Usually I say that I don’t have much time to post, then I end up writing two or three paragraphs anyway. This week I seriously don’t have time thanks to my generosity in helping my friends move, so I’ll just share a bangin’ summer tune that I can’t seem to get enough of: “Bad Girls,” by M.I.A.
I’ve been a big fan of M.I.A. since I first saw the video for “Galaang” oh so many years ago, but her latest might just be her greatest, in my opinion. Not only does the song have a cool tempo with a world music flair, but the video is just as awesome. I’m not even the type to be impressed by flashy car tricks, but something about this song mixed with these visuals seems to be the epitome of badass. And M.I.A. herself is thirty-seven, can you believe it? Amazing. I hope she keeps cranking out excellent tunes for a million more years to come if they can all be as great as this one.
And that’s it from me for July. See you in August, little earbuds!
Recently I was treated to a viewing of Mirror Mirror, otherwise known as that other Snow White movie that came out earlier this year. I had wanted to see it at the cinema because not only do I study (and adore) fairy tales, but I’ve also been a fan of director Tarsem Singh’s incredibly lush and detailed style of filmmaking since The Cell. The Fall has been, in my opinion, his undisputed masterpiece, but no matter how colourful and vibrant his visuals are, his films all have a dark undertone to them. That actually works well in fairy tales, as the original stories were far more gruesome than the Disney concoctions that we know today. The Grimm Brothers brought fairy tales into the nursery, but before that they were lewd fables of bloodlust, sex, and death, told (or even enacted) as amusement for adults. However, the previews for Mirror Mirror alluded to a film geared for the younger set, rampant with childish physical humor and dwarf jokes. Because of this, I wasn’t terribly fussed when I became too busy to make it to the cinema when it came out.
In retrospect I wish that I had taken the time to see Mirror Mirror instead of Snow White & The Huntsman, as the former is far, far, far superior to the latter. Mirror Mirror was rife with the Tarsem visuals that I was craving, but it also had elements of darkness and as well as deep magic. Gone were the childish jabs seen in the previews, and what remained was an enthralling and endearing film that would be tame enough for children but nonetheless thoroughly enjoyable for adults. The funny parts were actually funny, the beautiful parts were stunning, and the overall feel of the film was warm and wonderful despite the fact that most of the story takes place in a downfall of snow. I was so enamored of this version of Snow White that I decided to share the Bollywood-inspired song from the film, “I Believe In Love,” sung by Snow White herself, Lily Collins.
If fairy tales continue to remain in vogue (fingers crossed!) and directors make more versions as gorgeous as Mirror Mirror, then I’ll be certain not to miss any future outings to the cinema for them.
Hello again, little earbuds. Once again I’m dreadfully behind on, well, pretty much everything this past week. I recently got the news that not one, but both of my best friends are moving, and that’s thrown me for a bit of a loop. Though neither is moving terribly far (just to the next state over) the news has put me on a roller coaster of emotions. My goal is to keep it together, at least until they leave, because I want to be supportive, but selfishly I’m devastated. These are pretty much the only two people I’ve consistently hung out with for the past five years, and not having them close by (or at least as close as they have been) really, really just flat-out sucks. I see these folks on a daily basis: we talk on the phone, we go to movies, play video games, go shopping, attend concerts, have deep talks, eat long dinners… And all of sudden I won’t have that anymore, at least not every day. It’s been rough, I’ll say that. There were a couple of days filled with tears, but now I’m just focusing on helping them pack and supporting them both as much as I possibly can.
So that explains my tardiness, at least this week. I’m doing better now, though I’m trying to only think of the fun road trips in my future instead of how much I’m going to miss having them close by. Part of keeping it together, is, you guessed it, music. By sheer coincidence I had purchased The Wanted’s self-titled album on a whim just before the news broke. It was a $.99 download special, as was Beach House’s Bloom, so I treated myself to both. I assumed that I would listen to the latter the most because it’s dream pop, which is usually more my speed than mainstream pop. However, I’ve barely given Beach House a listen because I’ve been so enamored with The Wanted. I thought that I would get a couple of fun songs to add to my workout mix, but I never imagined that the entire album would be filled with undeniably uplifting dance tunes. Right now that’s exactly what I need to keep my head above water, so that’s what I’m sharing with you today: The Wanted’s infectious single “Chasing The Sun.”
