| by Bel |

Here is a playlist I made for Melissa, who is turning 30 today, exactly three weeks older than me!

Some of it is very specific to our friendship, but there should be resonance for anyone who listened to a lot of commercial radio in the late 90s.

1. “Summertime” Dinah Washington band
2. “Sweet Dreams” Eurythmics
3. “Here Comes The Hotstepper” Ini Kamoze
4. “Short Short Man" 20 Fingers, feat. Gillette
5. “Informer” Snow
6. “Would I Lie to You?” Charles & Eddie
7. “Two Steps” Alice Russell
8. "100 Days, 100 Nights" Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
9. “My Girl Josephine” Supercat
10. “Kate” Ben Folds Five
11. “My Sharona” The Knack
12. "New Age Girl" Deadeye Dick
13. “Prisoner of Society” The Living End
14. “Everlong” Foo Fighters
15. “Tonight Tonight” Smashing Pumpkins
16. “Pepper” Butthole Surfers
17. “Santa Monica” Everclear
18. “What I Got” Sublime
19. “She Wants To Move” NERD
20. "Umi Says" Mos Def
21. “Everything Is Everything” Lauryn Hill
22. “I'll Be Missing You” Puff Daddy feat Faith Evans
23. “I Swear” All 4 One
24. “Head Over Feet” Alanis Morissette
25. “Stay” Lisa Loeb
26. “Building A Mystery” Sarah McLachlan
27. “Father and Son” Cat Stevens
28. “Everybody Hurts” REM
29. “Street Spirit” Radiohead
30. “Exit Music For A Film” Brad Mehldau

Posted by Bel. The time is 5.21pm here in Wellington NZ

Your favorite song

"Glory Box" by Portishead, from their debut album Dummy.

This live version is pretty chill-giving:



I first heard the song in the movie When The Cat's Away, which is directed by Cédric Klapisch. When I was young, my mum used to take me along to the movies with her whenever something interesting was screening. The 'film festival' proper never made it to our hick town, but some arthouse releases did occasionally, and it felt like such a treat to 1) be chosen by my mum to go along with her to such a distinctly adult event and 2) watch films that I was pretty darn sure were Not Appropriate For My Age.

When The Cat's Away is one such example. I didn't realise it at the time, but it was my introduction to a French director whose work I would come to love (The Spanish Apartment, Paris, etc - sorry, Lou, I know you don't care) and an actor who I was one day destined to marry and have super cute Frenchie babies with...

He will be mine... Oh, yes - he will be mine...

Less than a few years later, my longest-known friend Jane, who had been and gone and lived in England and returned, was very much established as the understated bastion of cool. She disappeared off to Wellington (THE FAR AND DISTANT LAND OF) one weekend for a "gig". This was not something we did. I've already covered how one of the subversive acts of my younger years was going to the cinema with my mother, right??

Anyway, Jane is back at school on Monday morning, cooler than ever and still not aware of it, and she is nice enough to lend me the CD of the band she went to see. It is, of course, Portishead, and I do, of course, spend the rest of my life kicking myself for never again having the chance to see them live.*

She also did pretty much the same thing with Radiohead. I have not felt such shame until I found out my "beloved" (I hated him for quite a while for this) saw Nirvana live.


*Portishead are infamous for being wary of performing live and toured minimally before breaking up. They reformed like 10 years later, just recently, releasing what has to be one of the most hyped and most disappointed albums I have ever experienced.

Posted by Bel. The time is 10.43am here in Wellington NZ

Day 15- Put your iPod on shuffle: First 10 songs that play

Whoo! I have been looking forward to this one. I don't why. Maybe 'cause it's easy? Haha...

But can't start without a quick rant on what an assumption of privilege is going on with this prompt. And also blatant product placement. Anyhoo! Embarrassing shuffle reveal ahoy!

