Monday, June 30, 2008

Uncle Milty vs Statler & Warldorf

Hey, Ive been a successful comedian for half my life....
So, how come we got this half?

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Dimitri: Man of My Dreams

She didnt call him back..but she saved his messages... He's PISSED! He doesn't play games! Ladies! He has NOTHING wrong with him! In fact, now he's an internet star!

Friday, June 27, 2008

Theo Jansen's Beach Creatures

Here's something that makes me feel completely intellectually inadequate.

Im going to run off and live with these.

And the Toyota robot. He's coming also. Asimo is not invited until he learns to walk properly.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

A sigh of relief

Cassette Tape Land: 1998
A song I couldn't remember for the LIFE OF ME. A song I liked. A song that made me say, "hey, id like to get my hands on this instead of just having it on a cassette tape which i cant listen to". A song that, besides being by someone who isnt terribly famous (and therefore googleable) defies proper description and therefore, is also non googleable. Except for a sample, which is also not really googleable.

Well, Im happy to say I found it! Well, i found the cassette cover. In a box, in the den, under a book or ten. And the green grass grows all around and around. And thankfully, the cassette was made with great care (typed titles and all!) and its readable, and so here you go.

Glenn Underground: Jaz Love #2


Oh hell yes. Get down you!
One more song to go...

But in the meantime, here's some postcards from my travels down mono memory lane.

Moodymann: I cant kick this feeling when it hits


Ernie and the Top Notes: Dap Walk


The Wiseguys: Too Easy


A muddled sounding copy of at the top of the stairs.



Andy Weatherall remix: only love can break your heart: St Etienne

Monday, June 23, 2008

The Manliest Love Song?


I didnt know Todd Rundgren did the whole drag thing...In fact, I never knew it was TR who sang this song.

It sure is purty despite being sort of fucked up in a way. Actually, I'd wager this is probably the most "emotionally accurate" love song a man ever wrote. It basically says: you go screw around little lady, b/c i can never be the man you need me to be, but ill always love you and maybe, just maybe, one day you and i will reunite and it will be magical, but i just love you too much for you to compromise your integrity by being stuck with a cad like me, who just cant help himself and who is "just a man"... HOW MANLY!

Really, Im not kidding here. If I wanted a man to wax poetic like a woman, I'd be in California now getting married. Male speak is just as good as female speak, in fact, i find it way more entertaining and endearing. Those who don't appreciate the subtle differences between the sexes should be forced to spend some time in Sears. Why Sears? B/C ONLY men shop at Sears. Everything about Sears is manly. Even the women's clothes at Sears are manly.

UNLIKE those lashes. Those ain't very manly. No siree.

Im wondering how he sees the keys- isnt his peripheral vision all messed up? I mean, i am a girl and i have trouble with glasses, let alone fringed fake eyelashes.

Really Todd, baby, its ok. Id never compromise MY integrity by being with someone who wears that on their face.

Besides, Im with HIM! HIM! HIM!

Why did i include this? B/c THIS is a woman song sung by a man.

What makes me think so? B/c a man would never notice someone else's cigarettes there. A woman totally would.

Oh, and is he like, upset that she is giving the new guy cigarettes? are they free cigarettes? Post coital cigarettes perhaps? For HIMMM? HMMM? The hidden cost of an affair. Switch to gum and save a relationship.

I guess he found "the Tubes"

FUCK the 7 words. Im sooooo over the 7 words. Here's my 7 words:
HE HAD OTHER JOKES GOD- DAMN-IT

My favorite is the "tubes" joke. As in "down the tubes" and how we've never seen said tubes anywhere. And how, considering the prevalence of such comment, its odd that the tubes they are referring to aren't as prevalent. Or visible.

Touched by an Atheist.


Awesome. RIP.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Wild In The Streets BK

A happy accident today.
Who needs mermaids. I had a parade of skateboarders.




Friday, June 20, 2008

Live and Disappointed?