I kind of figured that my boy band days were over by this point in my life. I mean, sure, I still have some choice ‘N Sync and Backstreet Boys floating around on my iTunes for nostalgia’s sake, but I rarely make it a point to listen to them. When it comes to over-the-top pop I usually go for the divas: Lady Gaga, Rhianna, Madonna, Beyoncé, Katy Perry, and yes, even Britney. However, The Wanted have been a pleasant and welcoming surprise. What I like even better is that I’m not caught up in their looks or their biographies. I could care less who was born where and which one is growing a goatee. Hell, I don’t even know their names. I just enjoy their music, it’s that simple. This song in particular has that great mixture of peppy beats and hopeful lyrics that feeds my soul when I’m down and really in need of cheering up. And that, dear reader, is what I think music is all about.
Hello and happy Independence Day, little earbuds! I’ll keep today’s entry short and sweet, as I have food to make, family to hang out with, and fireworks to watch. However, I couldn’t let a holiday pass by without adding a musical spin to it. There are ten tons of songs about America, some from Americans, some from other parts of the world. I’ve always been quite partial to David Bowie’s “I’m Afraid Of Americans” because it’s brooding and cool, but I can dance my socks off just as hard to “The Great American Nightmare” by Rob Zombie. Then you’ve got classics such as Don McLean’s “American Pie” and “America” by Simon & Garfunkel, and of course there’s always good ol’ fashioned rock such as Tom Petty’s “American Girl” and “American Woman” by Lenny Kravitz. However, my song of choice on this particular 4th of July is from my childhood, though technically I didn’t hear it until I was a teenager: “American Music” by the Violent Femmes.
I enjoy the Violent Femmes in general, but this song in particular (from the album Why Do Birds Sing?) always makes me feel warm and fuzzy. It’s carefree and jovial, and the lyrics can be a bit nonsensical, but that’s part of the fun of it. I especially love the recreations of various eras of American music depicted in the video. So watch, listen, and enjoy, and I wish you a happy 4th of July!
Summer is upon us, and one of the best parts of summer, in my opinion, is getting to spend a hot afternoon in an air-conditioned theater watching a summer movie. What always makes those movies even better are the killer soundtracks. I spent last weekend catching up on my summer flicks, and I have to say, already we have some excellent music to fill our ears with thanks to the current crop of blockbusters at the cinema.
For instance, Snow White and the Huntsman, which was nowhere near as good as I had hoped it would be, still proved to have some merit once the credits rolled. (It had such promise at the beginning thanks to Charlize Theron’s awesomely evil Queen performance, then it just devolved into Chris Hemsworth’s strange muddled accent with Kristen Stewart flitting around the woods as some sort of fairy Jesus.) Despite being fairly bored and disappointed with the film as a whole, Florence + The Machine’s dramatic closing song, “Breath of Life,” was almost good enough to make me not feel cheated out of a movie ticket.
Luckily other movies have far exceeded my expectations, such as Pixar’s Scottish fairy tale Brave. The film was funny, moving, and incredibly lush, and what made it even better was the sweeping score by Patrick Doyle. The bagpipes, strings, and drums do a fitting service to both the story as well as Scotland, and “Touch the Sky” by Julie Fowlis is genuinely grand and uplifting. You can almost feel the highland winds in your face when you listen to this ebullient tune. It’s a fitting theme for a modern yet timeless heroine such as Merida.
Of course, what summer could be complete without a vampire movie? Some are good, some are bad, others are terrible, but luckily Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter was every ounce as epic as I had hoped. (What do you get when you take one of the most awesome American presidents and add vampires to the mix? One hour and forty-five minutes of solid badass entertainment, that’s what.) The Linkin Park song “Powerless,” which is played over the credits, is decent, but lately I’m obsessing over Henry Jackman’s score, especially the tune “The Rampant Hunter.” If this music doesn’t put you in the mood to take up an axe and right the wrongs of the world yourself (or at the very least walk in slow motion while looking cool) then I don’t know what will.
It’s hard to believe that June is nearly over, but luckily July’s fresh crop of summer films is just around the corner. Let’s hope that Batman and Spider-Man prove good musical company by adding to the worthy summer soundtracks of 2012.
