is one of several that I call the "80s hoodie films" - along with ET, Donnie Darko, The Goonies - as they all contain seminal scenes in them where the kids get on their bikes, wearing the coolest hoodies and cycle out on an adventure in to the unknown. This moment symbolizes something so deep and important to me - an epiphany when you move out of your comfortable childhood microcosm into the big bad world, to communicate with something terrifying and beautiful and exciting - to find your own path! It’s frightening and can happen all through your life, but its those moments where you decide to go for it, take risks, fulfill your purpose! It’s what life is all about, I think....sorry, getting over excited! Ha!

She also talks about a truth re:piano that all pianists probably share:

But I'd have to say my oldest love is the piano, cause you can just get lost in it for hours. Playing it in the dark at night is great, or with a friend where you both share the stool and improvise and get lost in the music.

Anyway, check them out tomorrow night. lovely.