So Im getting ready to throw down a whopping 150$ to attend a "comeback" concert featuring 2 bands i really like. Like REALLY REALLY like. And Im scared. I've got a kinda "sophie's choice" to make, reader!

Do i deliberately rob myself of the joys of fantasy and step into the ugly, ugly world of reality with the hopes that MAYBE, just MAYBE, it will be what i always hoped it would be? Or, do i not attend and perhaps miss one of the better shows I will get to see in my life?

Yes, you do sense a twinge of hostility here. Its because Ive spent a fair amount of my time and money (the former being more personally important) seeing bands that were great on record, but absolute SHIT live. I've seen the "we hate the audience" shows. I've seen the "we're too drunk/high to perform properly shows". And you know, it never interfered with my enjoyment of the bands performance. In fact, in the case of the hottest messes on the planet, Black Grape (Happy Mondays), it made the show the best thing ever.

BUT, the "phone it in" concerts are a totally different story. I reserve my worst contempt for those bands and those shows. And I've been to a LOT of them. What is missing in these shows is an effort; an effort which I paid some cash to see. Even in the case of the "we hate the audience", the bands were usually such narcissists and therefore, obsessed with sounding perfect. The hot mess concerts are usually funny as hell. So those are win wins. The phone it ins are ALWAYS lose-lose.

Although the Tibetan Freedom Concert was the worst show I have ever been to (collectively- that thing was horrible and its why i wont go to a festival show EVER AGAIN) here is the band whose concert was the WORST THING I EVER SAW IN MY LIFE.

HISS!!!!! Oh how destroyed was I after this show? Heartbroken. I LOVED this record. I think this may actually be the first time I've been able to listen to this since that show. It was about 6 years ago. That should clue you in on how terrible it was. I went with my boss (yes, i had a cool boss) and my man and i learned that night that as you age, your expectations as to what is musically entertaining is way lower. Nothing like being disappointed and then being told you just saw the greatest show in your life by someone with authority over you. And trying not to hurt their feelings when you disagree with em.

Television had NO excuse. B/c Gang of Four, also on a comeback tour of sorts, were, well JUST GREAT.

Ha ha snob! I posted "Is it Love".

People who like Gang of Four usually HATE this song. Like really hate it, considering it semi blasphemous that, egads, a No Wave band did a pop song. I think those people are dumb. I dont care that, oooh Go4 did a pop song. And you know what? When I learn how to sample songs and make music Im ripping the hell out of this and re-doing it. And Im STILL more punk rock than you.

But back to my discussion of live shows.

I really prepared myself for Gang of Four to stink when i finally got to see them live. I almost didnt buy a ticket b/c i didnt want to repeat the television experience. And you know what? They were AWESOME. SO GOOD. Everything. The sound, the crowd, the set they did. EVERYTHING. It made me like them even more, and i was a really big fan already.

My moms favorite concert is cooler than mine!

She saw them open up for Hall and Oates! And she became a huge fan afterwards. Said they were the greatest thing she ever saw live. And im inclined to believe her. Also DJ is my hometown hero; he goes to the old folks homes and entertains them sometimes. That warms even MY cold heart; I gush at that sort of stuff. My guess is he doesn't do many NYD songs tho which I guess is a shame huh?

But back to me. Another great show? Def Leppard at Jones Beach

Again, I had NO expectations for this show to be good. All it did was pleasantly surprise me all evening. The tailgating party was incredibly "heavy metal parking lot" and the show itself was fantastic. The crowd was HIGHLY entertaining; even going so far as to injure others with their hair and getting forced to move somewhere else. Not even getting lost for an hour and a half on a long and SCARY Long Island road afterwards dampened my enjoyment of the evening.

I wont even bother posting the hip hop shows bc 8 out of 10 times they were great. And Ive seen too many of them. Dollar fo' dollar, the hip hop show were ALWAYS worth it, unless i had some sort of personal crisis during one Enjoying yourself at a hop hop show is like shooting fish in a barrel. But the best?



When the wife of one of the headliners is having a baby at the moment the show starts and so they have to parade almost every hip hop act in the tri state area out on the stage to make time for a new De La Soul to be born! I cant even remember how many artists i saw that night. One after the other, people just kept coming on stage.

