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01/02/10 Kitty Cat Klub, Minneapolis
01/08/10 Club Jager, Minneapolis
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Dear Minnesota,
I’ve been a little busy performing Christmas miracles, lunching with the Obamas, and bestowing bad karma. But I wanted to send you a quick note to say I’m sorry. Sorry for the snow. If it makes you feel better, I was aiming for Wisconsin.
Love,
GOD.
Cold, sad Midwest, warm
your hearts this season with a music video.
Inspired by the misery of being on weather lock-down, our friends in
UltraChorus spent the holidays shooting a video for “Margins” (from the
recently released Ultra-Def). The finished product is both wistful and
mildly unsettling (the shaky camera, bright lights, creepy slow walking, and
2:24 – 2:30 reminds me of a dream I once had wherein the unassuming drifter killed me in the end). Check it out!
Also, Minneapolitans, mark your calendars: UltraChorus is playing at the Kitty Cat Klub
this Saturday, Jan. 2nd (2010!).
Visit their Myspace or website for more information.
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12/29/2009 00:51:52 ♥ lara (
/lara206.vox.com)
♥
ultrachorus.com ♥ myspace.com/ultrachorus Finished Wishin' and Hopin' by Wally Lamb.
This is set in 1964, from October up through what is quite possibly the best (read: outrageously funny) school Christmas pageant ever.
Felix Funicello (Annette's distant cousin) is in fifth grade and is trying to deal with scary nun teachers (he's in a Catholic school), two older sisters and the odds that the new girl in school is a Communist spy (she's from Russia).
There are no words for how fantastic this book is. It's very funny and sweet (in a weird way) and all around wonderful.
And how can you not love a book that has this for its first two sentences: "The year I was a fifth-grade student at St. Aloysius Gonzaga Parochial School, our teacher, Sister Dymphna, had a nervous breakdown in front of our class. To this day, I can hear Sister's screams and see her flailing attempts to shoo away the circling Prince of Darkness."
(The rest of the book is awesome, too.)
Written a little early this year but I feared I'd forget about it if I didn't do it now. The Law of Attraction that has happened this past year is pretty incredible and simply filling out the same old meme that I've always filled out just doesn't fully get that point across. Having Andrew W.K. say Happy Birthday to you may seem uneventful but it brightened my world along with having an epic Canabalt high score battle with Rob. Little things meant the most. Kindness. Love. Fun.
Dreams came true. Dreams died. Friends returned. A friend left this earth. A dog entered. I still hate dogs. I started writing again even if it's only private. I closed up. I opened up. I removed those who are toxic. I forgave. There was a wedding. I have a real family now. I feel loved without conditions.
This was an epic year and, considering how little I left the house, I find that to be pretty incredible.
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What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
I drank eggnog, kissed Amanda Palmer and met Trent Reznor. Not in that exact order or at the same time, sadly.
Did you keep your new years’ resolutions and will you make more for next year?
Last year I wrote "Next year, I will meet him. It will be my final shot and
it will happen." It did! I met him June 5th, 2009 through a series of luck and pure will. This year I don't really have any sort of goal so I plan on just floating along and we'll see how that goes.
Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope.
Did anyone close to you die?
I found out a friend of mine killed herself, though she died in 2002. I found out just this year. Painful experience. Michael Jackson also died and that sucked.
What countries did you visit?
Pennsylvania. It's a country now.
What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
A little more sanity. It was a difficult year as far as my mental health goes. The awesome far outweighs any shit though.
What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
June 5th, 2009. The day it happened.
What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Learning the actual power the Universe has and how simply I can make goodness happen just because I believe.
What was your biggest failure?
Believing the thoughts a little too much.
Did you suffer illness or injury?
NINfluenza.
What was the best thing you bought?
It was the donation I made to #ERIC. The act didn't just help me achieve my goal but it helped someone else and made me feel awesome.
Whose behavior merited celebration?
This one is difficult because acts of kindness have been everywhere this year. Trent, Amanda, NIN fans, Doctor Lady, Bean, Piper, Krystle, Gary... there are too many.
Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
My own, probably.
Where did most of your money go?
NIN tickets.
What did you get really, really, really excited about?
June 5th.
What song will always remind you of 2009?
Give Into Me by Michael Jackson
Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Same.
ii. thinner or fatter? Same.
iii. richer or poorer? Poorer.
What do you wish you’d done more of?
