I hope the press corps brought sugar cubes to feed to Hilary Swank.
I crown Sophie Okonedo as the dimpliest person on the planet. She rocked in Hotel Rwanda. The Royal We love her...
What an FDC!* Who does Xtina think she is fooling?
* fuckin' dumb cunt
That "nurse an Apple" joke was lame. Ice Princess Paltrow looks pretty good, I will give her that much.
Oscar Winner Pam Anderson brought her Golden Globe with her! She really disappeared into her role as Katharine Hepburn!
Look! It's Larry David's real beleaguered wife!
Julie says that there comes a time when a woman must choose between her ass and her face. Which one did Kelly Lynch choose?
Damita Jo is so gracious and loving to bring her little pug to special events, especially now that the little doggy has developed Down's Syndrome.
Shouldn't Bitchin' Gwen have received an Oscar for her totally rad 3-second appearance in The Aviator?
Look what the Colin Ferrell has to look forward to in 20 years: bloated excess!
I am sorry, but Brody is a rodent. A sleazy chain wearin' rodent, like from a Disney movie.
Crazed skank-ho scandal enthusiasts (aka Paris Hilton fans) should look at this post from PageSixSixSix. It's hilarious. Love how Madonna's CEO dude Guy Oseary comes across as a "sage" and this bit in which Needledick Durst tries to lure Paris to his crib with pillow talk:
"I'm smoking a joint thinking about you rubbing your soft hands on my head!"
"I'm smoking a joint thinking about you rubbing your soft hands on my head!"
Who is this silky beauty of a dog in a high-contrast, sepia-toned setting?
Note: I am taking a wee break from posting on here. Just not in the mood. I should have some new posts momentarily...
Note: I am taking a wee break from posting on here. Just not in the mood. I should have some new posts momentarily...
From their website:
Wear a "How Blue Are You?" wristband in "red" states and "blue" to show your support for the democratic values that make our country great for all Americans.
Proceeds will go to the Democratic National Committee and the National Gulf War Resource Center, the leading organization providing advocacy and support for Gulf War veterans.
How Blue Are You was founded by four friends shortly after the 2004 election. Dismayed by the prospect of four more years of a Bush presidency and determined to keep the enthusiasm we felt volunteering for the Kerry campaign alive, we started How Blue Are You as a way for fellow Democrats and others to show solidarity and let the conservatives running our country know we respectfully disagree with their policies. Read more about HBAY
xolondon is wearing his blue band now. It's making his wrist sweaty...
Thanks to the Whackoff NJ correspondent for turning me onto this. Bleeding heart liberals fuck 'em up before they fuck us up! And while I am on it, you know what I think about the Pope. I won't say it out loud.
Let it be known that I am eating
clementines as a snack today, in multiples...
photo courtesy of this site
clementines as a snack today, in multiples...
photo courtesy of this site
There are two deaths in music in the past ten years that really bother me, even years later. One is Jeff Buckley and the other is Kirsty MacColl. Her music was imbued with her spirit - sassy, adventurous and sweet. Anyway, fans of Kirsty need to clean house! Sell the old versions of your Kirsty CDs now because her remasters are coming out in the UK this week and next. Soon after will be a box set called From Croydon to Cuba: An Anthology details
Both the remasters and the box set contain many unreleased songs. The first re-release is for my favorite, Titanic Days. It contains these extras (many of which are not on the box set): Angel (Piano), Fabulous Garden, King Kong, Dear John (recorded later by Eddi Reader), Miss Otis (live), Free World (live), Touch Me, Irish Cousin, Angel (Single, Stuart Crichton, Into The Light, Apollo 440 Remixes). details
Sounds of Kirsty (full songs courtesy of her website):
Titanic Days
In These Shoes?
My Affair
Soho Square
Fairytale Of New York (with The Pogues)
I am guessing this post will please some of my trolls who read this blog. You know who you are. These songs will absolutely put you in a good mood!
Don't you just love her? Wasn't she sweet here? Here are TEN songs for a Kate Bush mix. This is hard to whittle down into ten - can you?
Hounds Of Love
All The Love
Running Up That Hill
Cloudbusting
The Sensual World
Be Kind To My Mistakes
Experiment IV (12" mix)
Jig Of Life
This Woman's Work
Never Be Mine
Labels: Kate Bush
A reminder that yesterday was the release date of what will be one of my top ten records of the year - this one is by Josh Rouse (see earlier post)
I just ate, before 9:30 am, half a bag of cheap jellybeans, just like those shown above (except for the licorice ones, ick). Today is the day I will finally achieve full-throttle diabetes.
