Completion... Final Post for "Tonight..."

"Tonight We Fly" that is... a little Divine Comedy to end the day with as sleep beckons. One of their best songs, and quite possibly one of the best songs I've ever had the pleasure to discover. A song hopefully to be discovered by others. So with that...

"This is the end... cheers to you all... thanks for coming..."



Good night!

Appreciation... A Great Morrissey Single

Morrissey is someone that as a singer/personality people either love or hate, but I'm still rather fond of his work and honestly I think he's still a solid lyricist and his voice has only improved with age. I can forgive him the occasional let down, look how many quality songs he's lyrically crafted over the years. I also admire the fact that when The Smiths ended, he didn't. He doesn't play any instrument, he doesn't write music. He writes words and he delivers them. But he's still doing it solo 20 years later, so I think you kind of have to admire that will. So to shrug off a bit of the disappointment of that new single(sorry Morrissey), I thought I'd offer up an example of one his recent better moments.

Cheers!

"You Have Killed Me"

Frustration... falling behind in frequently posting

I was doing so good... but I'm just going in so many directions right now. But hopefully this week, I'll have fewer distractions and a bit more spare time.

While I'm discussing frustrations, and trust me right now I have a few... I'll leave you with the disappointing new single Morrissey's tacked onto a rather lackluster greatest hits collection that came out this week. I was going to pick this disc up, but opted to replace the scratched up copy of Hatful of Hollow that I've had since 1990. I think as decisions ago, it was the wiser investment. But hey, watch the live video, listen to the song and judge for yourself.

Affection... Band's from Scotland Part 4

Good thing don't last forever... and that is especially true of music scenes in the UK. Brit Pop dominated the attention of young listeners and the British music press for a few solid years, but as one scene is ON in the UK, there's always another one just off stage ready to take the spotlight. So as Brit Pop popularity was just starting to wane a bit in the UK, there was a trend of new bands pushing for a return to the well crafted down-to-Earth songwriting of British bands from the 1960s. This trend as made up of bands such as Cast, Ocean Colour Scene, Kula Shaker, Embrace, Oasis and my favourite out of this assemblage, Travis. The band formed in Glasgow around 1990 as something of a mere past time during their early days in art school for its members, singer/songwriter Francis Healy, guitarist Andy Dunlop, drummer Neil Primrose, and bassist Dougie Payne. In time though after finishing their studies, the group became quite serious about Travis' potential and set out to record in London. Their self-released debut EP, All I Wanna Do Is Rock, came out in the fall of 1996. Its earnest vocals and soaring guitars captured the spirit of British rock at the time, which was retreating from some of Britpop's artiness and poppiness to a more back-to-basics sound.

Out of their contemporaries, Travis hasn't become as big as Oasis, never quite capturing that all too elusive American audience, but their development as a band and their creative output has been more consistent then any of the other bands that may have composed that traditional Lad Rock scene in the UK. Through five studio albums and a singles collection, they have produced a number of memorable material as a band. I'm probably most fond of their second album, The Man Who, and their third album, The Invisible Band, but I'm going back to the beginning here for that title track of that original EP.

This is the first thing I ever saw of them. The video for "All I Want to Do Is Rock":

Affection... Bands from Scotland Part 3

There's some songs that you hear them and they just strike a chord inside that resonates with you always. "American English" by Idlewild is one of those songs for me. Formed in Edinburgh in late 1995, the band's been through numerous label changes and a few personal changes, but they've still managed to mostly keep it together as a band with their last release being in 2007. Frontman Roddy Woomble did put out a solo album in 2006, but the band remains -Woomble and all.

I'll admit their debut 1999 album, Hope Is Important, didn't impress me. It was too America grunge in sound for a Scottish band for my tastes. Their next effort, 100 Broken Windows, was a step in a better direction for my tastes so I was kind of trying to pay attention to them at that point. But then in 2002, this perfect gem of an album arrives on our fine shores in the form of the album, The Remote Part. Idlewild were kind of quiet for a few years, but here I discovered they had metamorphosed into a band with a mature sense of their own artistic ambitions. Their experiences as young musicians planted each seed they needed to grow on, and the harvest that came not even ten years later yielded a powerful crop of songs that drove this incredible disc! There's a number of great albums that will always stand out in my mind from the summer of 2002, because it was my first summer back behind the counter at a record store, but this will always be remembered as one of the best. So many solid tracks, so many wonderfully urgent lyrics.

