Oh yes, it's true! Who's got two thumbs and placed an order just in time (I hope!) tonight on the tail end of this amazing three day sale offering many back issues of McSweeney's quarterly for a mere $5.00 each? This guy! $5.00 each is an unbelievable savings! They have a great bundle deal going on a year's worth of The Believer magazine too! But I'll have to postpone indulging on that deal... personal financial responsibility beckons!
In 4-5 business days I'm going to be one happy reader! Life is good!
Unfamiliar with this quarterly literary marvel? Learn more here!
I have really been stuck on listening to Jens Lekman's albums lately as I'm busy doing stuff around my place and a favourite track from the CD You're So Silent Jens is the track "BlackCab". To my pleasant surprise I found this video tonight, so I wanted to post it here.
If there's ever been a snowball that stands a chance in hell, it's this one. :)
Here's the song live too from a performance at Konserthuset, Gothenburg, Sweden December 11, 2003.
Finally... it's here... the video alphabet goes on!
S is for Saint Etienne - "You're in a Bad Way"
I love this band! Their music is bright and clever and clean -this is perfect pop! I am not a fan of pop music in the sense of radio top 40 dribble, but in the sense of well crafted, catchy, quirky, 3 minute pop songs about life, love, girls, books, etc... on Earth Joe we'd hear a lot of Saint Etienne and everyone would drive Vespas and Mini Coopers to meet dear friends at cafes where they'd pass entire days idly chatting and sketching or picking at a guitar. There's more to this Earth, but I'll stop now.
"Nothing Can Stop Us Now" ...another gem from Saint Etienne!
S is for Sambassadeur - "New Moon"
Speaking of perfect pop... the Swede-Pop is an addiction of mine for some time now, and this band is one of my favourites. Gothenberg's Sambassadeur formed in 2003 when guitarist/songwriter Joachim Läckberg, vocalist/guitarist Anna Persson, and guitarist/vocalist Daniel Permbo were all studying in the town of Skövde, and later they added bassist Daniel Tolergård to complete their lineup. They have a large following at home and aboard, especially in the UK. Their 2006 Coastal Affairs EP had its song, "Kate," featured in a commercial for Payless Shoes in the U.S. that summer.
My favourite track is "Subtle Changes" but all I could find is a live version. The picture's dark, but the audio is decent. It's a beautiful song!
S is for Scanners - "Lowlife"
I discovered this moody pop quartet from London via a Dim MakRecords sampler we were giving away at Music 4 Less back in 2006. This "Lowlife" single was released in spring as a teaser for Scanners' full-length debut, Violence Is Golden, which arrived that summer. Scanners consists of singers/guitarists Sarah Daly and MatthewMole, guitarist/keyboardist Amina Bates, and drummer Tom Hutt. Not to discredit this band's talent and work with this statement, but I count them in that category of new bands making new old post-punk sounds. I love it though! Good stuff.
S is for The Seahorses - "Blinded by the Sun"
As much as I enjoy The Stone Roses, guitarist John Squire's band The Seahorses are a band I favour so much more! This track was always my favourite of theirs, but I had a hell of a time finding a video that the embedding wasn't disabled, but fortunately I scored this version from a lyrics site. I just dropped the code for the lyrics that were formatted to scroll in a window beneath the video.
Well, that's part one... stay tuned for more. Lots and lots of "S" bands to come!
I spent the better part of this past weekend at my parent's house, and while I was there I discovered the arts channel Ovation TV is available on their satellite dish. So Sunday I passed the day doing absolutely nothing but watching Later with Jools Holland with my mom and sis. I've seen Jools Holland here and there over the years, but I really enjoyed the marathon Ovation was running, and I've found I've been looking up Jools Holland bits on YouTube ever since.
I've been working on continuing my video alphabet tonight too, so "S" will go up finally this week. I apologise for the delay... life's been crazy and I've been in a funk.
But here's some music until I finalise posting "S", some enjoyable performances from Later... .
Ash - with a cover of the Undertones song "Teenage Kicks"
This blog focuses on the little things that simply entertain me each day. We live in a wonderful world, a beautiful world, do we not? Full of songs and films and books and people... there's so much that catches my attention. So I thought I might make note of it all somewhere. Hopefully it'll prove to be entertaining and interesting for someone else out there! If you see a post you enjoy, feel free to leave a comment. I've enabled them just for you.
About Me
Joseph Hare
I think too much & talk too much. I stay up all night & never sleep in. Good music, books, films, and coffee are constantly required in order for me to live. I love making art but I destroy as many things as I create. I'm moody but I'm polite & generally enthusiastic. I love people & abhor conflict. I respond to style & substance, beauty, grace, high ideals, good people, art, music, writing, and film. I endeavour to always be especially kind to animals, books, and my pretty girl.