1. "Lick Shots" by Missy Elliott, from Miss E... So Addictive
   
   
2. "Boplicity" by Miles Davis, from Melissa's hard drive, I think
   
   
3. "Une Notte A Napoli" by Pink Martini, from Hang On Little Tomato
   
   
4. "Straight to Hell (The Clash cover)" by Lily Allen feat. Mick Jones, from some charity compliation album
   
   
   
5. "The Hustle" by The Pharcyde, from Labcabincalifornia
   
   
6. "Veteran" by Doomtree, from False Hopes
   
   
7. "Holy Water" by Gossip, from Standing In The Way Of Control
   
   
8. "Matches to Paper Dolls" by Dessa, from A Badly Broken Code
   
   
9. "Sophisticated Lady" by Duke Ellington & Orchestra, again possibly via Melissa or a compliation CD from the library
   
   
10. "Houses" by CocoRosie, from The Adventures of Ghost and Stillborn
    
    

(Wow, does my black and white theme make it seem like my playlist is quite serious and poignant, rather than mostly just out of date and/or obscure hip hop, with some token jazz and Brit pop thrown in? Yes?? I'M FEELIN IT.)

Posted by Lou. The time is 9.00am London UK.

Songs you listen to when you are happy, sad, bored, hyped, mad

Happy
I have no specific happy music, as I like to think that "quite happy" is my basic state in life (?!). I guess if I was at home by myself in a good mood and wanted some music on loudly to sing along to in a happy state of mind, I'd probably put on the Beatles Love album.

Sad
Radiohead's No Surprises and The Beatles' While My Guitar Gently Weeps. (Or maybe Josh Groban's version of Smile, if I was sad and wanting to feel cheered up.)

Bored
I would go for a shuffle of all my music if I was bored, or if at home I might put on Les Miserables (10th Anniversary concert version).

Hyped
Missy Elliot's Lose Control, or Jay-Z's Empire State of Mind. Note that these are actually the only two hip hop songs I have on my entire iPod yet are the songs I would reach for, which does make me wonder if actually in making a little effort I could become a fan of the genre?

Mad
Glee. (The uppity songs, not the "heartfelt" selection from their "issues" episodes.)

Posted by Bel. The time is 2.17pm here in Wellington NZ

Songs you listen to when you are happy, sad, bored, hyped, mad

(The phrasing of this prompt confirms to me that this meme originated in the tween world.)
 

This song makes me happy and reminds me of dancing in the kitchen in Thompson Street:
 
"Postcards From Italy" by Beirut, from Gulag Orkestar

You can go to the Beirut website and download their song "Sunday Smile", which is also lovely.


Sad song? Yeah, dunno. I get a bit sad and anxious these days listening to Mos Def because I am terrified he is going to come here solely with the Gorillaz and I am going to miss out on seeing him live? Does that count?


Bored. Hmmm. When I'm at work and doing something mindless enough that I can wear earphones (I'm not one of those people who can listen to music and work, nope, never, it throws me off) then I head to myspace. Dessa Darling from Doomtree crew has lots of my favourites on her player, I am quite happy to have them on repeat.

"Mineshaft" by Dessa Darling, from False Hopes

"Hyped"? Try this song. I love to play it loud. I have fond memories of jumping up and down on the couch dancing to it on the night I got married, with my stepdaughter and my best friend.

"Je Veux Te Voir" by Yelle, from Pop Up

There's another version on youtube, with the French lyrics. You can google the English translation yourself, but WARNING: she might look cute as a sparkly wee button, but she has, 'ow do you say? LE POTTY MOUTH.


And for a song that is great to sing along to and get some cussing out of your system (Anglo-Saxon style), you can't go past these guys. Well, you can go past them these days, as their latest albums are awful, but let's not discuss that.

"Sink, Florida, Sink" by Against Me!, from as the Eternal Cowboy

PS Lou, have you checked out Against Me? You might like?

Posted by Bel. The time is 12.07pm here in Wellington NZ

A joyously profane new song from Cee Lo (also known as half of Gnarls Barkley).



The other half of Gnarls Barkley has been doing some good stuff too - check out Broken Bells.