So here's the most rousing track of the 11 songs on The Remote Part, and probably the largest assemblage of white Christmas lights you'll ever see in a music video:

"American English" by Idlewild:



I think "I'm old without knowing anything's true"...

Fascination... Pre-Code Hollywood Cinema

I'm not going to have time to really post today, as others projects have taken my time, and I'm going to devote the rest of the night to movie watching. Tonight I'm going back to pre-code Hollywood with the box set I picked up for my birthday, Forbidden Hollywood, Volume 2. The set offers two excellent MGM pictures and three Warner Bros. pictures and a first rate documentary on the films of that time and the introduction and history of the rating systems in Hollywood since the inception of the Hayes Code in 1932. The films featured are:

(from the product description)

THE DIVORCEE (1930): After several blissful years of marriage a woman catches her husband in a compromising position and forces him to confess his infidelities Her solution to the problem is to then try to match him tryst for tryst. Based on the 1929 Ursula Parrott novel "Ex-wife", this highly controversial story was first published anonymously, with the author's name added only after thousands of copies were sold.

A FREE SOUL (1931): Lionel Barrymore shines as Stephen Ashe, a brilliant alcoholic lawyer who successfully defends dashing gangster Ace Wilfong (Clark Gable) on a murder charge only to find that his headstrong daughter, Jan (Norma Shearer), has fallen in love with his client. Jan, a fun-loving socialite seeking freedom from her blue-blood upbring, is only too eager to dump her aristocratic boyfriend (Leslie Howard) for the no-good gangster. Barrymore gives a remarkable Oscar-winning performance culminating in a legendary courtroom scene that is powerful and deeply moving.

THREE ON A MATCH (1932): Childhood friends Mary Keaton, Ruth Wescott and Vivian Deverse reunite ten years after high school. Mary is now a chorus girl, level-headed Ruth has a job as a secretary, and sexy Vivian is on the verge of deserting her wealthy husband Henry Kirkwood and their baby in favor of a glamorous gangster.

FEMALE (1933): In Michael Curtiz's romantic comedy FEMALE, Ruth Chatterton plays Alison Drake, the iron-fisted president of a motorcar company. Alison oversees the daily operations of her male employees with a predatory gaze and frequently exercises her right to engage with them in any way she deems fit. She meets her match in an equally strong-minded new employee, Jim Thorne (George Brent), and the two engage in a smoldering, contentious, sexually charged duel.

NIGHT NURSE (1931): William Wellman's NIGHT NURSE is a sassy, unsentimental comedy about a private pediatric nurse named Lora Hart (Barbara Stanwyck) who, after applying as an apprentice in a family home, discovers there is a plot afoot to starve her two rich, fat, young charges to death. The culprit is the family's chauffeur, Nick (Clark Gable), a villain who plans to marry the kids' dissolute mother and make off with their trust fund.

THOU SHALT NOT: SEX, SIN AND CENSORSHIP IN PRE-CODE HOLLYWOOD (2008): Over seventy years later, they've lost none of their power to shock, entertain, and titillate. So-called "pre-Code" movies remain among the most vital films America has ever produced. But why were these films so much more sexually free and socially critical than what came before or after? Who created the Code, and what did it forbid? And why did it finally become a Hollywood commandment? The answer is a fascinating mix of scandal, big business and social history - a unique collision of events that resulted in one of the most dynamic - and delicious - periods in Hollywood history.

If you're interested in learning an intriguing chapter in American film history, I highly recommend this set and the early Volume 1 set. I'm excited to watch this set. There's two films out of the three I've never seen, and it's always a particular joy to watch anything featuring MGM's original premiere leading lady, Norma Shearer.