Ill have to ask if Camp Lo was one of those bands, but in my mind they were. I am preeeetty sure that was the show where i saw CL- I know my boy was at it. And when I say "boy" i meant my boy at the time, the boy in camp lo, and my boy years later (now: husband). Me and CL's paths did not cross that night. My then boy and my husband's did. Go figure.

This is it what? A stupid video with lyrics that are shit, what?
Oh totally. But I love this song. And that was a really fun show. For a lot of reasons, not even including the irony.

I've decided. Actually someone else decided for me! YAY! See you there. Wish me luck.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

The Best Chemical Brothers Song I Ever Heard

Seriously, this is the best thing i think i ever heard by them. Lou's remix!


This song, although not by the brothers, will always be my no 2. Literally.
Ohmaaazing Graaaaace

Hey Mom!

Guess what?
While you and dad are sunning your asses in Bermuda, I've been going through the lps you so thoughtfully hid from me.

A BETTER version of Time Will Show the Wiser!




Normally, Id be mad, but actually Im too...IMPRESSED to be angry. Your recent donations of all the Van Morisson records should have given me a tip that you had some sort of "secret stash", BUT, I really had no idea. Really mom. Bravo.

Not to dis' my dad or anything: his stuff is being raided as well. But its his books I am after, not his records. Because I have all his (good) records already. His book collection rivals my mom's records.

A short selection:
The 200 page COMPLETE guide to Dallas and Ewing Oil.
A 500 page history of SNL: from start to 1987 (the GOOD years, chevy years etc)
2 new National Lampoon magazines i never found as a kid (and therefore, didnt fuck up)

So no productivity this week AT ALL. Unless you count these pursuits as an example of being productive.
Actually, there is a distinct possibility that i RE BROKE my toe this morning, so i guess that is somewhat productive.
Destructively productive is still productive.

Oh and that post is Emitt Rhodes. A man who looks a lot like Harry from Spiderman and sounds a LOT like Paul McCartney.
Which means he's almost perfect-ish.
A side note: my mom said she saw ER in concert and he kept his back to the audience the entire time. Her exact words on the show included "pompous idiot" and now I have the record!

Saturday, June 14, 2008

The Thing That Tried to Eat Jim Goad's Brain

Don't you just love the random "Hi, long time no talk I had a brain tumor removed" email?

In what continues to be perhaps the strangest weekend ever, I received a rather unsettling/unusual/out of the blue email from old penpal/nature photographer/temple grad/author/husband/singer/father and all around nice guy (MY WORDS, not his) Jim this morning informing me that he had a plum sized tumor removed from his head a week or so ago.

Now normally Im not the type to air out people's laundry and illness on here, but my guess is, since im so way down the priority chain in JG's life, and he's telling me this, he's feeling bored, sick and in need of a cheer up. And probably in need of some money b/c brain surgery sounds like, pretty expensive.

Actually, Ive been thinking of doing a "celebrate you even though you aren't dead yet" feature on this website for people who arent dead yet, but should be lauded while they can hear it. I was panning on doing David Lee Roth, but I guess its JG's my first one. Sorry Bro!

AM! was like a secret little vetting procedure by us smartass punks in high school/college. If you liked it, you were in. That zine (coverless b/c the cover was too offensive to read in public) has been all over the world with me. I've read the first three (not the 4th) so many times I can quote most of the articles verbatim. I've introduced countless others to it, including my mom (who is actually more of a Debbie fan). And unlike most people whose work i admire and then meet and are disappointed by, Jim is what he is off paper as he is on paper. A special kind of asshole. A fantastic mess. A complicated man with a plum sized tumor they didnt let him keep. A great writer.

So like, buy his books n things. Think happy thoughts (even though he'd prolly barf from it). If you aren't familiar with Answer Me, you should be. Look it up and buy it, but prepare to be offended by it in some way or another. And be prepared to think your writings stinks, b/c he and D were good. Real good. She's dead. He's still good.

