We document our lifelong love of music, live and recorded. We aren't musicians, we're just two chicks on the floor, reporting the audience experience, good or bad.
So, thanks to Facebook I've been able to connect to all of my high school friends in Germany and beyond. One of my old classmates from Mannheim, R, posted a scan of an article that our school newspaper published in which satirical futures were created for the senior class. Here's what mine read:
Quit her job for the National Enquirer, moved to London, and became the agent for the band "Queen Junior." Although successful, she still sells Indian jewelry on Piccadilly Circus.
I don't know who Queen Junior is, but I imagine it was the spin-off of Queen, a band I had had a lifelong obsession with. During the horrible grunge phase, I completely rebelled by being into glam artists like Suede, classic Queen, and Bowie. And, just like today, I still have a fascination with celebrity gossip. I can't help but read that blurb and think "gosh, I haven't really changed at all". Actually, I'm kind of proud of that little blurb...satire or no. -K
Last night my friend M, who lives in B'ham, AL, and I were online together watching the Oscars. Her husband is notoriously quick witted. When Tilda Swinton appeared on the Red Carpet, his comment was "Cate Blanchett is up for her portrayal of Bob Dylan, Tilda Swinton is up for her portrayal of Steve Winwood." Seriously, him or David Bowie during his Low period. -K
You know, only in America would you find a guy who decides to protest the loss of spirituality in Christmas by crucifying a Santa Claus on his front lawn. My god, what are we doing that we don't think up shit like that, J?
Anyway, we're having a brown Christmas here in the south due to the drought. It's becoming an "oh shit" period of time down here, but we'll survive. I thought I would post a little something before I head over to my parents and open up presents. My mom's German customs have always become standard in the house, so we open presents on Christmas Eve, the stockings are for show only, we and just spend Christmas Day watching movies, crackling tree fir, and eating ham. Our pagan-like customs promise to be no different this year, weather notwithstanding.
Rather than doing a hitlist with some of my favorite songs, I thought I would discuss some Christmasy things I've been thinking about today.
Firstly, a few years ago My Chemical Romance did an adorable cover of All I Want for Christmas is You. You can find it here.
Nikki Sixx's new band Sixx:A.M. has a song called Xmas in Hell. Check out this stanza:
I've started a new diary and this time I have a few new reasons. One, I have no friends left. Two, so I can read back and remember what I did the day before. And three, so if I die, at least I leave a nice little suicide note of my life.
My friend C sent me this video because a long time ago one of the first things we ever talked about was the strange union of these two. We then jumped into a rendition of it, complete with the "peace on earth…" bit. We still think we're hilarious.
There was an article I was reading that referenced the history of wassailing. This just cracks me up.
"In the 17th century, Puritans, who had long seen the holiday as a Catholic manifestation, concluded that attempts to tame or "Christianize" Christmas had failed. They managed to get Christmas banned for several years in England and Massachusetts, which was then an English colony. The holiday returned in the 1660s, picking up a tradition of "wassailing," which in New England involved drunken bands of men banging on the doors of the rich, demanding entry and singing songs in return for food and alcohol. "It was a rough version of caroling," Nissenbaum says. "It made for a lot of tense interaction."
That's all I had for now. Happy Holidays, y'all! -K
Tonight I was typing away on my laptop when a song came on a show called October Road that was on in the background. I didn't know who sang it or what the song was called, so I took one line of the song and googled it. It turns out the song is called Killer Karma by an English band called Switches. Of course,this lead to a full-on You Tube search for other songs and a discovery that this band is not too shabby. Unfortunately, U.S. iTunes doesn't have much beyond their EPs for Drama Queen and Lay Down the Law, so I'll have to play the waiting game for their new album Heart Tuned to D.E.A.D. when it's released here in the States next year. It was supposed to drop in October, but was inexplicably delayed. Ah well. This happens.
Switches reminds me of Franz Ferdinand and Jet, who remind me of the Stones, Bowie and a little bit of Sweet. While I wouldn't necessarily say that they will save rock n roll or that they're doing something terribly original, I think their music is perfect party fare. Check them out. -K
Lay Down the Law
Message from Yuz
Lyrics to Killer Karma
Its funny how as time goes, its funny how the pain grows It's funny how the guilt snows, on your mind Its funny how as time goes, its funny how your world slows It's funny how god knows, I will take my time
Well we'd all like to know what our lives have yet to show But there's one place we can go, and that's our minds And we'd all like to be, with who our eyes have yet to see But there's no-one foolin me, cus that's a lie
It's funny when your plane leaves, its funny how your soul grieves It's funny how the light weaves through the blinds It's funny how your heart rules, the feelings that your head cools It's funny how the hate pools, creepin up the side
Well we'd all like to know what our lives have yet to show But there's one place we can go, and that's our minds And we'd all like to be, with who our eyes have yet to see But there's no-one foolin me, cus that's a lie
Cus I got Killer Karma now, I got Killer Karma now, I got Killer Karma now (x2)
Yea we'd all like to know what our lives have yet to know But there's one place we can go, and that's our minds And we'd all like to see, with who our lives have yet to be But there's no-one foolin me, cus that's a lie
Flight of the Conchords: an HBO show about two musicians from New Zealand, Jermaine and Bret, who are struggling to make it in NYC. Bret occasionally has nocturnal imaginary visitations from a poor advice-giving David Bowie (who looks an awful lot like Jermaine). If you're a Bowie fan like me, you will not be disappointed. -K