I must say, I really do adore NewNowNext Music on Logo. Admittedly it can be hit or miss since at times they fill the half hour with pounding Euro beats and simplistic lyrics sung by shirtless boys or (at the other end of the spectrum) crunchy ballads solemnly crooned by girls with guitars wearing cowboy boots. Don’t get me wrong, I can dig both of those genres given the proper mood and setting, but most of the time I vibrate on a somewhat mellow, uplifting electronica frequency. Dream pop fulfills my deepest desires. Give me synths or give me silence!
Luckily, NewNowNext, when not churning out the aforementioned videos, quite often exposes me to my newest musical obsessions. Trumping even old-school MTV at its music video pinnacle, Logo gives me hearty helpings of gorgeous tunes that I’d never heard before but suddenly can’t live without, such as School of Seven Bells or Asobi Seksu, as well as keeping me well-fed on the latest from established greatest acts like Pet Shop Boys and Madonna. Last night (or rather, very early this morning) was another gem-packed block of videos. I was treated to the most recent offerings from Scissor Sisters and Katy Perry as well as a kick-ass video for “Generals,” a fab ditty by The Mynabirds that I’ve been enjoying thanks to the Summer 2012 Saddle Creek Sampler (currently available as a free download on Amazon). However, the very first video of the night was hitherto unknown to me, and that is what I’m sharing with you this week, little earbuds.
Exitmusic is an entirely new band to me, but what a glorious introduction “The Night” provides for the uninitiated. The song begins with that dreamy electronic buzz that I adore in all kinds of bands from The Jesus and Mary Chain to The Raveonettes, then immediately layers on some shimmering guitars reminiscent of Interpol at their best (my absolute favourite band from 2004-2006, incidentally). However, singer Aleksa Palladino adds vocals that are magically raspy and ethereal at once, delicately relating lyrics that are nothing short of poetry. It’s a delicious concoction of sounds that drew me in immediately and elevated my senses. If the rest of their first full-length album, Passage, lives up to the promise of this one song, then it’s a must-own item for certain, especially if you dig on dream pop as much as I do.
This week’s (belated) post is in honor of fathers. Y’know, it’s funny: when it came time to talk about Mother’s Day, I had several songs to choose from that praise moms. However, now that it’s Father’s Day here in the US, I couldn’t find as much selection praising the dads of the world. Apparently to make it in my music library (current song total: 20,973 and counting) you must have some major daddy issues. Almost every song with “father” or “dad” in the title was about pain, resentment, and abandonment. I think that this is a colossal shame, as I know some really amazing fathers. Most notable is my own dad: I am an unabashed daddy’s girl, and I know for a fact that my dad is one of the best people in the whole world. I still look up to him even though I’m (technically) an adult, and I hope that I can be as magical and full of wonder and joy as he is when I get to be his age. He’s one of the funnest people to be around, and every time we hang out we have a blast. Maybe that explains why I never followed my fleeting rock star dreams: I’m too well-adjusted, and I have a great relationship with my father.
If I can get back into songwriting (which I haven’t done in several years, but enjoyed briefly) I’ll certainly make it my goal to write a kick-ass anthem for great dads. Until then, I have at least two songs that always make me think of my father and smile.
It’s hard to go wrong with anything Paul Simon in my book, but this song in particular, “Father and Daughter,” really touched my heart. I remember the first time that I heard it: I was in my car, driving across a bridge, and I heard this song on the radio. I wasn’t paying much attention to it, but then the chorus came on: There could never be a father who loved his daughter more than I love you. Suddenly I was listening intently. I loved the sentiment, and I knew without a shadow of a doubt that’s how my own father felt (and continues to feel) about my sisters and me. Now whenever I hear this song I think of my dad and feel really lucky and really, really loved.
Perhaps it’s unsurprising, given how close I am to my dad, but A Little Princess has always been one of my absolute favourite children’s books. I recall watching the Shirley Temple movie based on the novel and loving it as well, but then Alfonso Cuaron came out with his film version and took my breath away. I can’t watch it without feeling waves of super intense emotions, so when my favourite remix artist, Pogo, came out with this song, “Whisperlude,” based on the movie, I literally sat transfixed in front of my computer screen as tears welled up in my eyes. After that I immediately popped the DVD in and rewatched the whole film, then I went and spent the day with my dad. It’s pretty amazing how Pogo can recreate all of the drama and wonder of a gorgeous and complex film into a remix less than four minutes long. It’s yet another reason why I am in awe of him, and another song to add to my repertoire of feel-good father tunes.