Even though he yelled at me, and disagrees with me on almost everything, I'm still a huge fan. Dang you, Jim Goad.

Answer Me!

Answer Me/Jim & Debbie on Wiki
Where you can find his website, books, recent writings, sonogram of the golden child, photo of the plumb, etc etc.

Some gals like musicians...

Some gals like to fantasize about sports dudes. Some dig actors, some dig cops. My boss has a thing for scientists. Me? I like newscasters and politicians.

Yes, its sad huh. Politicians. Newscasters. The bottom feeders. Its why I cant go to DC too often. . It's way too overwhelming for me. All the phallic symbols, the museums, the bloated grandiosity with little or nothing to show for it. That's my DC. I love that goddamn dirty, funky, always under construction but never really being constructed cant find a good clothing store there anywhere, city. Its my favorite city on earth. (I'm really not kidding either; if you know me well you've heard the DC whine on many occasions, usually coming back in the car from DC and usually buffered with the "I should have taken that scholarship" speech).

So naturally, yesterday I got like ten calls/emails re: tim russert. And while i am sad that he passed (and I really am, b/c i watch MTP religiously, and have for many years), I feel the need to inform that Tim Russert is NOT the one i have a crush on.
Its Miles O'Brien people. MILES OBRIEN. You would think after SIX LONG YEARS of pining for a cable anchorman someone would pay attention to me. Its MILES. Not Tim Russert, not Brian Williams (thats Kat), not Jack Cafferty (although i do like him a bit too), not Aaron Brown (he's been gone a while), not Bill Hemmer (fox news yuck), not Wolf Blitzer, and NOT NOT NOT Glenn Beck. Miles O'Brien. Really people. Im not very consistent on anything, but i am consistent about my newsmen.

So, why Miles? Easy.

Here's Miles breaking shit in the CNN studios.


Sigh. Thats my Miles. He lives in NYC now. He's no longer on American Morning (he was fired!) but he IS the chief Space/Environment correspondent, so I see him often. And i love him often. He loves me never, but that's ok. Actually, my husband was nice enough to inform Ali Velshi that I like Miles the other night at some awards show. So Miles...um. Yeah, call me!

And in politician land:

No 1. Russ Feingold. Senator. BIG BALLS. Hot. Jewish. Married like ten times. Or like 2 times.
Heres Russ fighting with Gonzales.

You know Russ, I cant recall when Ive found you more attractive.

Have you noticed these two look almost exactly alike? But alas, they couldnt be more different. Well they are similar in one very important respect: neither of them know or care that Im alive.

Thats 2 actually.

PS there is a no 2 congressman coming in. His name is Sarbanes, and he is the rep from Bodymore, Murderland.
He is always thoroughly prepared in conference, doesn't take up hours on the mic, and is basically an all around Russ Wannabee. Which is a totally HOT thing to Wanna-be.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

What A Busy Day!


My Salad Days Music

Actually its not a busy day, hence the posts. Its a boring day filled with cleaning, organizing, fixing, tending to bullshit and all sorts of other really really really tedious things that even people as exciting and fantastic as myself just have to do when you are going to be away from your house for a week.

So i decided to repost some music on that useless muxtape website. Again. Lets see how long it works for.
Im too busy to bother to write what i posted (as its changed about ten times already depending on what i feel like listening to, converting to mp3s etc) BUT!

I will warn you about Girls with Attitude. Somewhere, someone is thanking me for posting this HORRIBLE SONG. B/c its old and the website that had it (and other atrocities by this kid band from Canada) is long gone. But i found it on an old cd. Its probably the WORST thing I ever heard in my life. And its appropriately grouped with other songs about female murderers on my muxtape.

Learn You: Anancy

Anancy: Spider, Rebel, Trickster and all around BADASS

Sorry for being all "nerd here" but I've been doing some fun reading and have been learning about this badass.
I never knew that the phrase "play fool fe catch wise" was in reference to this. You know, I'd be remiss if i didnt educate my one reader once in a while. So enjoy it b/c soon its back to the usual garbage i post.