Affection... Band's from Scotland, Part 2

Texas -the name of an American state, but better still the name of the currently five piece band from Glasgow, which formed in 1987 and are fortunately still making music now. They had a long road to success at home and in Europe, but they never could quite make it over here despite the fact that three of their tracks got attention in TV and films. Occasionally, I do seem to hear "In Our Lifetime" on the overhead play at grocery stores and even once recently at Lowe's. Anyway, I liked this band quite a bit since their third album, Rick's Road, and in my opinion they only got stronger as a band with the fourth release, White on Blonde. I think this was the point for the band too when the soul rock sound they had was traded in for a bright soul pop sound and it worked for them. Sharleen Spiteri became not just a singer/rhythm guitarist at this point, but a beautiful, soulful Scottish diva. With her musical influences ranging from The Clash (the main reason she plays a black Fender Telecaster) to Blondie to Marvin Gaye and Prince to Diana Ross, this metamorphosis should have seemed inevitable. Despite her reluctance to flaunt any kind of "girlie" image when the band began, Sharleen has graced the covers of many magazines in the UK and Europe, both with the band for music publications and as a model for several fashion magazines. Her only previous experience with fashion would have been working as a hairdresser in Glasgow at the Irvine Rusk salon at the time when she co-formed the band. Not bad for a girl who's nickname in school was "Spit the Dog", after the puppet companion of entertainer Bob Carolgees on the UK kid's show TISWAS.

This is the video for one of their most infectious tracks, "Say What You Want", from the 1997 album, White on Blonde. Cheers!



Better version here...

Affection... Band's from Scotland Part 1

I've been compiling a playlist of my all time favourite tracks by bands from Scotland. So since I've got all kinds of amazing Scottish bands on the brain tonight, I thought I'd post some videos of a few.

First up is The Trash Can Sinatras and since I never meet many people familiar with the band, I present their allmusic.com bio by Jason Ankeny, which reads as such:

"Scottish indie-pop stalwarts the Trash Can Sinatras were founded outside of Glasgow in 1987 by singer/guitarist Frank Reader (the brother of ex-Fairground Attraction singer Eddi Reader), guitarists John Douglas and Paul Livingston, bassist George McDaid and drummer Stephen Douglas. Initially formed as a cover band, the group was performing in a local bar when they were discovered by Go! Discs label representative Simon Dine; their first single, the superb "Obscurity Knocks," appeared in early 1990, evoking the jangly guitar-pop crafted by Scottish bands like Aztec Camera, Orange Juice and Josef K a decade earlier. A second Trash Can Sinatras single, "Only Tongue Can Tell," preceded the release of the quintet's debut LP Cake, which met with a positive response on both sides of the Atlantic; in the U.S., it became a particular favorite on college radio. McDaid left the lineup in 1992, and was replaced by bassist David Hughes; by the time the Trash Can Sinatras' sophomore effort I've Seen Everything finally appeared in 1993, however, the ascendance of grunge essentially derailed whatever commercial momentum the group still had left, and 1996's A Happy Pocket was not even released in America. A new single, "Snow," followed in late 1999. The band made a truimphant return to the scene in 2004 with their Spin Art release Weighlifting and a world tour which had them wowing old fans and gaining new ones with their stunning display of melody and emotion."

To this bio I will add the news that the band's website is reporting that they spent January and February recording new studio material, they'll be mixing the album in April, and then begin the task of licensing the album for release. I don't know when we'll see it finally in stores and how a release will fare on these shores, but I am anxious for new material from the band for sure.

