Bedroom Discotecque Part II

I just want to jump around on my bed, to the tunes that I have included here. I had one hell of a week. Upon my return from almost 3 weeks of vacation, there was a huge pile of nonsense waiting for me. an AUN number. many are so willing to tell me what it is, none are ready to assign me one. this number is the main source of my impending meltdown. but i haven't melted yet. I'm gonna jump on the bed.

Iio - Rapture
Goldfrapp - Stict Machine
Rogue Traders - Voodoo Child

City Mouse (Mice, ick) or Country House

I'm sure I'm not alone in my most current dillema. When I'm in the country, I want the city, when I'm the city, I want the country. I recognize that to even have a place in the country where I can stay, catch my breath, look at the stars, laze in a hammock, is certainly a thing of beauty. But sometimes, in the country, I find myself saying things like, "is it cardamom you need? in Philly, bucketloads of cardamom! the perfect little black dress/pint of belgian beer/tapas? no problem. just around the corner. in the country, it's another story. but then again, while walking around the corner in the city, there are city issues lurking: heat, crazy neighbor lady rose, heat, big strollers/gangs of south street teenagers taking up entire sidewalk, heat, sirens, trash, yuck. i think i might be able to do without cardomom for a week. as long as i have wine, a cute bikini, internet access, my ipod . . . and if i can be the type of country girl primal scream sings about.


Spacemen 3 - Big City
Regina Spektor - Summer in the City
David Bowie-It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City
Primal Scream - Country Girl
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - By the Skin of my Yellow Country Teeth

Irvinealicious

I've got a new crush. Irvine Welsh. Did you realize he's tall? Just saw him read from his new book The Bedroom Secrets of Master Chefs. Book seems good. He seems even better. It's a shame about his celebrity, his wedding ring and also the fact that all I could say as he signed my copy of Trainspotting was: How do you like Philly? I plan everything else to the nth degree. why not this? could have done a little research (stalking) about what he likes to eat, etc, mention a restaurant in the city . . . oh well.

Having a very difficult time comprehending that 1996 was 10 years ago. It's starting to become clear that that was a bit of a turning point for me. That year was jam packed with new love, literature, music, film. And honestly, I've been a bit disappointed by every year since. That sounds awful. I'm not a pessimistic person, really, it's just that no year has been as jam packed with life changing things.

So, in honor of my new friend Irvine and jam packed and life changing years, the music. We all know how much influence that book and film has had on the world. But to me, personally, along with that fab silver dress diane wore at the club where she hooked Renton, it was all about the music that accompanied the pursuit of the high.

First, songs from the soundtrack for Acid House. Then, from Trainspotting.

Sleeper-Atomic
New Order-Tempation
The Pastels-Nothing to Be Done
Beth Orton-Precious Maybe
Arab Strap-I Miss You

A Massive Love Affair

I've just bought tickets for Massive Attack at the Tower Theatre on September 30. I haven't been to a concert in ages. I used to go to shows all the time. And I'm not sure what happened. But I feel reinvigorated now. I will go to a lot of concerts. I haven't really kept up with what Massive Attack has been up to as of late. I think I turned my back on the whole gang when they named one of their albums 100th window. That title irritated me from the get go and so in turn, I was irritated by the whole enterprise and I didn't listen to the album. But I've gotten over it, I think.

And excited by my ticket purchase, I listened to some of my favorite massive tunes. And they're so damn good. They've aged well, as I hope I have. Barring the 100th window debacle, I feel as if this band has been with me as I've tumbled through life over the last 10 years. My first taste was in Cork, Ireland in 96, as a boy I loved (love) popped a cassette in and the sweet strains of Protection came wafting out. The sound system on his Citroen was less than stellar but I was hooked.

For me, and I imagine that many of you agree, an interest in music is of paramount importance when considering a potential mate. Shoes and Music, both good signs of character. And if you despise Dave Matthews and revere the Stone Roses, let the games begin. But on the flip side, if I discover you have even the slightest interest in Dave, I just can't. Sometimes, if I'm interested in someone who I suspect has less than stellar musical tastes, I try to delay the inevitable, but at some point, you do have to ask. And if the answer is Dave, that's it, the relationship might limp along for a bit, but in the end, no.