Happy Father’s Day, and thanks to all the great fathers of the world for being awesome!
Today, little earbuds, I really don’t have a lot to say. I realize that this is shocking, coming from someone as wordy as myself, but, well, that’s how it is. I’ve downloaded some new music that I haven’t had a chance to absorb yet, the last film that I saw had no remarkable soundtrack to it, and even my beloved anime has left me a bit high and dry in the music department. Hence, I bring you another musical grab bag entry. Today my iTunes decided that I should share a slice of Alabama 90s alt-rock with you, and so I shall do just that via Verbena.
I remember seeing this video for Verbena’s “Baby Got Shot” on MTV (back when they actually, y’know, showed music videos). I loved it instantly and ran right out to purchase their album Into The Pink. After a few listens I found a couple of songs that I liked a decent amount, but none as much as the single that prompted the purchase. This is a great tune that hearkens back to 90s alternative music, when banging on a guitar and growling into a mic was the highest form of rebellion. As this song came out in 1999, it’s also a fitting farewell anthem to the decade of flannel and grunge, Nirvana and Rage Against The Machine, post punk and Doc Martens and hair so long you could sit on it. Now that I think about it, the alternative scene of the 90s had a lot in common with the hippies of the 60s, just a little darker and a little angrier. I know that I, for one, didn’t really appreciate the 90s as I lived through it, wishing fervently that I could have been a teen in the 80s with the Brat Pack and Jennifer Connelly and the sounds of new wave filling my ears. But now, more than a decade later, I can appreciate the 90s for its cultural contributions as well as being the time of my own teenage years. That’s when I discovered 85% of the things that contribute to my personal taste and make me the cool character I am today. And so, farewell, 90s. You are missed, but you will always be remembered, at least by this music fan.
Hallo once more, little earbuds. Miss Pink has actually been doing pretty well lately. I’m feeling healthy, and slowly but surely I’m getting through my huge backlog of projects and general stuff-to-do, such as catching up on emails with friends. In doing so, I discovered that one of my pals is going through some heartbreak right now. Of course I was sympathetic (because who hasn’t experienced that in some form or other?) but words just don’t feel like enough when it comes to matters of the heart. So In honor of my friend, today I’m bringing you another playlist: Top 5 Songs For Love Gone Wrong. Warning: Here there be F-bombs, so if adult language offends you, better skip this week’s post.
5.) Peaches – F**k The Pain Away
Who can resist Peaches and her electroclash-punk aesthetic? She tells it like it is, and even when her words are tongue-in-cheek, they leave a sting. What’s even better is this fan video of Miss Piggy singing “F**k The Pain Away,” because both Piggy and Peaches are total badasses.
4.) She Wants Revenge – True Romance
The name of this band alone should clue you in to the fact that a song titled “True Romance” might not be what it seems. “I know that you never loved me, I know that you never cared at all…” There are so many vengeful gems from She Wants Revenge, but this one takes the cake for love that’s gone sour.
3.) Dandy Warhols – We Used To Be Friends
Back before Veronica Mars was on the air I found myself in the most upsetting roommate situation of my life to date with someone whom I once considered a close friend. Since I tend to invest as much of my heart into my friendships as I do into romance, it was a very scarring moment in my personal history. Luckily, during this period I caught the Dandy Warhols performing this song on SNL, and instantly I had a theme for my pain. Just listening to this tune on repeat automatically made everything a bit better.
2.) Future Bible Heroes – I’m Lonely (And I Love It)
Even though this song is over a decade old, I miraculously discovered it on the same night that I was replying to the very friend who inspired this playlist. As much as I adore Stephin Merritt, I must admit that I haven’t explored his side projects as thoroughly as I have Magnetic Fields. Since previously I only had two Future Bible Heroes songs in my musical library, I’m delighted to have an entirely new catalogue to explore (small as it is, being a side project and all). As soon as I heard the plethora of electronic beats urging me to dance I was in love, but the beyond awesome lyrics take this song over the top. If there’s a more joyful song about heartbreak out there, I haven’t heard it. And I’ve heard a lot.
