 | The Pogues - Thousands Are Sailing |  |
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 | Found at skreemr.com |  |
3. There are still Pogues tickets available for this weekend's NYC shows, as well as planned day-of sales. For the tour schedule, click!
4. and 1 more thing: they just opened a bar beneath the apartment. . . it looks like a douchebar. [edit:] It is a douchebar: $6.50/pint.
I've always had a soft spot for Tennessee Ernie through my exposure to him via I Love Lucy and The Lucy Show though it was only recently that I actually sat down and listened to his stuff, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked his voice. On the shows, he is in full form as the hillbilly cousin Ernie, and his voice is notably different from his singing voice, which is rich and deep. Ernie Ford has stars in radio, television, and records on the Walk of Fame, and was an entertainer of the classic type. He had a major hit with Merle Travis' "Sixteen Tons," which includes the great line, "Saint Peter, don't you call me, 'cause I can't go;/I owe my soul to the company store." His version is great; the sparse arrangement and Ernie's vocals perfectly complement the fatalistic swagger of the lyrics and music.
While the ambitiously-named "Proper Introduction" seems to be missing "Sixteen Tons," it looks to be a good collection of songs (though the focus is more on the pop/country western stuff than his gospel songs.) Big hits included are "Shotgun Boogie" and "Smokey Mountain Boogie." There's also "Mule Train" and "Hey Good Lookin'," with Helen O'Connell. "Bright Lights and Blond Haired Women" makes me want to call Ernie the crooner of country-western. Check it out!
And then there's my second favorite from this series: he's on fire! These photos are from a sweet collection of sea slugs prints from the National Geographic print store, starting at $20 for 10" unframed. Check them out! They're all really quite remarkable (and colorful.) It's interesting to see their camouflage evolutions.
I was really excited to find out that Janelle Monae has released something (and got a Grammy nod), so I'm bummed I'm only just getting around to posting about it. Janelle Monae is the vocalist on the only track I listen to still off the Idlewild soundtrack, and I was always struck by the purity of her voice.
Ms Monae's newest offering is an EP with the ambitious name of Metropolis Suite I of IV: The Chase. It's a concept album about a robot that falls in love and is consequently pursued across her futuristic city. The music is sweeping and orchstral without losing its pop and dance sensibilities. To get a better idea, check out the sweet music video for "Many Moons," which features a robot auction/fashion show and some sweet Michael Jackson-inspired dancing; she moonwalks forward AND backwards.
The Special Edition of the EP is really quite impressive. It starts off with a cinematic intro to the story and goes straight into the energetic "Violet Stars Happy Hunting," in which the chase starts. "Many Moons" is next, the catchy dance track where you feel most Outkast's influence. The track has some "Ghetto Defendant"-esque word association halfway through (and miles better than the Burroughs version) and Monae's voice shows off its flexibility, from operatic to a young Michael Jackson-type energy (you know, those creepy Jackson 5 songs where he's like, 5, singing about how he's got to be there when she wakes up.) Then my favorite, "Sincerely Jane," where Monae's vocals get to really (as if they hadn't) show their range over a nice syncopated chorus, Star Wars-like brasses and strings, and some good mixing. It also has a cool sultry opening. The next two tracks are the weaker of the group, but that's not saying their bad-- all in all it's a very strong offering, but when she does everything right, the results are stunning.
Of the three triptychs being used, one of my favorites of his work, Southern Belle is being used as the label for a shiraz. So if you are wine inclined. . . I'm not, but if I get my hands on some discretionary income- ie, rob a bank- I might pick this up for the after party. It is, it seems, a "Deep crimson color with complex aromas of black currant, leather and molasses. Rich, dark berry fruit palate of cassis and fruitcake, finishing with soft oak spice."
I've been really warming up to Lily Allen recently. It's always hard to like celebrities' kids when they first start producing stuff. But I think it was a combination of finally seeing the video of "Smile" (who hasn't ever wanted to pay little hooligans to smash a boy who has wronged you's record collection?) and liking the sense of humor as well as the various juicy gossipy things surrounding her (weight, miscarriage.) I admit that latter factor is terrible-- why should reading about her insecurities on my People.com newsfeed make me like her music more? Shouldn't it stand on its own? I think it does, though. I think what it did was convince me to give her stuff a chance, and I've been pleasantly surprised ever since. I think she has a nice style, too. Except the whole tennie-runners with dresses things.
