Odd Rock of Ages

If all goes according to plan, I see the Decemberists tomorrow night, see the new documentary about the Gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello sometime in the next few days, and then one week from tonight go to the tiki bar Otto’s Shrunken Head for their monthly 60s garage rock night and/or their Saturday psychobilly event (the Otto outing being for the bachelor party of visiting Washingtonian George Fishman, a friend of my childhood pal Paul Taylor and soon the husband of my former ACSH co-worker Tiffany Dovey).

In some ways, I remain a New Wave guy at heart, of course, but Montreal-dwelling Jacob Levy points out this New Wave parody, “Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah,” by the Canadian novelty act Arrogant Worms, which is almost enough to make one embarrassed about New Wave. Then again, it reminds me just the tiniest bit of the more recent (blatantly Morrissey-influenced) song “Take Me to the Riot” by the far more serious Montreal band Stars — coincidence, or is this what combined New Wave and Canadian influences sound like in the 00s?