Posted by Bel. The time is 5.14pm here in Wellington NZ

Iceland. Land of - no, not ice! Well, okay, some ice. But of many other things too.

Only about 320,000 people though, which is smaller than the Wellington region. And yet, I would dare say, it is much better than Wellington. This tiny nation has managed to punch far above its weight in many categories.

1. Music

This is the obvious one. Only people who have been living under a rock and don't have ears or the rock they're under makes it hard to hear are yet to realise that Bjork comes from Iceland. Her full name is Björk Guðmundsdóttir, and yes I googled and then copied and pasted that, as everyone has done since she first pixified her way onto the scene many a year ago.

Moving from a punk rock background to become one of the most successful female solo artists in the world, even those who don't enjoy her music have to concede Bjork is a creative force to be reckoned with.

I love Bjork and I cried with excitement in front of ten of thousands of impatient Rage Against The Machine fans when she performed second-to-last at the Big Day Out in 2008.

Recently Iceland has also attracted attention from musos thanks to the band Sigur Ros. Some people pronounce this "sigga ross", others "sayer rose". I like to pronounce it "oh those guys" with a roll of my eyes.

They play a style of music known as "post-rock" with songs that go on for about as long as it takes a glacier to form - and the kicker is that all the lyrics are sung in a language THEY MADE UP THEMSELVES. As if Icelandic didn't sound kooky enough as it is! (Racist.)

People tend to really, really love Sigur Ros. Apparently they are "amazing" live. Don't get a Sigur Ros fan started on how "amazing" Sigur Ros are live. *rolls eyes*

Here is one of their videos (please set aside the majority of the rest of your life to watch this). I will give them credit for creating an incredibly powerful short film within the context of this music video!


Sigur Rós - Viðrar vel til loftárása

2. Jewellery

Check out this growing jewellery made by a Icelandic designer:

via [If it's hip, it's here]

3. Head of State

Firstly, let me clarify by saying that I loved Helen and I miss her and I think New Zealand as a country achieved much mature growth by electing a female leader.

But Iceland had a female president back in the 80s! And their current prime minister is not only a female, but also a (wait for it) lesbian (gasp!). In terms of being progressive and smashing through the glass ceiling, this is inspirational.

New Zealand has found itself with a government that is continuing to demonstrate its anti-women policies in more and more terrifying ways. Gordon Campbell has written about it here - well worth reading. And let's keep an eye on countries who are instilling the feminist principles of equality into their legislation.

4. Giant freaky pylon things

Would you or would you not totally pee your pants if you were driving along and you came across these? I think they would be perfect for the Desert Highway.

Concept design dreamed up by some architectural firm with too much time on their hands, for the haunting barren wilderness of Iceland. Awesome.

via [Laughing Squid]



4. Volcano/ Economic Crisis

I actually nearly forgot! They had that volcano that totally fucked things up for the whole world! And their economy is screwed. All three (three!) of their banks collapsed. Fuuuuck. Wikipedia says that "Iceland's external debt was 9.553 trillion Icelandic krónur". That sounds really bad.

Gosh well don't I just feel awful now with my "ooh pretty jewellery" and all.

Iceland! We salute you!

Posted by Lou. The time is 9.35pm here in London, UK.

On August 12th 2009 I launched Project iPod: the challenge to myself to listen to every single song on my iPod alphabetically by album.

I hadn't thought about one important detail - I have more than 1,750 songs on my iPod. This is less than many people, but it's still about 7 days solid worth of music - around 165 hours, which - when you only listen to about an hour of iPod a day - means you're going to take a really fucken long time to listen to it all. Four months, in fact.