It's just like the Rufus song Cigarettes And Chocolate Milk (sample):
If I should buy jellybeans
Have to eat them all in just one sitting
Everything it seems I like's a little bit sweeter
A little bit fatter
A little bit harmful for me
UPDATE: I finished the bag at like 2pm! They were just so plump and fresh, I could not resist. I liked how they felt when my teeth crunched through the hard shell to the soft gelatin part. Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Labels: wainwright
1) That's Shelby trying to sit on her master's lap. Link
2) Everything you want to know about the Paris Hilton hacking (not safe for work!). That is hot.
3) Have you tried Google Montage? It's cool! Go here and type in something like Kate Bush.
4) The new Jacques Lucont remix of "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers is out now and it sounds kind of New Orderish. Hear it at iTunes.
5) If you want to hear Wendy and Lisa remix of Gwen Stefani's own New Order song, "The Real Thing," go to this blog. It's very soothing and totally removes the New Order elements.
That is hot! Shirley's lookin' good in the new video by Garbage
UPDATE: Hear the new single in full via Filter and read an article here.
pic courtesy of Pink
Labels: Shirley Manson
I was just telling my musical protégé (at the "field office" in Whackoff NJ) that THE New UK Band is Bloc Party. They are everywhere THIS week, outta the blue, in London. I will not fall into this tender trap! I could be fooled by the wispy, Echo-y single “So Here We Are” but actually much of their music is loud and crunchy a la Green Day.
Last week I succumbed and bought the first (and last?) album by Thirteen Senses. This was my second Coldplay rip off in one week, following the arrival of the new Athlete CD. TS have a few lovely songs ("Into The Fire” and "The Salt Wound Routine") but is slight and derivative. The whole charade reminds me a bit of Geneva, if anyone remembers them. Nice band, but not nice enough to sustain for more than a CD or 2. I am already selling it on Amazon!
As for the aforementioned Athlete, believe the shitty reviews. This band has been hobbled! Castrated! "Wires" is beautiful - a major single, but the rest of the record is similarly downtempo, with nothing seems to come close to that track. What happened to all the joy of a song like "You’ve Got The Style" (about the "Bridish weather"!) - was that the one where they yelled "Chorus!" just before the…chorus? Now it’s all stolen Coldplay piano filigrees and moody lyrics. Embrace already did this (well) a few months ago. It's positively sad. It’s not up for sale yet, but it is in the ICU.
All this and I have not even touched Maximo Park, another hot band in the UK right now. Nevermind any of it, I'll wait until mid May for the new Turin Brakes single "Fishing For A Dream." I find them to be more of a singles band – I have owned and sold all their records (I’m ruthless that way), but "Painkiller" is one of the finest songs of the 00’s.
Remember this week’s best release is Josh Rouse’s “Nashville.” Also this week is Tori Amos (with a fucking seed packet included) and Patrick Wolf’s new “Wind In The Wires.” Reviews of Rouse and Wolf coming shortly.
Last week I succumbed and bought the first (and last?) album by Thirteen Senses. This was my second Coldplay rip off in one week, following the arrival of the new Athlete CD. TS have a few lovely songs ("Into The Fire” and "The Salt Wound Routine") but is slight and derivative. The whole charade reminds me a bit of Geneva, if anyone remembers them. Nice band, but not nice enough to sustain for more than a CD or 2. I am already selling it on Amazon!
As for the aforementioned Athlete, believe the shitty reviews. This band has been hobbled! Castrated! "Wires" is beautiful - a major single, but the rest of the record is similarly downtempo, with nothing seems to come close to that track. What happened to all the joy of a song like "You’ve Got The Style" (about the "Bridish weather"!) - was that the one where they yelled "Chorus!" just before the…chorus? Now it’s all stolen Coldplay piano filigrees and moody lyrics. Embrace already did this (well) a few months ago. It's positively sad. It’s not up for sale yet, but it is in the ICU.
All this and I have not even touched Maximo Park, another hot band in the UK right now. Nevermind any of it, I'll wait until mid May for the new Turin Brakes single "Fishing For A Dream." I find them to be more of a singles band – I have owned and sold all their records (I’m ruthless that way), but "Painkiller" is one of the finest songs of the 00’s.
Remember this week’s best release is Josh Rouse’s “Nashville.” Also this week is Tori Amos (with a fucking seed packet included) and Patrick Wolf’s new “Wind In The Wires.” Reviews of Rouse and Wolf coming shortly.
I haven't heard a lick of the record - have you?
Some things I have learned about the military from Generation Kill:
1) The food packages –called MREs – are really nasty, Most soldiers skip the main course and just eat the extras, which include: Skittles, Tootsie Rolls, pop tarts, brownies, dry kool aid mix (eaten dry!). They call this scrounging for the goodies “ratfucking.” The Charms candies are considered bad luck by the Marines and they toss them out of their vehicles.
2) They also constantly imbibe caffeine, dip, ephedra, and dry instant coffee crystals. Anything to stay awake.