I wish I got out of the house more but it's physically impossible.
What do you wish you’d done less of?
Being in the house.
How did you spend Christmas?
Dee, Vic, Bean, Pixi.
Did you fall in love in 2009?
Nope.
How many one-night stands?
Zero.
What was your favorite TV program?
True Blood.
Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Nope. I hate everyone exactly the same.
What was the best book you read?
I didn't read much. Maybe The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins.
What was your greatest musical discovery of 2009?
Pusifer.
What did you want and get?
A hug from him and a kiss from her.
What did you want and not get?
A pussycat.
What was your favorite film of this year?
This Is It.
What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
31. Home. Teenagers. Andrew W.K. said Happy Birthday to me via Twitter.
What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Being able to leave.
How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Flannels. Always.
What kept you sane?
Eckhart Tolle.
Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Mr. Reznor, Amanda Palmer.
What political issue stirred you the most?
Health Care, Gay Marriage bullshit.
Who did you miss?
Shadow. I'll miss him forever.
Who was the best new person you met?
Amanda, Trent and Twitter fun with Rob.
Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009:
I'm
just fine even when I'm not fine.
Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
“All day I've been wondering what is inside of me, who can I blame for it? I say it runs in the family" - Runs in the Family - Amanda Palmer.
Finished The Dreaded Feast: Writers on Enduring the Holidays, edited by Michelle Clarke & Taylor Plimpton.
This is basically the anti-Christmas book, and if you have a dark sense of humor, odds are you'll love it.
The first essay is by John Waters, and it's my favorite of the bunch. But there are also essays from David Sedaris (but not, sadly, The Santaland Diaries), Augusten Burroughs, Hunter S. Thompson, Dave Barry, Robert Benchley, Mark Twin, Jonathan Ames and Chris Radant (the short story that inspired Home for the Holidays), plus a ton more.
Also, the cover is fantastic.
Horray, we got a lovely dusting of snow! We actually got more than the day they were predicting a Nor'easter. It's a nice treat because I adore December and I miss it when it's gone. I have whole new ways to celebrate the winter now. I'm thinking about buying some snowshoes. I usually just use my heavy winter boots for the snow.
J got me a Panasonic camera, it's super lightweight and takes lovely photos. Almost everyone at the family gathering was trying to fight clutter - so most of the presents were pure necessity. Gloves. Winter boots and blankets. Datebooks. A few packages of hot chocolate and spices.
The one luxury item was books. Sweet cookbooks, fiction, bird books and art museums. Ah, I love books!! They're borderline necessity, in my mind - but I bought many new books - not good for the forests. I should be using the library or our used book store more often. I won't bore anyone with Resolutions (yet) but in past years I've focused on replacing plastic and meat, and wasteful packaging. This year I must focus on my passion: preserving habitat. Deforestation and cropland will be my focus.
I have the feeling that in the year 2010, we're going to see more Greenwashing than ever before. Businesses and product makers are getting saavy about how they present themselves. They are following the science and keeping up with terms that will impress the public.
Eco-friendly is not just a trend these days, it's a real concern that people have. I'm convinced that commercials will bombard us more than ever with messages that are designed to conceal and confuse. This drives me batty and I hope to debunk these dirty tricks and write (in a fun way) about the truth. So we can all benefit.
And hopefully, I'm going to keep this year light and cheerful, and rustic as well. :D
- More love.
- Less weight.
- More yoga.
- More books.
- More exercise.
- More vacations.
- More fun!
These all seem totally doable.
Bring it, 2010! Bring it!
Finished Knit the Season by Kate Jacobs.
This is the third book in the Friday Night Knitting Club series, and it's as enjoyable as the other two.
Dakota is trying to balance the demands of the shop (Walker & Daughter) with her own dreams of being a pastry chef, as well as feeling like everything's changing. (There's a lot going on in this book, most of which are relative surprises.)
These books are pure comfort food, this one especially. Good book to read at Christmas. :)
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01/22/10
O2 Shepherds Bush Empire London
Discography
01/24/10 Tivoli Utrecht 01/25/10 Luxor Koln 01/26/10 Knust Hamburg 01/28/10 Nalen Stockholm 01/29/10 Parkteatret Oslo 02/01/10 Lido Berlin 02/02/10 Atomic Cafe Munich 02/03/10 Tunnel Milan 02/05/10 Divan Du Monde Paris 02/06/10 Trix Antwerp 02/08/10 Academy 3 Manchester 02/09/10 King Tuts Glasgow
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brettanderson.co.uk ♥ myspace.com
Those who follows our W♥M Podcast, you'll know that between Sally, Kristen, and I, that we really, really love our Britpop music. When Suede burst on the scene, with all their hype*, I was a bit, what's the word? Resistant.