Allow me to share some highlights and lowlights and just-plain-embarrassments:

• I knew that The Beatles, Radiohead, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers are my favourite bands of all-time. But turns out I still really fucken dig the Violent Femmes. Those dudes had some really awesome stuff back in the day (the weird little album Rock! being a particular surprise).
• My tastes continue in this mainstream manner, with the other bands that can be totally relied upon to get me singing along and foot-tapping and amped are The Killers, Kings of Leon, The White Stripes, Foo Fighters, The Strokes... you get the idea...
• On the proper good old rock 'n' roll list I love The Rolling Stones and need to get more than just the 2-disc best of immediately. I also heart my Elvis, my Johnny Cash, my Bowie (though preferably at the Ziggy end), and my Tina Turner.
• Would like to further explore Marilyn Monroe and Peggy Lee.
• Why don't I have more of the Pixies? Just four lonely stray songs.
• Did I mention I kinda previously hadn't realised how fucken awesome Jimmy Hendrix is? My god! He's a legend! His Best of is staying (though undoubtedly I'll forget about it again, listen to it in a year or so, and repeat the sentiment as if it hadn't occurred to be before).
• Why do I only have one of the Nirvana albums?? Seriously?? What is wrong with me... sheesh...
• I was getting a bit bored by a few albums towards which I felt indifferent, when The Sex Pistols' The Filth and the Fury came on and rocked my world.
• I can appreciate the genius of Pink Floyd but, well, I just don't like listening to them. I can see that in the form of CDs to play out loud when chilling they'd be cool, but on an iPod they're just a big no-no for me. Except Wish You Were Here. I love that song.
• Bands of whom I have albums on there via synching with others' iTunes that I just don't connect with and am deleting as I type are: Placebo, Interpol, The Dandy Warhols, Prince (minus a few of his spectacular songs like Purple Rain and When Doves Cry).
• A hidden treasure was the long forgotten Fur Patrol EP Starlifter. Man in a Box is a genius piece of subversive girl song-writing.
• I had some really hideous Celine Dion on there. I don't know how or why, but reserved the right to break the rules and skip it (sort of finding a loophole by quickly connecting to iTunes and deleting it). Her only appearance in my music collection is now in her Josh Groban duet of The Prayer (live). Which I listen to for Josh, obviously.
• Best voices are undoubtedly: Frank Sinatra (his Moon River is in my top 5 recordings ever - if you don't know it you must immediately listen to it - utterly immaculate... like liquid velvet in a voice...), Josh (oh Josh), and Bic Runga.
• I don't particularly like Crowded House. I won't delete them, but I don't really listen to them either. I do however love the innovative stuff Neil & co have done via 7 Worlds Collide and Enzso.
• I just love Liam Finn's I'll Be Lighting. The boy is a genius.
• A complete dud, one that I also had to break the rules and skip past as it was hurting my ears, is one of my old albums from my teens - Jewel's Spirit. Oh god no.
• But Alanis Morissette is a big thumbs up. I only have two of her albums and it reminds me I should seek her later stuff to catch up on the last ten years. Interestingly, I actually like Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie more than Jagged Little Pill.
• I take great pleasure in listening to both Miss Saigon and Les Miserables from start to finish. Note to self: add Chess and Jesus Christ Superstar.
• I maintain my position that Stereophonics are the best covers band in the world. Particularly of The Beatles' songs.
• And, lastly... I just can't bring myself to delete Robbie Williams' Sing When You're Winning. I'm sorry, but... I like it.
• Okay, even worse... I have a Take That song. A cheesy, hideous one at that. A Million Love Songs. I even have it in one of my playlists. Stop judging me - I'm judging myself enough for everyone!

Posted by Lou. The time is 6.45pm here in London, UK.


On Friday I had the rather bizarre experience of seeing Coldplay at a sold-out Wembley Stadium, supported by Girls Aloud and Jay-Z. Yes, Girls Aloud and Jay-Z. I know. [For anyone wondering, Girls Aloud are the biggest girl group in the UK, having emerged from a reality talent show years back. If you're wondering who Jay-Z is you need to get out more.] This was followed up by the magnificence of Michael Ball at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday, completing the journey through a weird and (mostly) wonderful combination of music performances.