Tom Drunk: U Roy

Here's an Anancy song. There's a bunch more. This dude may be my new Gilgamesh. But he'll never replace Sisyphus.

Now where's my apple?

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Groovy songs about time

Wow, i got me a theme here.

The Moody Blues: The Story In Your Eyes

I wont even talk about how good this record is. If you don't like it, you are a moron. End of story.

The Outsiders: Time Wont Let Me

I never knew who sang this song. Now that I do, I'm finding it easier to sleep.

Fairport Convention: Time Will Show the Wiser

I'm sort of getting into this band. They were on the college music roster, and I guess the circle of time dictates that I revisit the old bands of my youth, which were actually the new bands of my parents youth. Groovy, huh?

Culture Club: Time blah blah about a clock, but i call it "time" b/c that is the chorus and its easier to remember.
Ok, well i guess Culture Club isnt really groovy.
Wait, yes they are. They're groovy like Sade is groovy. And my 12" of this skips. And i totally love this song. The title? Not so much.


Does Sade have a song about time? I know MGMT does. I cant look at them again. And the lyrics to that song are totally dumb. That song needs to be about the tomato salmonella outbreak.

Here's Jim Henson's movie "time piece".

I am a GIGANTIC Jim Henson fan. We share a birthday. I cant even get into how much i sweat him and his body of work.

In fact here's another one of Jim Henson's short films re: time. Its called Ripples.

I think its pretty brilliant. I don't like to be serious on this here thing, but I do think its really an amazing film. To the point and respects my intelligence. I like what its sayin'. And i love how coffee is a central character in this ode to exponential progress.

And...last but CERTAINLY NOT LEAST!
The Greatest Video ever made! You know it!
Eddie Murphy/Rick James: Party All the Time

I think a South American coup or two was funded by this record's "inspiration". Just LOOK at the deluded self satisfaction on everyone's faces. They are SO impressed with themselves. Im actually pretty impressed with them as well, but not for the same reason. My reason for being impressed isnt very flattering, but chances are they are all so high they would interpret whatever insult i slung at them as being positive. And that sort of blind delusion, in my opinion, is pretty impressive.

Heavy Trafficking

The trailer for a movie I will watch later and most likely be disappointed by- Heavy Traffic

I usually spell disappointment F-R-I-T-Z the C-A-T, but I'm gonna wager a name change until G-R-O-O the movie comes out.

Gold!
This is something by John Lamb. Its very "Steely Dan". The best kind of Dan.

I cant find much on this John Lamb aside from the fact that he is an artist/animator who did a lot of surf stuff and is from Laguna Beach. Go figure, right? He may or may not have done the video below, but i hope he did.

Junk Food Ride: disturbing and very entertaining.
Get it? HEAVY? I love how brutal this song is. No sugar coating here.

You tell em curly hair kid! Put that nagging carrot in his place. No one likes a nag. Even an orange one.

Monday, June 9, 2008

Dirty NYC: Leisure Spas

I love the term "leisure spa". Its so very Steely Dan. You know, sounds really tame on the surface, but the more you think about it, the more creepy it gets? Like ALL Steely Dan's songs?

Um. Time cant enter but i bet crabs can!

And btw, i think i would have to be ON FIRE to jump in that bath.
Make sure you watch till the end for the comment about what 2 dollars can get a "sex man".

Eastern vibe not your thing? Here's a greco-roman themed leisure spa.


Plato's Retreat/ Continental Baths


Bleach (and how there isnt enough of it in the world to get me to sit on those couches) is what comes to mind when i watch this. In fact, this is why i will never buy used furniture. Because there is a CHANCE, however slight, that it came from here.

If that other Grecian Spa was Steely Dan, this place is a band that hasn't been invented yet. A place where you could discuss Kant with someone and do other things i Kant mention here. Did you dig my stupid pun? I didn't either. Actually, the Baths are a pretty central part of NYC history: despite all the dirty dirty, some serious talent blew through those doors. Wow, 2 stupid puns in one paragraph. A personal best.