3) The platoon commander even keeps an eye, like a parent, on his men’s bodily functions, checking to make sure they are drinking water, pissing and pissing clear. It’s also normal for marines to shit in front of each other on the side of the road – they have to do this or else risk going off alone and getting blown up by a landmine.
1) The food packages –called MREs – are really nasty, Most soldiers skip the main course and just eat the extras, which include: Skittles, Tootsie Rolls, pop tarts, brownies, dry kool aid mix (eaten dry!). They call this scrounging for the goodies “ratfucking.” The Charms candies are considered bad luck by the Marines and they toss them out of their vehicles.
2) They also constantly imbibe caffeine, dip, ephedra, and dry instant coffee crystals. Anything to stay awake.
3) The platoon commander even keeps an eye, like a parent, on his men’s bodily functions, checking to make sure they are drinking water, pissing and pissing clear. It’s also normal for marines to shit in front of each other on the side of the road – they have to do this or else risk going off alone and getting blown up by a landmine.
Just heard the new Garbage song Why Do You Love Me - it's loud, crunchy and catchy with some serious heavy metal chords. This makes me excited for their record which I hope will be the usual combination of metallic crunch, pop music references, great lyrics and Shirley's mix of low, menacing vocals alternating with cooing babydoll vocals. This group is far better than their reputation - You Look So Fine (from v. 2.0) was Radiohead-worthy and Cherry Lips (from beautifulgarbage) was perhaps the most perfect pop song of the past 5 years.
I'll always buy their records, though I am seriously disturbed by the band's decision to hide much of their website behind a $20/year fee. I won't even link 'em! Fockers!
Labels: Shirley Manson
Let me tell you now...
In the LA Weekly interview I posted yesterday with Generation Kill writer Evan Wright, I noticed this appalling piece of information:
Were there repercussions for your unit after the articles were published?
When the articles came out, the Marines were severely punished for what they said to me, and one guy was kicked out of the battalion. They got into a lot of shit... even though they were getting punished and in trouble for all this, they didn’t knuckle under. It’s been my experience when I write about someone, and even though I always try to quote them accurately, they will often retract their quotes later on and say, "I didn’t say that, that’s bullshit." None of these guys retracted their quotes. None of them took back what they said. In the end.... they all stuck by the articles.
The Marines, they’re getting busted down. They put their lives on the line. They’re accused of cowardice for what they said in my articles. The one person who’s infuriated by my articles and is threatening all these horrific things is Justin Timberlake. Because one of the Marines dissed him. And Justin Timberlake’s people threatened all these horrible things because Corporal Person mocked Justin Timberlake’s musical abilities in the articles. It’s just a perfect comment on our culture.
In the LA Weekly interview I posted yesterday with Generation Kill writer Evan Wright, I noticed this appalling piece of information:
Were there repercussions for your unit after the articles were published?
When the articles came out, the Marines were severely punished for what they said to me, and one guy was kicked out of the battalion. They got into a lot of shit... even though they were getting punished and in trouble for all this, they didn’t knuckle under. It’s been my experience when I write about someone, and even though I always try to quote them accurately, they will often retract their quotes later on and say, "I didn’t say that, that’s bullshit." None of these guys retracted their quotes. None of them took back what they said. In the end.... they all stuck by the articles.
The Marines, they’re getting busted down. They put their lives on the line. They’re accused of cowardice for what they said in my articles. The one person who’s infuriated by my articles and is threatening all these horrific things is Justin Timberlake. Because one of the Marines dissed him. And Justin Timberlake’s people threatened all these horrible things because Corporal Person mocked Justin Timberlake’s musical abilities in the articles. It’s just a perfect comment on our culture.
The new House Of Love CD is quite nice and streaming here (thanks to the excellent Torr blog). I personally recommend track 2 "Gotta Be That Way." Their song "I Don't Know Why I Love You" was one of my favorites in college. Remember it? How nice to hear a group return from the dead with a record that doesn't sound like its trying too hard.
I don't know why I love you / Your face is a hammer in my head / I remember every word you said / I just don't know why I love you / I don't know why I care / I never even liked your hair
Ed Harcourt's lovely choral-like song "Loneliness" can be sampled on his site. I also liked his song "Born In The 70's" from this same record, so maybe it's worth getting. I ended up selling the last two.
I don't know why I love you / Your face is a hammer in my head / I remember every word you said / I just don't know why I love you / I don't know why I care / I never even liked your hair
Ed Harcourt's lovely choral-like song "Loneliness" can be sampled on his site. I also liked his song "Born In The 70's" from this same record, so maybe it's worth getting. I ended up selling the last two.
As I post this tonight, J-Lo’s mysterious illness has made the nightly news, I suppose because people want to think she is pregnant. Why do they care? I don’t, so I’ve decided to do some off-topic posts on a great book I am reading: Generation Kill by Eric Wright (above). I became aware of this book when I read excellent excerpts in Rolling Stone and again when Martha Raddatz of ABC News recommended it last week at an event I attended.
