Wednesday, June 04, 2008
HOUSEWIVES' CHOICE
Oh God, I'm supposed to be on a blogging break - but feel honour bound to do this meme courtesy of Kid Shirt ...
"List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they’re not any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now, shaping your spring. Post these instructions in your blog along with your 7 songs. Then tag 7 other people to see what they’re listening to."
Well, alright then, but I can't write about music and I've got hideously unfashionable music taste, so this is going to be abrupt and tasteless.
Click on the links for obligatory YouTube clips.
1. Shadows - Midnight Juggernauts. From the great album Dystopia. Sort of bad 1980's David Bowie, but in a good way. From Melbourne. That should be enough to put you off.
2. Johnny Reggae - The Piglets. "He looks me in the eye when he shoots". My, that's an impressive talent!
3. Tunes Splits The Atom - MC Tunes Versus 808 State. Fucking superb. 808 State have been sadly overlooked in any retrospective of the, um, late 80's/early '90's Manchester scene. They were briliant live and they were better than The Smiths. I bought MC Tunes' album, inadvisably, but this is his finest moment.
4. Lovesong - Lesley Duncan. Drippy hippy acoustic thing that was covered by Elton John. I've no idea why I like this: seem to remember it was played by Annie Nightingale a lot. Hmm ...
5. Dancing In The Dark - The Proxy. I looked this up on YouTube because, er, choke, splutter, Kissy Sellout announced in the Guardian's Festival Guide that it was the best dance single of the year. Obviously you have to take seriously the opinions of a man who wears those "fashion" plimsolls that don't have laces in them. Guffaw. Against all odds, it seems that his opinion is spot on.
6. Que Pasa/Me No Pop I - Coati Mundi. Because Geoff has recently got loads of Kid Creole albums and this was always one of the best tracks associated with him, or, er, them.
7. Plutonic - Bizarre Inc. I've been listening to their debut album a lot recently. They had a great run of singles for a couple of years and have been completely ignored by everyone ever since. Unfeasibly great. Playing With Knives is also unfeasibly great.
As for tagging seven other bloggers - eh? I don't know seven other bloggers who read this who are interested in music. Come to think of it, at the moment, it would be a miracle if seven other bloggers get around to reading this.
Will this do?
"List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they’re not any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now, shaping your spring. Post these instructions in your blog along with your 7 songs. Then tag 7 other people to see what they’re listening to."
Well, alright then, but I can't write about music and I've got hideously unfashionable music taste, so this is going to be abrupt and tasteless.
Click on the links for obligatory YouTube clips.
1. Shadows - Midnight Juggernauts. From the great album Dystopia. Sort of bad 1980's David Bowie, but in a good way. From Melbourne. That should be enough to put you off.
2. Johnny Reggae - The Piglets. "He looks me in the eye when he shoots". My, that's an impressive talent!
3. Tunes Splits The Atom - MC Tunes Versus 808 State. Fucking superb. 808 State have been sadly overlooked in any retrospective of the, um, late 80's/early '90's Manchester scene. They were briliant live and they were better than The Smiths. I bought MC Tunes' album, inadvisably, but this is his finest moment.
4. Lovesong - Lesley Duncan. Drippy hippy acoustic thing that was covered by Elton John. I've no idea why I like this: seem to remember it was played by Annie Nightingale a lot. Hmm ...
5. Dancing In The Dark - The Proxy. I looked this up on YouTube because, er, choke, splutter, Kissy Sellout announced in the Guardian's Festival Guide that it was the best dance single of the year. Obviously you have to take seriously the opinions of a man who wears those "fashion" plimsolls that don't have laces in them. Guffaw. Against all odds, it seems that his opinion is spot on.
6. Que Pasa/Me No Pop I - Coati Mundi. Because Geoff has recently got loads of Kid Creole albums and this was always one of the best tracks associated with him, or, er, them.
7. Plutonic - Bizarre Inc. I've been listening to their debut album a lot recently. They had a great run of singles for a couple of years and have been completely ignored by everyone ever since. Unfeasibly great. Playing With Knives is also unfeasibly great.
As for tagging seven other bloggers - eh? I don't know seven other bloggers who read this who are interested in music. Come to think of it, at the moment, it would be a miracle if seven other bloggers get around to reading this.
Will this do?
Labels: 808 State, Bizarre Inc, Coati Mundi, Johnny Reggae, Lesley Duncan, MC Tunes, memes, plimsolls without shoelaces, The Proxy
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
WITH ME LITTLE UKELE IN ME HAND
Tim "I'll Get Me Coat" Footman has stipulated that readers of Cultural Snow must post a meme in which we provide eight facts about a famous individual.
It was decreed that I tell you something or other about Israel Kamakawiwo'ole.
1. Although he sounds as if he should have been a Druze farmer in the Golan Heights, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole was in fact a Hawaiian musician and singer.
2. Other famous Hawaiian musicians include Yvonne Elliman, who had a worldwide hit with If I Can't Have You (as featured on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack) and sleep/coma/suicide inducing surfer boy Jack Johnson.
3. Israel's band featured his brother Skippy, the only marsupial I can think of to have success in the music industry. He brought a hip *hop* element to Israel's music. His other influences included *Bush* and *Joey* Ramone, and his favourite song was Staring At The *Roo'd* Boys by The Ruts.
4. Israel's biggest hit was a medley of the songs Over The Rainbow and Wonderful World. A strange choice - the pining melancholy of the first contradicts the beatific joy of the second, er, if you ask me. It features a ukulele (like most of his other songs, it seems. Did he play ukulele on all of 'em?) Actually, it sounds like a cod reggae medley and goes on a bit.