1.) Nine Inch Nails – You Know What You Are
As much as I’d love to end on a positive note like song #2, when it comes to pains of the heart, the guy I always turn to first is Trent Reznor. This entire list could have been populated with Nine Inch Nails, so extensive is his repertoire of anger and disappointment. What I really love about this particular song is how it takes pain and sadness and channels it all into pure unadulterated rage. In my personal experience, there is no song that can trump this one when it comes to the primal desire to scream “F*** YOU!!!” at whoever has lied to you, cheated on you, or let you down in your life.
There are obviously many, many more songs out there of every genre that cover this topic extremely well. J. Geils Band’s “Love Stinks” is always a classic choice, as is any version of Neil Young’s “Only Love Can Break Your Heart.” (My personal preference is the upbeat 90s cover by Saint Etienne, because nothing gives melancholy the middle finger quite like being peppy.) Then there’s the newer indie classic, Gotye’s ode to faded romance, “Somebody That I Used To Know.” The Kills provide great, crunchy tunes that always make me wanna take a road trip and stay in run-down motels, and their ditty “F**k The People” is excellent not just for heartache but any ol’ time you feel like you’re surrounded by stupidity. Along those same lines, Combichrist’s “What The F**k Is Wrong With You?” is an industrial/emb version of the same feeling. And who could forget Amy Winehouse (rest in peace), the gal who seemed to truly understand when life gets messed up, with her song, “Love Is A Losing Game?”
The list goes on and on, and will continue to grow every year, because heartbreak is universal. I take solace in all of the great music created to cope with such harsh and uncomfortable emotions. How about you? What’s the song that you keep in your back pocket, the tune that you know will be the first to beat on your eardrums when your heart gets chewed up and spit back out? The choices are out there, and as vast as the channels of the human heart. As it should be, because great art is one of the only benefits to great sorrow, or so this music lover believes.
Okay, music lovers, it’s 2012, which means that by now we know a few things about this crazy ol’ world. It’s generally accepted that the Earth is round, and that the moon is not made of cheese. In the event of a nuclear apocalypse, cockroaches will inherit the earth. Sharks are terrifying unless it’s Shark Week, in which case they are terrifyingly awesome. We also know by now that vampires are really, really, really, ridiculously good-looking. Oh sure, horror movies dating back to 1922 will try to tell you otherwise. I mean, Max Schreck made a fantastic Nosferatu, but seduction was not widely considered to be his forte. However, literature has taught us over the course of centuries that real vampires are drop-dead sexy. Seduction is their thing; it’s the way they lure in their prey. Ugly vampires are great for scary stories, but they don’t really function well in the real world. To survive over the centuries, vampires would have to either start their undead lives as breathtakingly gorgeous or evolve to become so, because humans are shallow creatures and tend to not automatically kill pretty things. This fact alone first alerted me to today’s topic: Atsushi Sakurai, the lead singer of BUCK-TICK, is actually a real-life vampire.
It’s not my place to “out” anyone here, but surely I can’t be the only one who’s noticed it. I mean, just look at him. (Yes, that is a link to my personal Pintrest board dedicated to Atsushi. Someone had to do it, why not me?) He’s lovely when he’s younger, but what’s really interesting is that he actually seems to be getting better-looking with age. According to Wikipedia, he’s supposedly forty-six years old. No human looks that good at forty-six. No one. It’s almost as though Atsushi is ageless. What kind of humanoid creature is ageless? Well, that’s easy. Vampires are ageless.