Im quitting while im ahead here.
So here's a film about Times Square and SEX that assumes we as Americans have reached our "sexual maturity".
We haven't.

Sunday, June 8, 2008

The Sound of One Hand Burning

I've spent a lifetime doing monumentally stupid shit, but my ability to self-injure stands unrivaled as far as self imposed idiocy is concerned. Breaking my toe on a trampoline, various bruises and scrapes from walking into objects, slamming fingers in doors, broken mirror in my knee for six months, etc etc. The majority of time I have NO excuse aside from "im a moron" (and that includes being drunk). Yesterday was no exception. Another cooking injury. So much for multi-tasking.

So in honor of my injured left hand, who so valiantly grabbed that hot pan after it came out of the oven and whose tactile sensations kept me awake and in pain on an otherwise muggy disgusting and BORING Saturday evening:

YEOWWW!


Another song about burning up


Painful. Usually only for 3 senses (sight/sound/taste). Now 4.

Treacle:
1: a medicinal compound formerly in wide use as a remedy against poison
2chiefly British a: molasses b: a blend of molasses, invert sugar, and corn syrup used as syrup —called also golden syrup
3: something (as a tone of voice) heavily sweet and cloying
4. This video.

And... the best.

HAHAHAHA!
Oh how perfect is the first two seconds of this video. And how awful is the rest of it!

Ohhhh, i could go on for HOURS about this video, record, band etc. I love how Gene points to his penis when he says "burn with me, heaven's on fire".
Um, Gene- sit down for a second b/c we need to have a chat.
Flames? Burning? Not really associated with heaven. In fact, not really associated with anything pleasant and/or positive. And while I appreciate your smarmy offer, I don't believe misery loves company, and therefore politely decline to allow you to pass your burn onto me. But thanks for asking n' all.
Actually, now that i think of it, I'd rather re-do last night again than do ANYTHING with any of these fugs.

Bonus: Who has my copy of this piece of crap? I miss this shitty movie.

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Is he going to bring it on the peace train?

Ok its 4:10 am. I found this Cat Stevens song. Am i dreaming?
Nope Im not. Its a new day. And its still incredibly fucked up.


Aw. Its Harold and Maude. My favorite movie. The movie i cry at every time i see it. Im even a little misty now. The movie wes anderson wishes he made.


Sigh. Cue the waterworks.... and go!

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

PARDON?

Ugh ENGLAND AGAIN.
Same genre. Same year actually. Same RIP OFF.

St Etienne: Spring


vs.

Bobby Reed: The Time is Right for Love


WHAT THE HELL? Two of my favorite records! And of course, my two favorite songs on those records were blatant rips. "Lately" hurt: but THIS KILLS.

I lived this song. Ok actually someone else lived it and used it on me. Worked like a charm.

Which is why its even more heartbreaking. I was wooed with a re tooled version of an old song passed off as a new song.

How unoriginal.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Ghosts Sell Lightbulbs

Nothing is working AT ALL today so here's a really craaaazy foreign commercial with a jackfruit tranny and one of the weirdest ghosts I ever saw.



Lets meet the cast! Well only that first freaky ghost. B/c she's... um completely disturbing.

In thailand she is Kra Sue, but in Malaysia shes this SCARY thing:

Penanggalan or `Hantu Penanggal` is a peculiar variation of the vampire myth that apparently began in the Malay Peninsula. See also the Manananggal, a similar creature of Filipino folklore. "Penanggal" or "Penanggalan"' literally means "detach", "to detach", "remove" or "to remove". Both terms - Manananggal and Penanggal - may carry the same meaning due to both languages being grouped or having a common root under the Austronesian language family, though the two creatures are culturally distinct in appearance and behavior.