5. Other famous ukulele wielding artistes include innuendo king George Formby and cross dressing fantasist Robert Swipe.
6. Israel was morbidly obese, and would've given Ric Waller a run for his money. Imagine those two doing a tour of the cruise ships - what a hazard! I've heard of a performer sinking like a stone in front of the audience, but not sending the audience down into the murky watery depths with them! Unfortunately, Israel died of weight-related problems in 1997, aged just 38. If only he'd lived long enough to meet Amy Winehouse, they could've cancelled out their problems between them.
7. Israel was one of only three people to be given a state funeral in Hawaii, and the only non-politician. Fingers crossed that Jack Johnson doesn't get a state funeral, eh?
8. Ten years after his death, Israel had his biggest success ever in the US, when his album Wonderful World climbed to number 44 "on the" Billboard Chart. Fair enough, but it doesn't quite rival the post-death success of Tupac Shakur (or "Two Park" as he is known to Tim "Ookaay, Let's Gooooooooo!!!!!!!!" Westwood).
There you have it. I'm probably going to receive loads of abusive e-mails and comments from rabid Israel Kamakawiwo'ole fans six months from now telling me that I'm an ignorant, empty headed fat virgin bitch who deserves a good slapping. Well, I'd never heard of him before and this is meant to be a "light hearted" post or something like that. Will that do? Can I go out into the lovely sunshine now?
Labels: bush kangaroos, coma-inducing Jack Johnson, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, memes, morbid obesity, ukuleles
Thursday, March 06, 2008
YOU YOU YOU YOU-TAH SAINTS
I'm really not up to the blogging malarkey at the moment, y'know. All those other bloggers dropping out ... one or two tetchy responses from Other People, Elsewhere, that I'm still smarting about. Really, you need to have a hide as thick as a rhinoceros to be in this game! At this rate I won't have an audience left! Still, I've nicked this meme from Dive as a stopgap. Will post it in two parts ... so I won't have to do a proper post until July, when it'll be my birthday. Happy birthday to me ...
1) Are you taller than your mother?
Yes. Only slightly though.
2) What colour is your car?
Don't own one.
3) What is the closest thing to you that is red?
A box of Rennies.
4) What is your ringtone?
I don't own a phone. Heard one today of someone's rugrat singing a nursery rhyme. How vomit inducing can you get? I almost thumped the woman!
5) Are you sick?
Is this the teenage use of the word "sick"? In that case, probably not. Otherwise, I've had indigestion for the past few days, hence the Rennies.
6) What colour is your favourite pillow?
Dunno. Do you mean the pillow or the pillow case? White or pale blue, in that order.
7) Favourite video game?
Not interested.
8) Nap today?
It's early morning so no.
9) Gold or silver?
Either. Depends on the context.
10) Is there an animal that creeps you out?
Sloth.
11) The last person you rode an elevator with?
Whaaat? Does this mean something in English?? Do you mean, like, having sex in a hotel lift? How gross! Barff me out with a spoon!
12) Did you go ice skating as a kid?
No. I have a mortal fear of falling over on ice, because it's happened a few times in winter.
14) Ever have stitches?
No.
15) Favourite non alcoholic drink?
Really strong tea.
16) How long ago did you kiss someone?
Less than two hours ago.
17) What is something that you want to do before you die?
Shoot a man just to watch him die.
18) Ever caught something on fire?
An infection ... moving swiftly on ...
19) Ever seen a ghost?
No, but I've had telepathic experiences. Nothing too impressive.
20) Ever seen the northern lights?
Seen The Stone Roses live a couple of times.
21) Do you know how to use chopsticks?
I make very slow progress with chopsticks.
22) Something good that happened today?
As the recently re-mixed Utah Saints once said, via Kate Bush, you know that something good is gonna happen ...
1) Are you taller than your mother?
Yes. Only slightly though.
2) What colour is your car?
Don't own one.
3) What is the closest thing to you that is red?
A box of Rennies.
4) What is your ringtone?
I don't own a phone. Heard one today of someone's rugrat singing a nursery rhyme. How vomit inducing can you get? I almost thumped the woman!
5) Are you sick?
Is this the teenage use of the word "sick"? In that case, probably not. Otherwise, I've had indigestion for the past few days, hence the Rennies.
6) What colour is your favourite pillow?
Dunno. Do you mean the pillow or the pillow case? White or pale blue, in that order.
7) Favourite video game?
Not interested.
8) Nap today?
It's early morning so no.
9) Gold or silver?
Either. Depends on the context.
10) Is there an animal that creeps you out?
Sloth.
11) The last person you rode an elevator with?
Whaaat? Does this mean something in English?? Do you mean, like, having sex in a hotel lift? How gross! Barff me out with a spoon!
12) Did you go ice skating as a kid?
No. I have a mortal fear of falling over on ice, because it's happened a few times in winter.
14) Ever have stitches?
No.
15) Favourite non alcoholic drink?
Really strong tea.
16) How long ago did you kiss someone?
Less than two hours ago.
17) What is something that you want to do before you die?
Shoot a man just to watch him die.
18) Ever caught something on fire?
An infection ... moving swiftly on ...
19) Ever seen a ghost?
No, but I've had telepathic experiences. Nothing too impressive.
20) Ever seen the northern lights?
Seen The Stone Roses live a couple of times.
21) Do you know how to use chopsticks?
I make very slow progress with chopsticks.
22) Something good that happened today?
As the recently re-mixed Utah Saints once said, via Kate Bush, you know that something good is gonna happen ...
Labels: blogging inertia, Kate Bush, memes, tetchy responses, Utah Saints