“But wait,” I hear you cry, “literature is filled with all sorts of immortal humanoid creatures, from faeries to ghosts to gods to, well, immortals! How do you know Atsushi isn’t one of those?” Fair play, and I commend you for being so well-versed in otherworldly creatures. I have more facts that point specifically to vampirism, but for now I’ll share with you exactly what made me 100% certain that Atsushi is a vampire. That, friends, is the English translation of the lyrics to the stunning BUCK-TICK song “Kuchizuke:”
Will you say that we can love… love each other? I’ll cover your lips Close your eyes and give me a sinful kiss
We can love… love each other surely, stabbing into the nape of your neck Close your eyes and give me a sinful kiss
I can’t ever return again, but that’s okay I stare into the middle of the night and drink my wine dry
We’ll love… love each other more, seeming to go mad in our intense thirst Close your eyes and give me a sinful kiss
Your scent drives me mad I wake up in the middle of the night and drink insanity and love dry
Come here into my arms, “The darkness over there is bitter” You’ll get confused and waver It’ll turn eternal before long, “The darkness over here is sweet” I’ll pierce you deeply
Your scent drives me mad I wake up in the middle of the night and drink insanity and love dry
Come here into my arms, “The darkness over there is bitter” You’ll get confused and waver It’ll turn eternal before long, “The darkness over here is sweet” I’ll pierce you deeply
Come here into my arms, “The darkness over there is bitter” You’ll smile a little With this, it’ll turn eternal, “The darkness over here is sweet” I’ll pierce you deeply
I started to highlight all of the lines that pointed to vampirism, but really, the entire song fits. A sinful kiss, like a vampire’s bite, stabbing into the nape of your neck. Seeming to go mad in our intense thirst…your scent drives me mad (vampires have a heightened sense of smell, as all vamp literature aficionados know)…the darkness over here is sweet (y’know, vampires and eternal night)…I’ll pierce you deeply…with this it’ll turn eternal…it really couldn’t be more clear. This song is Atsushi’s declaration to the world that he is what we’ve suspected: a vampire. He’s the real life embodiment of Anne Rice’s Lestat, a vampire rock star who’s pretending to be a human who is pretending to be a vampire. It’s the oldest trick in the book, and a very good one at that. If you watch any video of a BUCK-TICK performance, you can see Atsushi clearly feeding off of the energy of the crowd. He feigns indifference, but that just makes the audience crave him even more, building up to a frenzy.
BUCK-TICK very rarely play outside of Japan, and I have discovered the reason for this. One time, during a photo shoot in Nepal, Atsushi became deathly ill. He proclaimed that if he was going to die, he wanted to die in Japan, and so he was rushed back to his homeland. Once there, he miraculously recovered. Atsushi was ill, but he recovered once he was on his home soil. Hmm, who does that sound like? Oh yes, Dracula, another fellow who always had to have some of his home soil near him. Dracula kept his home soil in his coffin when he traveled in order to retain his full power. Atsushi simply chooses never to step foot off of his. (For more about this actual event in BUCK-TICK history, please see this article.)
Atsushi enjoys dark music, movies, and styles, yet he’s also secretive and hard to know, according to bandmate Hisashi. He love cats and red wine, both of which are favored by Goths and vampires alike. He also loves Bauhaus and David Bowie. Come to think of it, Bauhaus first hit it big with their single “Bela Lugosi’s Dead,” which was used in the opening to the vampire movie The Hunger, starring David Bowie. Is it a coincidence that vampiric bits of pop culture seem to flock to Atsushi? BUCK-TICK provide the opening song for the anime Trinity Blood, which is about vampires. They also provided a song for Nightwalker, about a vampire private eye. More recently “Kuchizuke” was used as the opening song for Shiki, a horror anime that I have yet to see (but very much want to). Here’s the description for that series: “All hell breaks loose as the villagers discover their loved ones’ corpses are rising from the grave with an insatiable thirst for human blood.” What does that sound like? Yeah, thought so.
Obviously I’m not the only person who sees Atsushi’s paranormal side as plain as moonlight. A quick search for his name on YouTube and a great fan video pops up showing clips of Atsushi set to Lady Gaga’s “Monster.” Excellent song choice, fantastic Atsushi shots, and oddly telling, if you ask me. “He ate my heart,” indeed. Also, have you seen the video for BUCK-TICK’s “Romance?” (Hopefully you have if you’ve been reading this blog, as I’ve posted it before.) Unreal. The man is dark, the man is sensual, the man is, quite clearly, an immortal being obsessed with blood. And I, for one, am here to speak in his favor. If you’ve ever felt bad because you see someone who just seems to be way more awesome than everyone else, take heart. That person is probably not a “person” at all, but a vampire. And those immortal creatures (especially Atsushi himself) are more than welcome to come drink the red, red wine with me any day.
Here’s one more BUCK-TICK song to get you through the week ahead, little earbuds: their dark and delicious ditty, “Gessekai.” Enjoy, and don’t let the vampires bite. (Or do, if that’s your thing.)
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