With such a derivative name as To Live and Shave in L.A., it's fitting that the group was founded by a dude named Tom Smith. The band name comes from a Ron Jeremy porno parody of neo-noir film To Live and Die in L.A., and according to Smith's philosophy of "PRE," To Live and Shave L.A., offshoot band To Live and Shave in L.A. 2, Ron Jeremy's To Live and Shave in L.A., and the 1985 feature film To Live and Die in L.A. all consist of the same, equally essential energy. Says their Wikipedia entry:
In a Blastitude interview, Smith said that he created the band to develop the idea of PRE in contrast to what he called the wrong idea of "POST" (compare with the genre term "post-rock," coined by music critic Simon Reynolds), which he derides as the fallacy of an "errant supposition that spiffed-up or newly hatched movements supplant others fit for retirement." In other words, Smith sees all genres and movements as being part of the same essential energy and movement, and equally valid—as opposed to a Platonic or historical hierarchy structure—mirroring Friedrich Nietzsche's rejection of the progressive in favor of an Eternal Recurrence of the Same. (Alternatively, Smith, who as of 2005 was pursuing a Master's degree in Ethics, has been quoted as having "serious problems with Martin Heidegger's aesthetics," preferring the social pragmatism of George Herbert Mead and the bold progressivism of John Stuart Mill.) Smith first wrote of "PRE" in a 1980 issue of short-lived Athens, Georgia fanzine Hot Java.
Dada dada dada dada!!! Okay, shuddup, TLASILA quiz time:
TRUE OR FALSE
1. Tom Smith is in love with Grindhouse's Zoë Bell
2. Jamie Stewart of Xiu Xiu rejected TLASILA's remix of The Air Force because it was "too creepy"
3. TLASILA is releasing a 7xCD3 box for Melted Matchbox
4. Billy Corgan teabagged Bill Maher's face
5. Tom Smith has made up with Weasel Walter and supports the release of TLASILA2 material
6. Rat Bastard invented the Rat distortion pedal
7. Thurston Moore plays on last year's Noon and Eternity (TMT Review)
MULTIPLE CHOICE
8. Who is NOT featured in the upcoming tour lineup?
A. Chris Grier
B. Graham Moore
C. Don Fleming
D. Weasel Walter
E. Rat Bastard
F. Ben Wolcott
9. Who makes the best butterscotch cookies?
A. Maria Sharapova
B. Tom Smith
C. Phil Elverum
D. Lewis Pardun
E. Tike All Mompsen
10. Which TLASILA album below is NOT being released on Savage Land?
A. Les Tricoteuses
B. Clap Your Hands Say Jergens, Natural Glow Firming Moisturizer
C. Commmiinnggg! and Practis'd the Black Art
D. A collaboration with Kevin Drumm
11. Which day is missing from Tom Smith's calendar?
A. March 12
B. December 19
C. April 1
D. February 12
ANSWERS
True of False: (1) T (2) F (3) T (4) T (5) T (6) F (7) T
Multiple Choice: (8) D (9) D (10) B (11) C -- nobody fools Tom Smith
Savage Land will release Les Tricoteuses at the end of this month. Check out TLASILA's blog and download some out-of-print back catalog stuff.