"The Fear" is the first single off her recently released album, It's Not Me, It's You, which I haven't had a chance to listen to the whole way but is getting good reviews. The song is about celebrity culture today, but is easy enough to pick up gems that not only relate to your life ("everything's cool as long as I'm getting thinner") but also make you feel very naughty for sniggering at (ie, see the title of the post. Hilarious.) The video is also good- has dancing presents.
I like Fairey's stuff. I think kids who are all about Obey are obnoxious, but his prints and designs are good, pop-commercial pieces. I especially like his Joe Strummer prints, (aw hell, I might as well post it here again; I mean, it's pretty fucken sweet) and I'm interested to see how this pans out.
I realized Joe hasn't been around here much lately, but if you need to fill in the blank spaces in your library, P-Motion has got the Joe Strummer discography up right now.
The godfathers of psychobilly, having coined the named by taking the term from a Johnny Cash song, the Cramps are really the ones who do it perfectly-- the majority of those following in the psychobilly footsteps could never duplicate the perfect marriage of sounds that the Cramps achieved. And almost none of those bands had a lead with that old school NY punk voice that could achieve those Elvis acrobatics with their voice. In much the way everyone fails to ape the Misfits (who came after the Cramps started their monster movie vintage brand of fun), nobody is able to duplicate the level of violent, sexual, campy vibe and subject matter that the Cramps managed. Read more from the mtv obit.
That said, the Cramps have always been a band that I appreciate and respect but for all that can't sit through an entire album. But once you find the tracks you like, the rest is easy enough. Here's my favorite Cramps song from my favorite Cramps album, Stay Sick! Enjoy!
Don't get me wrong- I'm still not impressed with the group. Brody Dalle's voice is processed to the point where she could be anybody (and, really, she could), and the songs aren't anything new. They're pop-- catchy hooks and well-placed "heys!"-- and listening to them makes you think, well, I guess this is what Courtney Love would be doing right now if she wasn't so busy being Courtney Love. Influences sited on the band's myspace include Roky Ericson and Black Flag, which are about as present in these tracks as warm weather is out here right now. (Frankly, it seems like Brody heard Mr Ericson and said, OMG he thinks of demons, and I sing about personal demons; we're twins!)
As promised, though slow in coming, a little more Bing for ya! Bing Crosby is the premier male vocalist of ever, and don't let anyone try to tell you otherwise. Unfortunately, his fame nowadays is mostly around Christmas time, but Bing Crosby is definitely an all-year-round kinda guy. Every music collection should have a little of Der Bingle. Face it: having the Rat Pack on the jukebox makes you classy. Can't really argue with that. Having Bing on there? Makes you a classy motherfucker with good taste. A little bit on how awesome Mr Crosby was-
One of the first multimedia stars, from 1934 to 1954 Bing Crosby held a nearly unrivaled command of record sales, radio ratings, and motion picture grosses. He is cited among the most popular musical acts in history and is currently the most electronically recorded human voice in history.
Crosby is also credited as being the major inspiration for most of the male singers of the era that followed him, including Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, and Dean Martin. Yank magazine recognized Crosby as the person who had done the most for American G.I. morale during World War II and, during his peak years, around 1948, polls declared him the "most admired man alive," ahead of Jackie Robinson and Pope Pius XII.
Also during 1948, the Music Digest estimated that Crosby recordings filled more than half of the 80,000 weekly hours allocated to recorded radio music. Clarinetist Artie Shaw described Crosby as "the first hip white person born in the United States" [source].
This tracklist has a lot of famous standards that are essential listening, including "Birth of the Blues," "Along the Santa Fe Trail," and "Yes, Indeed!" one of my favorites. The disc is off a wonderful collection that C got for Christmas a few years ago, and at $25 for three discs of great music it's not a bad purchase at all. I've never seen it in stores; I believe it's a UK product, but it is available through amazon.com.
Clockwise from top Left: Valentine Fondant & Cutter Kit [Williams-Sonoma] | Copper Cookie Cutter Heart Set [Williams-Sonoma] | "Flowers and Sparrows" Day Bag [Lux de Ville] | Sweet Heart Vase [J. Mendicino] | Clean Cartoonists' Dirty Drawings by Craig Yoe [Amazon.com] |
As you guys know, I really love James Jean's work (you might recognize his Fables covers)- it's beautiful, exquisite, and never lacking in some element that is both exciting and puzzling, especially the strange mix of innocence and sensuality found in the details.
He's got a show down in Chelsea right now, and a few friends and I braved the cold (complicated by my complete inability to remember streets) to go see it. If you're in the area (I don't have any info about other shows in other cities, sorry!- but you can see all the pieces at his website), I strongly encourage you to check it out. It's one thing to see his stuff online, another to be able to step right up to it and see all the strokes and detail, full size. Some of my favorites were Vanity and Willow Horse.