I had expected Girls Aloud to be a bit shit, but was totally wrong. They were total shit. Utter, complete, embarrassing, cringeful shit. I knew that they can't sing, but had expected them to at least do a few moves, display some charisma, work the crowd... no. They just teetered on 6 inch heels looking terrified. Dismal. And made to look even more pathetically crap when Jay-Z walked out after them and set the whole fucken crowd alight - he exuded everything they didn't: charisma, talent, confidence, and the ability to wrap 50,000 Coldplay fans around his little finger. I've never known anyone to be so... so... electric.

I had mixed feelings about seeing Coldplay - these days I find it hard to get past Chris Martin's righteousness and my suspicion towards anyone who marries Gwyneth "Goop" Paltrow - but shouldn't have doubted them. Irrespective of whether or not you're a fan, the actual show itself was one of the best you'd ever see. Throughout their headlining 2 hours the staging moved and evolved through some fantastic backdrop visuals and fx, with my favourite being the entire back of the stage turning into a journey though the solar system. Speaking of favourites, they hit all mine by including Politik, Fix You and a fantastic encore performance of The Scientist into their set.

There was a total focus on the audience, with a tiny little stage appearing in the middle of the people at the very back in the standing arena that the guys walked out to for a few songs (one of which was a brilliant cover of Billie Jean, played to accompany a mobile phone mexican wave). Whilst the audience was largely screaming and clapping and dancing and singing, we seemed to find ourselves in the midst of lamesville, with those around us barely seeming alive. We moved to a different spot where we could see a Dad rocking out and loving it - realising very quickly that his enthusiasm actually stemmed from autistism (Coldplay haters can take what they will from that anecdote).


Saturday brought a strange, hazy, warm evening for visiting the glorious Royal Albert Hall and its vulgar neighbouring Albert Memorial (seriously - check out that hideously misuse of gold!) for Michael Ball. As usual, we arrived to see the usual crowd of old ladies and old men and then even more old ladies - a sea of pastels and silver. Then us. Three modern lasses aged 28-31 joining the grannies for a night of ol' Dimples.

The opening was very much to the grannies' tastes - the pop covers that brought him fame and infamy in Britain, and leave us very much unmoved and wishing he would move on to the good stuff. The women in front of us were sure loving it - prompting me to suspect that it was the closest any of them had been to cumming in years. However one pop song that quietened their claps and dancing was a song that perhaps the three of Young'uns were the only ones to recognise - Are We Human by The Killers. Oh dear. It was perhaps even stranger than the previous night's combo.

Luckily he quickly moved on to dazzle us with his perfect renditions of musicals numbers, including Gethsemane, Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, I Know Where I've Been, Love Changes Everything, and Starlight Express. His backing singers were also excellent, with one in particular leaving us breathless with her I Don't Know How To Love Him, and another joining him for a fantastic duet of The Prayer. Hilariously, his penultimate number You Can't Stop the Beat led to the grannies leaping from their seats to swarm at the front of the stage for a bit of a boogie. And just when we thought it couldn't get better, he ended the night by blowing the roof off with a tear-inducing performance of The Impossible Dream. Oh, Michael.

Posted by Bel. The time is 3:31pm here in Wellington, NZ.

In a macabre twist, Michael Jackson's sudden death caused a huge spike in his popularity. He went from being regarded as a debt-ridden weirdo with another precarious comeback hanging in the balance, to immediately being revered for his days of glory and various previous successes - with other matters swept aside as we took time to remember why we loved his music.

And it seems the music will be an on-going legacy, with the announcement that R Kelly intends to finish the album he and Michael Jackson were working on in June of this year. There has been a lot of speculation about unfinished and unreleased Jackson recordings, but Kelly seems to think he has the seal of approval: "Michael liked the way I would try to sing the songs just like him".

These two might not be such the odd couple, they have a long history, with R Kelly writing "You Are Not Alone", MJ's smash hit of 1995. His first #1, in fact, since being accused of having sex with an underage boy.

In the archives of Russell Brown's Hard News blog, check out the post from 2005 related to the second highly publicised set of allegations against Michael Jackson: detailing the pornographic magazines, DVDs and books that were found in his bedroom at the time and the implications this has upon someone who so frequently played host to other people's children.