I love songs largely for lyrics and these guys had me hooked from the first single, "Obscurity Knocks". I mean look at these lyrics:

obscurity knocks

always at the foot of the photograph - that's me there
snug as a thug in a mugshot pose, a foul-mouthed rogue
owner of this corner and not much more
still these days i'm better placed to get my just rewards
i'll pound out a tune and very soon
i'll have too much to say and a dead stupid name

though i ought to be learning i feel like a veteran
of "oh i like your poetry but I hate your poems"
calendars crumble i'm knee deep in numbers
i've turned 21, i've twist, i'm bust and wrong again

rubbing shoulders with the sheets till two
looking at my watch and i'm half-past caring
in the lap of luxury it comes to mind
is this headboard hard? am i a lap behind?
but to face doom in a sock-stenched room all by myself
is the kind of fate i never contemplate
lots of people would cry though none spring to mind

though i ought to be learning i feel like a veteran
of "oh i like your poetry but I hate your poems"
calendars crumble i'm knee deep in numbers
i've turned 21, i've twist, i'm bust and wrong again

know what it's like
to sigh at the sight of the first quarter of life?
ever stopped to think and found out nothing was there?

they laugh to see such fun
i'm playing blind man's bluff all by myself
and they're chanting a line from a nursery rhyme
"ba ba bleary eyes - have you any idea?"

years of learning i must be a veteran
of "oh i like your poetry but I hate your poems"
and the calendar's cluttered with days that are numbered
i've turned 21, i've twist, i'm bust and wrong again
ought to be learning
twist, i'm bust and wrong again
feel like a veteran
twist, i'm bust and wrong again
calendar's cluttered
with days that are numbered
and i know what it's like
to sigh at the sight
of the first quarter of life


Now that's song writing!

I admit I kind of forgot about them from time to time over the years, but their output hasn't always been consistent in terms of seeing regular album releases.

I'll end this post with the video to "Obscurity Knocks"... enjoy!

Association... Belle and Sebastian ~ Jonathan David

I love this video! Especially the black and white scenes with their "Jules et Jim" style bizarre love triangle.



Oh, and the mime in the band scenes... can't forget the mime.

Distraction... Jens Lekman~ You Are The Light

An amusing video to counter a heavy evening.



"Yeah, I got busted..."

Recognition... Ireland's best new band, Bell X1

In honour of St. Patrick's Day... one of my newest favourite songs, "Eve, the Apple of My Eye", by Bell X1. I think this song is beautiful but it makes me quite sad. The video does have a happy ending though.



May the saint protect ye-
An' sorrow neglect ye,
An' bad luck to the one
That doesn't respect ye
t' all that belong to ye,
An long life t' yer honor-
That's the end of my song t' ye!

Anticipation... the upcoming return to The Office Season 4

The Writer's Strike is over... the wait is almost over... April 10th... must see TV...welcome back... The Office!

My life just hasn't been the same without it... sniffle, sniffle. In the meantime, I guess I'll just keep watching all my seasons, deleted scenes, commentaries, whatever fix I can get until then. Oh, and all the Season 4 episodes that we did get to see of the Season before the strike are available online, so I think I'm going to refresh my mind in the next couple of weeks before the return episodes begin.

So excited...

Consolation... The Smiths ~ There is a Light That Never Goes Out

My Saturday night to Sunday morning left me feeling a little broken, but this song was my companion last night on a lonely walk home. This is one of my all-time favourite songs, and it's amazing to me how after twenty plus years of living with this song, it still resonates in my life on so many levels.

Distraction... Duke Special ~ Our Love Goes Deeper Than This

Haven't been able to get this song out of my head all day...

Distraction... Blood Arm with Anais ~ Do I Have Your Attention?

Every morning I have when I blast this song as I'm getting ready for work I have a good day. So here's hoping, and not just for me but for everyone!

Distraction & Infatuation... L. Wells

And speaking of dear Rita Tushingham... this adorable lass is every bit "as innocent and fare..."!



I love this video.

Appreciation... Happy Birthday Rita Tushingham!

British actress, Rita Tushingham, turns 66 tomorrow, and I wish her a very Happy Birthday! In honour of her and because it's a fine film, I devoted two hours tonight to watch "Girl With Green Eyes"(1964). Now if only TCM would schedule "Taste of Honey"(1961), since the film's not available domestically on DVD.

Infatuation... Amy Adams

She is quite beautiful... and that's all I've got for tonight.

Distraction... how to craft the Perfect Euro-Vision Song...