According to the folklore of that region, the Penanggalan is a detached female head that is capable of flying about on its own. As it flies, the stomach and entrails dangle below it, and these organs twinkle like fireflies as the Penanggalan moves through the night. In Malaysian folklore, a Penanggal may be either a beautiful old or young woman who obtained her beauty through the active use of black magic, supernatural, mystical, or paranormal means which are most commonly described in local folklores to be dark or demonic in nature. Another cause where one becomes a Penanggal in Malaysian folklore is due to the result of a powerful curse or the actions of a demonic force, although this method is less common than the active use of black magic abovementioned. Unlike Manananggal, all Penanggal are females and there is no variation in Malaysian folklore to suggest a Penanggal to be male.

A notable difference between a Penanggal and Manananggal is that a Penanggal detaches only her head with her lungs, stomach and intestines attached while leaving the body in a pre-prepared container filled with vinegar to preserve the body against rapid decomposition.

The Penanggalan is usually a female midwife who has made a pact with the devil to gain supernatural powers. It is said that the midwife has broken a stipulation in the pact not to eat meat for 40 days; having broken the pact she has been forever cursed to become a bloodsucking vampire/demon. The midwife keeps a vat of vinegar in her house. After detaching her head and flying around in the night looking for blood the Penanggalan will come home and immerse her entrails in the vat of vinegar in order to shrink them for easy entry back into her body.

One version of the tale states that the Penanggal was once a beautiful woman or priestess, who was taking a ritual bath in a tub that once held vinegar. While bathing herself and in a state of concentration or meditation, a man entered the room without warning and startled her. The woman was so shocked that she jerked her head up to look, moving so quickly as to sever her head from her body, her organs and entrails pulling out of the neck opening. Enraged by what the man had done, she flew after him, a vicious head trailing organs and dripping venom. Her empty body was left behind in the vat.

The Penanggal, thus, is said to carry an odor of vinegar with her wherever she flies, and returns to her body during the daytime, often posing as an ordinary mortal woman. However, a Penanggal can always be told from an ordinary woman by that odor of vinegar.

Monday, June 2, 2008

When Bad Videos Happen to Good Songs: MGMT

PU. (but please see postscript)


I've been obsessed with this song for going on two days now.
It has almost everything I like in it: rip offs of r&b artists, a touch of something maybe a little bit 60s ish, and, well, its a pretty hot song. Ok, very hot song in my opinion.

Anyway, after hearing it (and adding my own Stendhal-esque "crystalization" to the band, record etc.) I decided to watch the video. BIG MISTAKE.

I have three very unrelated (but equally vexing) problems with the song, and now, the video.

1. What the hell is this? The Lord of the Flies?
What a mess. This is why artists should stick to making animated videos. B/c videos with plots & musician are, almost always, stupid. I cant count how many songs have been ruined by a shiteous video of the singer flailing around like an idiot while simultaneously trying to tell me a story. Or even worse, trying to tell me a story and getting me so confused and horrified that not only cant i understand the message, but i start to attack the messenger. Like now.

2. I could have REALLY done without seeing what these girls look like.
Everything about them is WRONG. Well, not wrong for them maybe, or maybe for you, if you are into that sort of thing; but completely 100% wrong for me. Its a trifecta of all sorts of terrible: the sleeveless shirt (EW) the headband (EEW) and those haircuts (EEEW). Its like I'm back in college again. And you know what? I left the slightly homosexual (read: british) looking but ultimately straight dudes who wants me to be their chick on the bearskin rug at the vintage clothing store many MANY years ago.

I haven't looked back since; decomposition is never attractive. Even when they are Columbian.

BUT!

3. I still do find the song sexy. In light of 1 and 2 you can see why I am so puzzled. I should be horrified. But I'm not.

Ok maybe a little horrified, but not as horrified as id be if they wore eyeliner. The curly hair is bad enough, but eyeliner is a deal breaker for me.

Note: I saw these kids on that Abbey Road show do this song live. And you know what? They were good. Like really good. And also, only one of them looks like a dipshit. The rest of the band looks moderately normal in real life. One is rockin a little Richie Tenenbaum thing, but the others are a'ight. Im back to liking them again. Wow, the power of a crap video- but out roshambeaud by a good live show.

I can live with that.