This is hardcore how-can-they-allow-that-to-be-published stuff from a writer who was embedded with the Marine First Recon Battalion in the war- the guys who were the first into Iraq. This is the type of book I want to talk about with everyone, so I’ll put up some choice bits over the next few weeks as I read it. Let me start now:
One of the platoon commanders is a Dartmouth grad who says he thinks the ROTC should be at colleges, not to militarize the schools, but to “liberalize the military.”
“I would love to have flown the plane that dropped the bomb on Japan,” says one twenty-year-old corporal. “A couple dudes killed hundreds of thousands. That fucking rules! Yeah!”
When the author meets the marines for the first time in a mess tent, one of the young ones approaches to ask if it’s true that J-Lo is dead - the rumor had being going around the camp for a week. “Maybe she really did die,” the marine says, “But they’re not telling us to keep our morale up.”
Ugh! How depressing that J-Lo even made it into this book. Anyway, to read more:
LA Weekly interview with Eric Wright (this is good)
Village Voice piece
Fischerspooner is so NOT the second coming. Take a listen to several tracks from their new Odyssey CD here. It sounds just like their first CD to me... not exactly bad, just dull. Maybe I should give it more listens? Please also note that much of it was produced by Mirwais, who ruined Madonna's track record. Reading Arjan's interview with Casey Spooner makes me want to give it a chance though.
NYC Fashion Week sighting: Miss Piggy slumming it with road-rager Lizzie Grubman
Listen to Patrick Wolf's amazing new record Wind In the Wires via NME. Try "The Gypsy King" and "The Libertine" if you don't have much time. They also review it here.
Labels: Patrick Wolf
Wouldn't this be a hoot?
Janet decided to bring her small black pug to the show, which I thought was super sweet.
The belle of the ball. I saw very little of the show, but she was a hoot when she won!
I don't think it is prudent for Miss Loretta to be seen with Michael Jackson at this juncture, do you?
Yes, baby turn a little to your right, yeah baby, you are growing up fine...
No snark. People loved her before and they love her even more now. Very brave.
Over here! The flames are getting closer!
Gavin is smiling because he plugged his finger in a dyke and saved a town.
I saw J-Lo on TV last night attempting to warble a song with her chihuahua. It was a weird domestic drama scene, like a Spanish soap opera on Telemundo.
WARNING! DANGER TO NORMAL PEOPLE! This is a very detailed review for the few Tori fans who might see this blog. I have disected this new record like a teen girl with too much time on her hands for writing poetry and making godseyes.
I have been wrestling The Beekeeper, the new Tori Amos album, for a few weeks. It has 19 songs and does not even fit onto a CDR - I had to cut it by one song just to make a copy.
I'll start by saying up front that I intend to do a Harvey Weinstein and cut like 7 or 8 songs to make a decent CDR out of it! I should do that with Scarlet's Walk too, because I think when CDs are too long, the good songs get lost. There are just so many that you can't focus and the whole thing becomes a (midtempo) blur. Tori's too prolific and seems to be shoving what used to be b-sides onto these records, as if she said, in Torispeak, "The girls came to me and I couldn't kick them out!"
Unfortunately, some of the tracks I would cut are probably meant to be showpiece songs, like the soul gospel Witness. Crazy-womyn-Tori-chicks will dig it live, but I don't expect her albums to be doing the "live gospel" thing. In fact, I like none of the tracks where the organ takes a big role. Organs are tacky, faux soul! Like the sax, they should be used sparingly, like certain seasonings. Those songs also have a choir on them (sort of like Way Down on Pele) that's not bad, but the combo of choir/organ is overkill.
Right away, I'd skim off Sweet The Sting, General Joy and Cars And Guitars, the last being a good song with a strange, sibilant vocal - it's shhhlurred in an annoying way, with a weird gutteral voice. There's also some other bullshit, like the girly girl Jamaica Inn - how can you like a song that begins with the line "Can you patch my jeans, Peggy Ann?" ? WHO is called Peggy Ann anymore? I'd also dice the cheesy, if pretty, Original Sinsuality - it reeks of a b-side, especially with the punny title and trite Tori themes.
At first I hated the song done with It Boy Damien Rice, The Power of Orange Knickers, but if you can get through the first 4 lines, it's actually really pretty and develops well. She should have allowed him one solo line, though, as his voice sounds great singing her words.
The fans seem to dislike the single, Sleep With Butterflies, which is radio lite (think Sarah McLachlan), but one of the few songs with a straightforward lyric, about lovers who can't commmit. All the images are of things that escape: balloons, kites, butterflies (or things that just go in circles, like merry-go-rounds). Once you figure this bit out - and I have just done the work for you! - the song comes into focus.