...with some help from the Divine Comedy's, Neil Hannon. A friend sent this to me and stated it was good fun. Dear friend, I agree!

Fascination... "Miss Pedigrew Lives For A Day"

I got out of work early enough today to get home and indulge in a plan to get out and enjoy a bit of sunshine despite the cold of the wind. My walk didn't last very long though as I headed down Second Street, to Riley, and in no time at all was before the counter inside the Midtown Cinema. I had enough spare cash for a ticket and a Cafe Mocha, so I indulged two of my biggest passions and took in the 7PM show of "Miss Pedigrew Lives for a Day". I enjoyed this film quite a bit. At an hour and 32 minutes this film passed by like a dream and every moment of it was well spent. In this film, the 24 hours of one wondrous day transforms, Geneviere Pedigrew(Frances McDormand), a modest, unemployed governess into a successful "social secretary" who's catapulted into the frenzied private life of young American singer and actress, Delysia LaFosse(Amy Adams), and the London high society she's navigating through in hopes of furthering her career. The desperation of Pedigrew's situation in life leads her to an epiphany to finally seize an opportunity in life. Realising she has nothing left to lose, Pedigrew befriends Delysia and sets to work on tidying up LaFosse's life... particularly, her love life, which might just serve to help Pedigrew discover her own romantic destiny. This was a very enjoyable picture. I'm sure many would find the film was often predictable in plot, but it made no attempts to be more than it set out to be. The outcome was obviously most favourable and I have no complaints. I also enjoyed all the details in the film's recreation of 1939 London. The mansion interiors and the night club settings were full of all of the elegantly beautiful ornamention and designs of the time. Even the front pages of all the city newspapers in the station displays were presented quite well, as they carried their headlines of impending war with Germany. I quickly came to care about the main characters of this picture quite quickly, and how one woman's life ability to embrace change in her own life served to move others to such similar personal achievements. I'm very glad to have taken in this film this evening.

Distraction... album of the day: Apartment Life by Ivy

I had a long conversation last night with a friend regarding our favourite female vocalists, and I forgot to include Dominique Durand, the sweet, pretty, and French accented, lead singer of Ivy. Their second album, Apartment Life, was one of my favourite albums of 1997, and I started my work day at the store with it today. A great disc, one I need to revisit more often, pleasantly got me through the roughest part of the day. If Metro-Pop was a genre, this album would be a benchmark accomplishment of such a sound. 11 years after its release, Apartment Life sounds as fresh and cool as it did upon my first full listen to its twelve tracks of stylised sophisticated pop!

Infatuation... Jean Seberg

She was the darling icon of French New Wave Cinema in the 1950s & 60s, who was actually from Marshalltown, Iowa. Seberg's career as an actress carried her through 24 different films, but she's best remembered for her role as Patricia, an American college student, whose life becomes intertwined with the slick handsome Parisian scoundrel, Michel, played by Jean-Paul Belmondo. Tonight TCM is showing Lilith, which was the seventh film of her career and debuted in 1964. The film is part of a Tuesday night block of films with a theme exploring psychiatry and psychology. Starring Seberg and Warren Beatty, the film is set in a mental institution and tells the story of a therapist who becomes dangerously obsessed with his seductive, schizophrenic patient.

It's a shame thinking about this film considering the outcome of Seberg's life and her eventual suicide, her passing accompanied by the suicide note reading "Forgive me. I can no longer live with my nerves". Seberg was talented and beautiful and unfortunately was gone too soon. Our only consolation is that as with so many artists, she lives on in the works she left behind.

Welcome...

There's a great many things that go through my head in a day, and I've decided to put it all somewhere. I'm determined to do this partially to blog less about the ups and downs of my personal life, and focus instead on the little things that simply entertain me each day. We live in a wonderful world, a beautiful world, do we not? There's just so much that catches my attention, so I thought it might be interesting to make note of some of it. Hopefully it'll prove somewhat entertaining too for someone else out there on the world wide web. I hope this will be fun... so enjoy!