Being found 'not guilty' does not always mean a person is innocent, as this BBC article about R Kelly's aquittal on charges of child pornography elaborates. Time covers the last moments of the trial and the jury's deliberations, including interviews with those who say they are certain it is R Kelly in the recording.

The Chicago Sun-Times lists R Kelly's repugnant past, including when they were first supplied with the tape reportedly showing him filming himself having sex with a 14 year old. It also covers in chronological order the many other attempted law suits and out of court settlements from various other young women who had involvements with R Kelly, and also his falsified and thus swiftly annulled marriage to Aaliyah, who was at that time the 15 year old niece of his manager.

If you have the stomach for it, it's worth a read:
R. Kelly timeline: A chronology from birth to trial (Chicago Sun-Times).

Two superstars, with pop music talent that has helped to sell millions of records around the world. Horrifying that with such success, the personal cost has been inflicted on those who have the least ability to protect themselves.

Posted by Bel. The time is 5:26pm here in Wellington, NZ.

Lou drew my attention to this article in the NZ Herald with its list of the world's most expensive wedding singers (ranging from $12M to a bargain basement $1.2M). I decided that expense was not the only way of ranking this 'big day' deal-breaker, and have added my own notes:

1 The Rolling Stones

These guys would be AWFUL at a wedding because, 1) they would drink all the piss, 2) they would shag half the bridesmaids and the mother-of-bride, and 3) they would steal the spotlight by then having a near O.D. and/or falling out of a tree and no one would remember who caught the bouquet.

2 Sir Elton John

He would be okaaay - except he would make snide comments about how your wedding is nowhere near as awesome as his was. And someone would request "Candle In The Wind" and turn your reception into an instant DOWNER. So scratch him.

2 (equal) Kylie Minogue

Hotter than the bride? She can fuck right off.

4 Christina Aguilera

See above. Hotties have no place at a wedding, this is well established.

3 George Michael

Just no. Isn't he still on probation anyway?

6 Amy Winehouse

I think a recently divorced junkie who is known for her dismal public performances may not be conduit to a happy wedding day. She would be kinda fun to have around beforehand when getting dressed though. (Perhaps not on hair and make-up duty however.)

(EDIT: Just added the photo and am changing my mind again. Dammit, Amy, I just can't quit you.)

6 equal Paul McCartney

I originally simply labelled him 'Boring Beatle', thinking this was reason enough to strike Sir Paul off the list. Then Lou pointed out a glaring omission: he has just been through quite possibly the century's messiest divorce. Let's err on the side of caution and not have our 'something old' not be a jinx on your nupitals.

('Something old' oooh burn, haha.)

6 equal Leona Lewis

Only the flower girls would care.

6 equal Jennifer Lopez

Same issues as Elton John, re: hating on your automatically inferior wedding, plus x1000000 attitude.

10 Barry Manilow

This is a joke, right?

11 Rod Stewart

Lou and I came to a consensus, having Rod there in person to sing the cheesy serenades and then start rockin' out as the night drew out, well, yes, that would be pretty awesome. As long as you kept all leggy blondes off the guest list, things could go just fine.

12 Duran Duran

They could be good to come on for the second half, once everyone is properly pissed and just wants to dance like munters.

Any other thoughts?

Posted by Bel. The time is 1:45pm here in Wellington, NZ.
Yes, doofus. I figured we'd put that at the top, so anyone reading would straight away know which of us was ranting. I put some codey stuff in the template so if you write on the next line down it is not so ittybittycommittee styles. CODE BITCHES!! I CAN DOS SUM!

The flat we were going to take fell through. They wanted us to sign the lease and hand over $3000 tomorrow. Um, hello? There's this trendy new thing out - you may have heard of it: the 'recession'? Hmm? Well we have jumped right on the band wagon and ain't no way I'm pulling that much cash out of my ass.
Honestly, real estate people are such scummers.