INFO
I'm not a huge fan of beards (yeah, I'm talking to you, guy waiting for the L train), but I was recently introduced to Australian band The Beards, who, as they say in their song "Beard Revolution," are determined to bring the beard to the forefront of facial hair culture. With songs like "A Wizard Needs a Beard" and "It Only Takes a Fortnight" and "No Beard No Good,"a separatist bearded anthem, it's easy to see that these guys are hardliner beard proponents, and they spread the message with what they call "bearded folk rock." Their influences, listed on their myspace, include "ZZ Top, The Beatles (during their bearded era), Kram from Spiderbait, The Bearded BeeGee, Abraham Lincoln, basically anyone with a decent beard."
The songs are absurd and clever, and from the sound of some of the live tracks they have on their page, they sound like they put on a fun show. There are six songs available for listening on their page. My favorite is "Beard Revolution," with lyrics like "My friend Eddie's got no beard, he wants to grow one but he can't!" (poor Eddie) and "A Wizard Needs a Beard," which lists various groups required to have beards, including "bearded thugs."
Who is Jason Mraz? A name I always heard and saw ads for, but knew nothing about. Despite the similar singer-songwriter surfer-wear laidback image, turns out he is not like Jack "destroy the world by making the most boring music ever" Johnson.
Rather he has had a fabulous single out for awhile, "I'm Yours." And even after C played it maybe 20 times in a row at one point during the Taiwan trip, it's still a good song. The melody is simple and infectious. The instrumental accompaniment is likewise unadorned and perfectly underlines Mraz's disarming vocals. All in all, a sweet little sunshiney feel-good anthem that I highly recommend giving a listen.
Of course I haven't checked out his other stuff. I suck. But enjoy this anyway, it has become one of my top songs in the recent past (yet another undefinable period of time at Noise Annoys, where relative time goes to die. . .)
semester soon, so I will have settled back in and broke out the old external HD and more regular posting will resume. As noted before, things are a little rough in the world of posting mp3 files, so the amount of actual albums posted will still be kept to a minimum, but stick around for more single tracks and links to vids.
Hey everyone. I hope your holidays were awesome! I'm in Taiwan for two weeks, so posting is on a little vacation. The connection here is pretty touch & go, so I'm about to try to upload some pics and see if that works. Been very busy eating a lot, eating some more, (delicious pastries!) and getting my wisdom teeth out (tragic hold on delicious pastries!)
Myvintagevogue's photostream for tons of fashion and vintage pics. The above is from the b&w celebrities gallery-- gorgeous b&w of golden age actresses. Below is from the 1950s set. Lots to look at!
which we reported earlier this fall, is now available for pre-order on Amazon, though I'm not sure when it's actually being released. To get all hyped up for it, check out Mr Templesmith's blog, which has scans of the likes of TR, FDR, Filmore, and others. They're looking really great, and I can't wait to see the book when it comes out!
In looking for album images, I've found that there are in fact two White Christmas albums, this one and this one here, which I'm posting here because I think it's a lot better. Granted, it's the one I grew up with, so there's massive personal bias, what sets it apart is the warmth and nostalgia that comes from its format: it's a recording of a radio show, and the album includes Bing's jokes and chatter. If you read the reviews, some people don't like that, and to them I say: You are probably communiss. Anyway, this one also leaves out the ethnic novelty songs, which, while they have their own charm, don't quite measure up to the content of this 1992 edition. The dialogue is fun, the arrangments "bouncy," and you get 15 tracks of Crosby in his popular element.
This is a great resource for photos, especially for candid shoots. Search format/start page here. I'll try to post some favorites as I explore the archive.
The photos are also available for purchase. It's pricey, but if you can find a way to buy it without the frame (I'm not sure if this is an option, I really wish it would be), these photos would make beautiful personalized gifts. The photos themselves are of good quality; if you have a good printer and some nice photofinish paper, it might make a fun gift to go with a nice frame from a vintage or thrift shop to go with it.
As with the Shrek movies, the charm and hilarity is in the details, including one of the pigs flying around the room singing Ride of the Valkyrie, Puss' inability to ignore small balls and just the fact that it's ANTONIO BANDERAS, and how darn cute everything is. The plot and message are what you would expect, but it doesn't lose the more "adult" jokes of the films (especially at the start with the holiday rush, the cross-dressing wolf, Gingi in general.)
BABIES!
