Better late than never. Right?

While briefly watching a bit of King of Queens – one of dozens of television programs featuring a fat man and a hot wife – it came up that the Leah Remini, who plays the wife Carrie, is a scientologist. I know it’s in vogue to spurn L. Ron Hubbard and his quacked-out offspring, but I’m a bit ambivalent about Scientology. Regardless that it obviously has some crazy and illogically suppressive rules about it, I’m still a huge fan of one of their most prominent members.

When my roommate mentioned “Carrie” being a scientologist, I immediately had to bring up Beck, my idol from the future. His whole vibe, from the beginning of his career as an early freak-folk pioneer to his current mode of spaced out techno-rock, fits into the scientologist theme: aliens, technology, space, religious dogma, and pure madness. After talking briefly about Beck, I started to wonder if he was due for a new album soon. I hadn’t checked in on him since getting his last album, The Information.

I guess we just needed some time apart. 2006’s bastard hybrid of hip-hop, rock, and folk had some pretty stellar highlights, but I’ve felt that Beck hasn’t had a real breakthrough since Sea Change. His website mentioned two post-Information tracks for download, a remix of Dr. Dog’s “The Girl” which I had already heard, and a single that was released in August called “Timebomb.” Theoretically, it will be a track on his next album, which has yet to be announced (but rumored to be produced in part by Jack White). Much like the remix of “The Girl,” this single is an obvious brainchild of Information-era Beck, full of techno beats, blips, and M.I.A.-esque layered vocals. It’s a cool party song, but I just hope that Beck doesn’t get too wrapped up in this new scene and forget his roots in cynical, spaced-out, folk-rock.

Beck - Timebomb

Dr. Dog - The Girl (Beck Remix)


Beck - No Complaints

Beck - Satan Gave Me A Taco

-Benjy