In Cork, in 96, when my irish boy brought up the Topic, I ran through a list of bands and songs, hoping he'd see me as eclectic, sexy, intelligent. When I mentioned the stone roses, he asked if a friend of his had told me to say that. Said friend was trying to set us up but said friend had not coached me about his friend's love of the stone roses and the like. the Topic had come up and when two people's musical tastes match up so astonishingly, the relationship too will be astonishing. and it was. and this boy introduced me to massive attack. and so, i can't listen to them without it bringing back all of that. when i had to eventually leave ireland and the boy, my frenzy for him began to manifest itself into a frenzy for massive attack and just music in general. i fed myself with it. when the Teardrop single was released, after work i bought the cd in harvard square, rushed home and almost cried at the sound of that song. I got a lump in my throat. So, the music, to celebrate my journey over the last 10 years, Safe from Harm, from the Album Blue Lines, which was released in 91. Black Milk, from Mezzanine, released in 98. And Live With Me, which was one of two new songs included in a greatest hits album that was released this year. Enjoy the trip.

Massive Attack-Safe From Harm
Massive Attack-Black Milk
Massive Attack-Live With Me

Bedroom Discotecque Part I

I am incapable of listening to music without singing and/or dancing to it. And I do love dancing, but only to songs that I love, not like, but love. I live in Philly now and it's been a challenge to find a public dancing venue that makes me happy. So I've had to rely on my own personal bedroom disco. My bedroom disco is held fairly often, either pre-night out on the town or instead of a night on the town. And while it is nothing compared to the frenetic, companiable feeling that abounds on the dancefloor when the dj is playing a stellar tune and everyone is writhing in ecstasy, it's certainly better than nothing. so this is part one is a series i am calling bedroom discotecque. the following tunes do play off of each other, so you may want to listen (and shimmy and shake) in the order that i've listed them.

Goldfrapp-Number One

Venus Hum-Surgery in the Sky

The Divorce-Yes!

Flosstradamus-Laffy Taffy

Hold On

i know ezarchive griping is so yesterday, but i'd like to just mention it is not ezarchive, it is petulantlydifficultarchive.

but i shall move on. and i'm in the process of soothing my soul with these two songs. they're magic, i swear. they belong to the category of songs that i never tire of. you know the ones.

they are in direct opposition to those songs that once did it for you but upon later inspection make you feel as if you have not a single ounce of taste. and that's not even the worst part of it for me. these types of songs from my past make me feel sad and uneasy, kind of like realizing that your significant other, who once delighted, stimulated and soothed you is now a big sloppy mess. you wonder, was this song/significant other always like this? has he changed? have i? the problem is, you can always say that the significant other has changed and that he once was in fact an excellent choice of partner. but, with a song, unless it is a remix, does not change. you are forced to realize that you were once the type of person that SOMEHOW LIKED THIS HORRIFIC TRACK. i bet you're hoping i'll give you an example of one of these songs. i won't. i will only share the ones that still do it for me. isn't that what this is all about?

so, like i said. these two songs soothe me when i need it. i hope they do it for you too. the first is the lovely patty griffin and Rain, from 1,000 kisses. they lyrics are poetry but i swear, even if you didn't understand a word of english, this song has the power to haunt. the second is the incomparable, love him or hate him Tom Waits. Hold On, from Mule Variations. While I was struggling with petuantlydifficultarchive, Tom was gruffly reminding me to hold on. and i did, Tom, i did. and i will, for you. thanks to you and patty for your tuneful musings.

Rain

Hold On

My First Music Post

I'm feeling a little agitated. My music is not in one particular locale. I meant it to be but somehow, it seems to have categorized itself. But I don't know the categories. i'm dusty from looking in a crate under my bed. didn't i already upload these CD's? where the expletive are these damn songs?

I pretty much knew what I was going to post. Just 3 songs, that's all. But oh what a long strange trip it has been. I had to go down to the kitchen to get another vodka tonic, just to deal. and even now, i have located the songs, yet ez archive is really getting the better of me. how i hate not knowing what i'm doing. colin knows what he's doing. as does fil. and emilie does not. colin often gripes about work, gym, nick hornby, etc. but no he has no trouble with music posts. but, i've decided, i will post music tomorrow. and it will be wonderful. and then i too will have trouble with work, gym and nick hornby but not posting music. this feels momentous.