From left to right: Orange Earrings from KnitKnit @Etsy | Heart Attack from LuckyLooLoo | Happy Robot Earrings from Shana Logic | Mexican Loteria Charm Necklace by Sweet Romance from Pin Up Girl Clothing | Handy Girl Necklace Set (of 3) by Girls With Tools from Shana Logic
[Clockwise from left: squid suckers, the Bible references charted, Mediterranean diatoms, an excited string.]
You don't have to be a science-y person (as I call them) to appreciate these images. A number of these photos have been colored for reference, and they all represent patterns found in the natural world; the results are stunning. Check out the gallery here.
Check out the other galleries, too, including the one showing Giant, Unknown Animals Found Off Antarctica (9" sea spiders, yikes! and the intriguingly named stareater) and Best Wild Animal Photos (including what you probably won't be eating for Christmas dinner-- read the description-- and the law of the jungle.)
"Orphan Earl" [via hulu]
Next item on the list: Earl must help the victim of a scam he started years ago and that Joy and her friends have been carrying on since.
According to that source, this song was debuted by composer Frank Loesser and his wife at one of their parties. The rights were sold to MGM, who used the song in Neptune's Daughter not once but twice-- sung by Ester Williams and Ricardo Montalban and the other by Red Skelton and Betty Garrett. I have the former linked down there. Loesser won himself an Academy Award for the song. On the sheet music, the female is "The Mouse" and the man is "The Wolf." Gives new meaning to that "Say, what's in this drink?" line, huh.
1 & 2. Godfather Part I & Part II, Coppola Restorations
3 & 4. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy & Smiley's People
5. Hellboy II: The Golden Army, 3 Disc Special Edition
6. Burn Notice, Season 1
7. The Complete Thin Man Collection: The Thin Man / After the Thin Man / Another Thin Man / Shadow of the Thin Man / The Thin Man Goes Home / Song of the Thin Man / Alias Nick and Nora
8. The Premier Frank Capra Collection: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington / It Happened One Night / You Can't Take It with You / Mr. Deeds Goes to Town / American Madness / Frank Capra's American Dream
9. Rio Bravo: 2-Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition: Features
10. John Wayne-John Ford Film Collection: The Searchers Ultimate Edition / Stagecoach Two-Disc Special Edition / Fort Apache / She Wore a Yellow Ribbon / The Long Voyage Home / They Were Expendable / 3 Godfathers / The Wings of Eagles
It's easy! There are no outfits to buy, costumes to rent, rivers to dye green. Simply celebrate the day by stopping by your local bar, tavern, saloon, winery, distillery, or brewhouse and having a drink. Pick up a six-pack on your way home from work. Split a bottle of wine with a loved one. Buy a shot for a stranger. Just do it because you can [from the Official Repeal Day website]It's actually probably gonna be a quiet night for me (finals!), but I've got my heart set on some Winter Warmer. Cheers!
Roger Alan Wade's All Likkered Up is on sale for the holidays. Featuring "All Likkered Up" and "My Baby Loves Malt Liquor," some sayNA favorites.
or, celebrate by watching America's booziest favorite couple-- watch The Thin Man [9 parts, youtube]. Or watch some of that Nascar.
Cos it's deeply, deeply dope.
Will tries to bring the holiday spirit to his aunt and uncle's house. When the neighbors complain about his decorations, an old-executive power intercedes (cos Nancy won't let him do anything fun to the house.) Evander Holyfield makes a guest appearance. Check out the absurd decorator in Part II, who tells us that "the 90s are going to be all about. . . restraint."
Enjoy!
And the second, it's just fun to watch because Beyonce & her backup dancers are very good. Some of the Gwen Verdon-esque moves are a little wacky, but considering they're all wearing heels and probably corsets or control tops. . . Also, check out the now famous SNL sketch (I think this is it?)
As for this whole Sasha Fierce thing, I'm really not sure what's up with that, but looking at that robo-hand she's got on makes it clear that she ran afoul of a Sith Lord she's possibly related to.
Kicking off the holiday season with our traditional Vandals' Christmas album post! Oi to the World features the title track, a crazy punk rock Tchaikovsky track, and one of my favorites, "Nothing's Gonna Ruin My Holidays."The Vandals will be playing 3 Christmas shows. Hopefully they won't last-minute cancel sans explanation a la 2007 Warped Tour.
Dec 19 2008 @ SLIM’S
San Francisco, California
w/Goodbye Gadget and Time Again
Dec 20 2008 @ House of Blues Disneyland
Anaheim, california
w/ the aggrolites
Dec 21 2008 @ House Of Blues
San Diego, California
w/ The Phenomenauts