There are some epics here, in length and performance. The title song breaks the monotony with a more spacey, electronic vibe. It's filled with hidden, fleeting micro-melodies in the same way Yes Anastasia was. Barons of Suburbia mines the lonely-ladies territory of Joni Mitchell's Hissing Of Summer Lawns, but morphs into this female power/rage thing. She ends the song by caterwauling "She is risen!" - it's nutty and I pondered cutting this from my CDR, but I'll let "her" live. I DID kill Hoochie Woman and those same crazed Tori girls would lynch me for that. It's jaunty and funny but is still ungood.
Martha's Foolish Ginger is a very nice song with a vaguely martial beat, but the opening line betrays the laziness of the writing: "Take a walk down memory lane with me." If I'd written that line in college, there would have been some red ink on the page. I do like this song though, despite this trifle.
There are some 10,000 Oceans-ish songs on here: songs that are strong the first time you hear them - notably the final ballad, "Toast," a sad, saaaaad song to someone who has died (actually her brother). File it under the same wintry ballad category as Gold Dust or the more perfect Putting The Damage On. Another song, Ribbons Undone, is a sweet ballad clearly meant for her daughter. It reminds me that Tori could just cut loose and make melodies for the masses if she wanted to. This one isn't so obtuse and has some pretty images like "She's a rose in a lily's cloak."
In sum, The Beekeeper is just too much of everything, but not enough of the specific. Buy it and - it's an iTunes generation- burn your own version. Tori has self-produced her records in her little Cornish spaceship for years, and this has probably saved her from some trendy traps, but she needs to EDIT. Regardless, take what good music you can find in the world and remember to - I'll say this in Tori Speak - let the girls grow, so you can figure out which ones you like, which ones are cheap lays and which ones will grow up to be leaders.
Josh Rouse got a divorce, moved from Nashville to Spain, and wrote an album called Nashville that isn't about Nashville. It's certainly not country, but more an extension of his last CD, 1972. What I have heard so far has been delish and even the normally snooty Independent gave him a good review. This is music for adults who are over the drama and bullshit they once clung to as a form of entertainment.
Links
Rykodisk has a nice sampler with the lovely (and jaunty) "Winter In the Hamptons" and 3 excerpts. Josh's website also has a 3-full-song sampler with one different song.
He will start touring the US in April.
Franz Ferdinand. Wouldn't this be lovely minus the Getty Images watermark?
Bitchin' Gwen. First she jumped the shark and now she is running away from it.
Keane. What is that white belt?! Anyway, he looks like one of those wax choirboy candles, doesn't he?
Little Britain. The two funniest men in England right now; wish they'd bring them back to BBC America again. More info.
Scissor Sisters. Jake knows how to make an entrance.
The Cryptkeeper. After all these years, Siouxsie is still keeping Revlon in business.
Feargal Sharkey. He's aged quite well, if you know who he is!
Dexy's Midnight Runners' Kevin Rowland. Freaky McFreakster.
This amazing paparazzi photo looks like a movie still. I think she is actually clean now, but the title above refers to a movie starring Gena Rowlands. A woman in crisis. When Courtney Love's big bios are done, you know this photo will be in them. She just went back to court again. Le sigh...
Labels: Courtney
Happy Chinese New Year! They certainly like color, don't they? Remember that it's Year Of The Cock...
Or - wait! Is that Bitchin' Gwen? She's fallen harrrrrrd....
I love this CD cover! It's for The Postal Service's nice new song We Will Become Silhouettes" You can watch the video, done by the director of Napolean Dynamite, via a link at Stereogum. The song is for purchase at iTunes. It's very tinkly...
Not Safe For Work
I love that old song, don't you? The Year Of The Cock - wait, was that it? Anyway, did you know that you are supposed to masturbate for peace this year? Just askin'...
I love that old song, don't you? The Year Of The Cock - wait, was that it? Anyway, did you know that you are supposed to masturbate for peace this year? Just askin'...
Please note that Ben and Tracy, aka Everything But The Girl, are releasing a remix compilation called Adapt Or Die (fitting). Sadly, it contains no actual new songs- couldn't Tracey have put down the nappies and phonics books to record a vocal in a closet at home? Scenestars has a post on this today. Their MP3s last one week.
A better bet is the amazing song I mentioned a few weeks ago, "Pop A Cap In Yo Ass," that Ben did with Estelle. Hear it at the bottom of this page.
A better bet is the amazing song I mentioned a few weeks ago, "Pop A Cap In Yo Ass," that Ben did with Estelle. Hear it at the bottom of this page.
Have all you BLOGGERs noticed that blogspot profiles are stuck on November 4, 2004? What gives? Anybody know the skinny?