I eventually got over it when I heard Metal Mickey, a nice rock n roll glammy track with aggressive Butler guitars and Anderson's unique voice. The songwriting duo of Anderson/Butler did not last for long, and Butler's replacement, Richard Oakes, seems only a pale copy of the original. I think everyone knew that, and eventually, Bernard Butler and Brett Anderson got over their differences and re-united - but not as Suede... they were then The Tears. I think everyone was confused on how to interpret it at first (personally I think it's like tears/crying, not ripped/tear).
The Tears didn't live for very long, and by 2007, Brett Anderson releases his inevitable solo self-titled album. I never bought his solo stuff, because I don't think his music post-Suede's Head Music** were ever re-release or re-marketed to the US audience, so the few promo downloads that he's made available for free, I wasn't so impressed with. I remember thinking his debut solo album was trying to be orchestral (based on what I've heard).
Imagine my surprise when I got a chance to listen to a few tracks from his latest album, Slow Attack, officially via We7.com. It was all very operatic, almost minimalistic in its approach of piano and percussions. I did like that it brings out Anderson's voice loud and clear, but it generally made all of his music to be on the sadder end of the scale.
While I think one or two slow songs would be OK for a full length, all of the tracks I sampled were in that very similar tone. Kind of ballady and depressing. I kind of miss the old Suede stuff. The only redeeming value is that at least, his voice isn't altered/over-produced as with Suede's Head Music and Coming Up.
I suppose, Anderson's much older now, wow you can see his cheek bones sticking out of his face... such a difference of imagery, from a time when mean-spirited fans were calling him "fatty" (we all kind of knew it was the getting off the drugs that was causing the weight thing... allegedly).
Anyway, if you were looking for the glory rock days, don't bother looking into Slow Attack. If you're a hardcore fan, chances are you probably own the limited edition anyway. The album will probably not be released in the US, as were all his previous releases. Import costs are generally cheaper these days, but expect to pay about $20 for an import album (Amazon is listing $19).
Brett Anderson is touring in 2010, so if you live in the UK, you can relive your youth days. If he were touring the US, I might leave my hibernation to see him. As you know, I've met the band before at a special "after-party", I'm sure he'll have no idea who I am.
* "Best Band in Britain" before releasing their album? Really, Melody Maker, really??)
** Suede's last album, A New Morning was never released in the US.
TRUE NATURE
truenatureband.com ♥ myspace.com
As you know, I also run a website on artist George Perez, and it's rare when my music and comic website mix. How does True Nature and George Perez cross paths, you ask? The cover artwork for True Nature's EP, Feels Like Centuries, stars actress/model Tonya Kay (with some artwork and directions from Glen Wexler).
Perez, through his associations with Fetish Con, have actually drawn Tonya Kay as a print, for Fetish Con's "Who's the Best Bondage Super Heroine?" contest. The original artwork was auctioned off for charity.
CREATURE (Tonya Kay) (2008), art by George PérezSo, there's the connection. As for True Nature's EP, Feels Like Centuries, based on the cover artwork, it looks like they're also marketing themselves as somewhat of a spiritual rock band. I reckon if you like classic American progressive-type rock, you might enjoy this EP. Despite having only five tracks, the EP is "centuries" long (so long that it felt like a chore to get through). It's not that I dislike singer/songwriter, Lou Barlow's vocals, it's just really not the type of music I enjoy.
Their best track is the opening song, "Truth I Have To Steel (Simple Heart)", which started off strong and remain steadily so throughout the song. You can sample the entire track on their official website.
You can pick up Feels Like Centuries at CD Baby or Amazon. Although, not really my thing, I'm glad that there was at least a common connection for me.
12/26/2009 19:48:38 ♥ vu (
) ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com
Hey everyone! I hope you all had an amazing Holiday!! :)
For the New Year, I just thought I'd post links to 3 of my favorite charites. I'll go into more detail on each one later, but for now check out their websites. All are real players working for our planet.
The New England Wildflower Society
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