My My My, Whiskey and Rye

I promised a Joan Jett solo jumpsuit post, New Year's Eve is the perfect time because I have great memories of 1984 MTV Rockin' New Year's Eve. It was a slumber party but I can't remember if it was my friend Nancy or my friend Kris who was there. I'm pretty sure my friend Stacey was there. We were too young to go out for NYE, but we wished we were out doing something exciting. Joan Jett was on and at some point we noticed she missed a spot when she shaved her armpits. We all wished we were older, sipping champagne, out for the big party, and with a cute date. We didn't know yet that pizza and girlfriend sleep over was way better than any of those things. The near future would bring me boring NYE at St. Andrews Hall with Goober and the Peas and lots of dashed high hopes. Staying up late with Joan Jett is the one that sticks in my mind.



In terms of the jumpsuit, she's got fringe leather, she's got 80s puffy sleeves. Joan Jett, you rock the the jumpsuit with the big boys.

Burning

Last night I dreamed of headless kangaroos. What?
This morning I woke up with Midnight Oil Beds Are Burning stuck in my head.

That got me thinking of songs that were constantly played on the radio. I think the worst ever must have been summer of 1984 or 1985 when Rock Master Scott & the Dynamic Three were on every radio station in metro-Detroit all the time. I remember going down to see the 4th of July fireworks and that song was pouring out the windows of every car, drunk people were singing it, and when we parked it was echoing in the parking garage.


(posted by LastPennyKassel)

Tina Tuner kicks Tortoise Ass

I've listened to a lot of both in the past 24 hours and I can easily say that. I dusted off my TNT album from the late-1990s and found some forgotten favorites though. I still like Swung from the Gutters and had forgotten all about it.


(Tortoise performing Swung From The Gutters live at the Firebird in St. Louis, MO on September 29, 2009 posted by snivelttam)

Disappointingly, both of the live versions I found on Youtube sound little like the recorded version. My favorite element of the song -- a kind of repetitive yet mounting beat "doo doo doo .... doo doo doo ....doo doo dooo" is absent. Did they forget to bring that machine on the road with them? If I were a recording gadget geek I'd be better able to hear, understand and explain the differences. I just know that I am hearing chaos but not the string of sounds that holds the song together on my CD.

Lala only has a 30 second clip but it is a "good part."

But honestly, there's no competition: Tina Turner still kicks Tortoise Ass 99 times out of 100. Swung from the Gutters is going back into my regular rotation and I'm going to see what they've been up to in the last dozen years. I've changed, I wonder how they have.

Bold Soul Sister

I'm feeling Tina Turner today.

Styx - Low Hanging Fruit of the Online Dating World

There are scenes,
There are blues
There are boots,
There are shoes
There are Turks,
There are fools
There are Rockers,
They're in schools
There was you,
Then there was you

I jumped in.
I am the official owner of an online dating profile.
This mostly just makes me feel queasy. Not in the excited before a big event way but in the "I ate too many marshmallows and I wish I hadn't" way.

I'm finding two things very interesting in this so far brief experience.

1. Most of the men in my age range who state strong interest in music and list musical preferences mention a lot more modern, ambient, avant garde and electronic stuff that would never come right to my mind if I talked about bands I love. Some of it I know, some of it is okay in small doses, some of it I like, and lots of it makes me fear I would be living in Tron if we hit it off and shacked up.

I've known and loved recording and electronic toy dorks before (and thank god for that or who would swap out my stereo tubes when they blow!) but I feel a bit worried that there will be some sort of pop quiz about what keyboard is being used for the tinkle at minute 12:53 of Shoegaze Reptoid Zap! by DJ RJ (aka Ubu Boi).

Do these guys secretly still listen to Metallica and Hank Williams too but want to put forward their hip, young intellectual side? Will my fondness for acoustic guitar, outrageous lead singers,and words date me and doom me?

2. One of the questions this particular site asks is "What do you love that everyone else hates?" My answer is Styx. This seems to be the low hanging fruit of my profile that men use as an opening and it is fascinating. I know from experience talking with with people in pubs that Styx does not go over well and there is no convincing a hater. The only other artist that comes close to this in terms or universal knowing and loathing is Grace Slick.

I can't imagine sending a message that reads:
StyNx sux! *wink*

Now that makes a girl feel special. At least I know they've read the words and didn't just look at the pictures ....off now to listen to Taking Tiger Mountain (by Strategy). I love Brian Eno and wonder if he earns me some weirdy music points even if he is an old timer.

Jimmy Stewart - 20, Spinster Librarian - 3

I'm not sure how many times I've seen It's a Wonderful Life but 23 seems a good guess. I also don't remember the first few times I saw it but I think I might have been young enough not to fully get it or teenage enough to be jaded. So I'm going to generously give myself three viewings when I might not have bawled as soon as Mr. Gower boxes young George's ears. And then continued to cry on and off through the rest of the movie.

I usually make it dry eyed that far. That's right after cute little Mary and cute little Violet sigh over George and right before we finally see Jimmy Stewart when he gets a suitcase we know he'll never use. And usually, once I get to my favorite scene -- "She's just about to close up the library!" -- I am okay for the rest of the movie. Frustrated ambitions provoking more tears than heart-warming generosity and the love of an entire town.

But this year Jimmy Stewart kicked my butt from the first view of Bedford Falls right down to ZuZu and that tinkly bell. I give up.


(posted by 7roach)

Figgy Pudding

Plan for the day: listen to as many of the "Best Albums of 2009" as suggested by the WFUV staff, finish addressing my New Year 2010 cards, finish making chicken noodle soup for sick friend H. who is arriving sometime after 6 tonight, bake banana spice bread, make chocolate fig challah treats, get BBQ ribs and mac 'n cheese ready to go for lunch tomorrow.

Food, music and friend!