Anyhoooo, this is what's playing at Xolondon Towers this week:
Keane: We Might As Well Be Strangers (DJ Shadow remix)
Keane has released a fabulous DJ Shadow premix of "We Might As Well Be Strangers" that is now on iTunes. I missed their show the other night, but my friend Lisa (who handed them their gold record!) reports that they are very tall. They are tentatively scheduled to release a new CD in October 2005, but I wouldn't hold my breath. They are still heavily touring for Hopes And Fears, my fave album of 2004. One PS: Very bad choice of white belt for Tom Chaplin on SNL last weekend. Very girly.
Hear it via Torr or at iTunes
Kylie Minogue: I Believe In You
The new Kylie Minogue single (she did it with Scissor Sisters) is now on iTunes. This song seems bland on the first few listens, but later reveals itself to Fucking Pop Glory. I discovered this fact while sloggin' along on a crosstrainer machine. The chorus that once sounded like cats crying, now sounds like angels sighing. I believe in Kylie, indeed!
Hear/see it: Windows High / Windows Low
Anyhoooo, this is what's playing at Xolondon Towers this week:
Keane: We Might As Well Be Strangers (DJ Shadow remix)
Keane has released a fabulous DJ Shadow premix of "We Might As Well Be Strangers" that is now on iTunes. I missed their show the other night, but my friend Lisa (who handed them their gold record!) reports that they are very tall. They are tentatively scheduled to release a new CD in October 2005, but I wouldn't hold my breath. They are still heavily touring for Hopes And Fears, my fave album of 2004. One PS: Very bad choice of white belt for Tom Chaplin on SNL last weekend. Very girly.
Hear it via Torr or at iTunes
Kylie Minogue: I Believe In You
The new Kylie Minogue single (she did it with Scissor Sisters) is now on iTunes. This song seems bland on the first few listens, but later reveals itself to Fucking Pop Glory. I discovered this fact while sloggin' along on a crosstrainer machine. The chorus that once sounded like cats crying, now sounds like angels sighing. I believe in Kylie, indeed!
Hear/see it: Windows High / Windows Low
Patrick Wolf: The Libertine
Aforementioned prodigy goth punk kid from Devon. I have played this song for several people and all seem taken by it. Will he be a big star or will he disappear? Stay tuned!
Hear it via playlouder.co.uk
Just sayin' ...
More news about The Beekeeper album. I'll post my review very soon. In the meantime, here is a kooky excerpt from her new book, Piece By Piece, out on Tuesday 2/8:
"Isabella was waiting there for me in a shaft of light by the piano and she said "Write me in a song. I want access to this dimension." I said "Talk with me awhile." I just started playing something random so as not to lose the moment. Then she said, "You’re still hurting." I asked her "To what are you referring?" She said, "I was there that day." I asked "What day?" "That day when you walked through Washington Square and I saw a tear you were hiding, and I held up a candle to guide you." I looked at this glorious vision of light, and I giggled softly. "Well, Isabella, we know which song you are in, then, don’t we?" She held me a moment then danced back into the shaft of light from which she had come. I finished Washington Square [title changed to Garlands] that day."
do you think she looks old above?
Labels: Tori
Patrick Wolf as (Murderous?) English Schoolboy...
Some choice lines from Patrick Wolf:
"I wrote your name in my shit across the town"
"I was a girl till I sewed my hole up"
and his new song begins with the excellent line:
"The motorway won't take a horse"
That draws me in!
What you should know:
1. He used to be hideous yellow blond and looked like he was a reedy 15 year old.
2. Now he's got black hair and looks like he's a reedy 10 year old. It should be noted that he started writing the songs for his 2003 debut, Lycanthropy, when he was 11 years old!
3. He's from Devon, England and he's really 22, veering between a goth (see pic below) and a fey "public" schoolboy (you know what I mean).
4. He has played viola for The Hidden Cameras (which probably confirms he is a buggery enthusiast).
5. He's the type who likes big English cliffs (think Annie Lennox in her nightgown in Here Comes The Rain Again)
6. There are not a lot of showbiz folk like him these days. Playlouder thinks he is very David Sylvian. He wrote, arranged, performed and produced his new album himself...
7. This is sort of folky electronica pop rock with violins, beats, bad words, deep vocals and crunchy noise. Very 80's influenced and melodic. Think Marc Almond meets The Waterboys. Think Vienna-era Ultravox, though his newest song is kind of Peter Murphy-ish.
8. Links: website / interview / Funky Mofo interview piece
2 videos:
To The Lighthouse from his first CD called Lycanthropy Real Media film
The Libertine from his forthcoming CD called Wind In the Wires link
It's all veddy Bridish isn't it? Not quite so British is the word libertine. It's so...evocative. It means: debauched: unrestrained by convention or morality; a debauched aristocratic society "deplorably dissipated and degraded"; "riotous living"; "fast women"
I sadly am not much of a libertine, are you?
Note: Maria and Varant should listen to this, particularly The Libertine.
Some choice lines from Patrick Wolf:
"I wrote your name in my shit across the town"
"I was a girl till I sewed my hole up"
and his new song begins with the excellent line:
"The motorway won't take a horse"
That draws me in!
What you should know:
1. He used to be hideous yellow blond and looked like he was a reedy 15 year old.
2. Now he's got black hair and looks like he's a reedy 10 year old. It should be noted that he started writing the songs for his 2003 debut, Lycanthropy, when he was 11 years old!
3. He's from Devon, England and he's really 22, veering between a goth (see pic below) and a fey "public" schoolboy (you know what I mean).
4. He has played viola for The Hidden Cameras (which probably confirms he is a buggery enthusiast).
5. He's the type who likes big English cliffs (think Annie Lennox in her nightgown in Here Comes The Rain Again)
6. There are not a lot of showbiz folk like him these days. Playlouder thinks he is very David Sylvian. He wrote, arranged, performed and produced his new album himself...
7. This is sort of folky electronica pop rock with violins, beats, bad words, deep vocals and crunchy noise. Very 80's influenced and melodic. Think Marc Almond meets The Waterboys. Think Vienna-era Ultravox, though his newest song is kind of Peter Murphy-ish.
8. Links: website / interview / Funky Mofo interview piece
2 videos:
To The Lighthouse from his first CD called Lycanthropy Real Media film
The Libertine from his forthcoming CD called Wind In the Wires link
It's all veddy Bridish isn't it? Not quite so British is the word libertine. It's so...evocative. It means: debauched: unrestrained by convention or morality; a debauched aristocratic society "deplorably dissipated and degraded"; "riotous living"; "fast women"
I sadly am not much of a libertine, are you?
Note: Maria and Varant should listen to this, particularly The Libertine.
Labels: Patrick Wolf
Patrick Wolf as peroxide punk
Play this Depeche Mode game - What's That Song
When Paris Calls Lindsay
One of the funniest pop culture things I have seen awhile. Takes a minute or two to watch. via Stereogum
When Paris Calls Lindsay
One of the funniest pop culture things I have seen awhile. Takes a minute or two to watch. via Stereogum
The Librarian in me wants to share some information: Now everyone can join the Lexis Nexis generation with Lexis Nexis A la Carte! You can search their database for free to find citations (this is mostly newspapers) and pay per download (I think the average cost is $3.00). Go to http://www.lexisnexis.com/alacartenow
I haven't tried it yet - you have to register.
I haven't tried it yet - you have to register.
A very young Roddy Frame
Roddy Frame (ex Aztec Camera) is one of the best lyricists in music today. His lyrics are so perfectly tight - nothing extraneous. Even his leftovers are lovely: download this one called Your Smile Has Stopped the Hands of Time. sorry, expired!
My favorite Roddy lines of recent days are realllly sad and aching. He's the master of wisftul. These are from the unbelievably good title track to his last record, 2002's Surf:
full lyric here
Roddy Frame (ex Aztec Camera) is one of the best lyricists in music today. His lyrics are so perfectly tight - nothing extraneous. Even his leftovers are lovely: download this one called Your Smile Has Stopped the Hands of Time. sorry, expired!
The skeletal limbs of the trees
Daring the girls to compete
All eyebrows and elbows and knees
Knocking the guys off their feet
You say you'll never be alone
Let the stars shine and
prove you wrong
The sadness will string you along...
Your smile has stopped the hands of time
My favorite Roddy lines of recent days are realllly sad and aching. He's the master of wisftul. These are from the unbelievably good title track to his last record, 2002's Surf:
When I was young the radio played just for me, it saved me
And now I don't want anyone who wants me, baby
Tuning out the darkness
Turning on the dawn
If life was like the songs,
I'd surf across the curved horizon
and forget her
and be gone
full lyric here
Labels: lyrics
The jury in my kangaroo court is still out on this performer/group. Here are a few reasons to try Antony and The Johnsons:
*Though he does not add anything to save Rufus Wainwright's recent song "Old Whore's Diet," Rufus adds something to the new A&TJ song "What Can I Do?" (sample on this page)
*He is literally a warbler. Sometimes his voice grates, but you might try "Cripple and Starfish" (sample here) - it's kind of majestic.
*He has found a creative way to deal with his receding hair line. See above!
*He put Andy Warhol Superstar Candy Darling on the cover of his new album and this is a nice thing to do.
*Maxim Moston, who did the beautiful strings on a number of recent Rufus songs, is in this band.
Stylus Review
On this day of the "President's" State of The Union address, I will do some politicking here:
My friend Laurie sent me this really good article from Grist, an environmental news site, detailing the connection between the religious right and the current administration's stance on the environment (which is to loosen the laws that protect it by doing things like drilling in national wildlife preserves). Basically, they don't give a shit because we're all going to die in the impendning Apocalypse. In fact, they say, pissing away environmental protections will hasten the Second Coming and The Rapture, yadda yadda.
The article is long, but interesting and quite scary. Print it and scare yourself while sitting on the toilet! It seems reputable and supports its hypotheses with facts (although not cited, but what news magazine does do citing?). Names to fear: Tom Delay (duh) and James Inhofe, Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chair. The latter is a blatant NUT.
Here also is a ridiculous website called RaptureReady.com that gives indicators to how close we are to the Apocalypse. Maria and Jim, who find endless amusement in TBN, will love this site.
If you think all this End Times stuff is a joke, it isn't really. It is BIG business - it's all over TBN and the nutty Hal Lindsey has a news website and show devoted to it. This for instance is one of the big quotes on his site:
When I sit back and take a good, hard look current events, I marvel that anyone could miss the signs of Jesus Christ's soon coming. We live in a world where the United States is considered socially backward because it takes issue with the idea of homosexual marriage.
All this reminds me of something funny. Don't know if any of you saw the recent episode of Six Feet Under where, in the opening "death" bit, a truck filled with inflatable sex dolls crashed on the highway and the naked dolls were cut loose, floating away in the sky. Some crazy woman saw this while driving in her car, thought the Rapture had arrived, got out of her car on the highway, opened her arms up to God and... was walloped to death by a truck! It was a real hoot!
My friend Laurie sent me this really good article from Grist, an environmental news site, detailing the connection between the religious right and the current administration's stance on the environment (which is to loosen the laws that protect it by doing things like drilling in national wildlife preserves). Basically, they don't give a shit because we're all going to die in the impendning Apocalypse. In fact, they say, pissing away environmental protections will hasten the Second Coming and The Rapture, yadda yadda.
The article is long, but interesting and quite scary. Print it and scare yourself while sitting on the toilet! It seems reputable and supports its hypotheses with facts (although not cited, but what news magazine does do citing?). Names to fear: Tom Delay (duh) and James Inhofe, Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chair. The latter is a blatant NUT.
Here also is a ridiculous website called RaptureReady.com that gives indicators to how close we are to the Apocalypse. Maria and Jim, who find endless amusement in TBN, will love this site.
If you think all this End Times stuff is a joke, it isn't really. It is BIG business - it's all over TBN and the nutty Hal Lindsey has a news website and show devoted to it. This for instance is one of the big quotes on his site:
When I sit back and take a good, hard look current events, I marvel that anyone could miss the signs of Jesus Christ's soon coming. We live in a world where the United States is considered socially backward because it takes issue with the idea of homosexual marriage.
All this reminds me of something funny. Don't know if any of you saw the recent episode of Six Feet Under where, in the opening "death" bit, a truck filled with inflatable sex dolls crashed on the highway and the naked dolls were cut loose, floating away in the sky. Some crazy woman saw this while driving in her car, thought the Rapture had arrived, got out of her car on the highway, opened her arms up to God and... was walloped to death by a truck! It was a real hoot!
Labels: politics
See, Kate is also worried about the End Times. 
Note to Esther: Your religion ain't lookin' so good
0 Comments By xolondon on Feb 1, 2005 at 8:07 AM.
There is about to be a big article in Vanity Fair about the Kabbalah Center - the group Madonna is assocated with in LA. Some of the article will probably be true and some of it will probably be sensational, but I will reserve judgement until I read it. What I will do now is focus on something that is direct from the Kabbalah Center - I've been suspicious about the water thing for awhile. First look at this claptrap regharding the tsunami: A Message from Yehuda Berg. That is potable water, not portable water sir! Also note the fine print: We have made it our goal to raise up to $1,000,000 to package, ship and distribute Kabbalah Water and Zohars to those in desperate need of these healing items.
What does this mean? That the cash is soley for dispersing the water? That they won't be giving any of the cash? That it will cost a million to send the stuff or, worse, the cash pays for the water? It is unclear and suspicious. Personally, I don't blame them for wanting to send bottled water, that's okay, but Zohars? Are those life saving at this moment? I had to look them up to find out that they are books with Kabbalistic theories/teachings. Is now the time to get all religious? "You can have a bottle of water if you take this Zohar and learn about our religion." Of course, all religions tend to want to recruit at times like this - the Christians are certainly some of the worst about this.
A fucking infomercial sunk Cher's career in the 1980's. Madonna needs to answer about this stuff before damage to her credibilty rubs off on her career, IMO.
PS: Remember trolls, I am not the person you want to totally slam Madonna on. I'll get cunty. The fact is that people like to simplify Madonna down to the most base qualities. Some of those may be true, but who really knows? I would like to believe she stands for good and that she is (despite being naive, pedantic and sullen!) sincere.
Labels: Madonna
