March 2007

She Looks Pretty Valuable From Here

So I finally did it. Well, finally did a couple of things. One, returned to Bodega (not that finally, but I've been in love with that place for years, despite going there for the first time about a month ago). And two, saw The Dissentors, and got my hands on their EP.

So my mate and I rock up to Bodega and I start on the Amstel (ahhh latest beer of choice - had half a dozen last night), and he on his vodka on the rocks. After a bit, the band walks in, and followed by ALo, who chats with them for a bit before heading to the bar for some drinks. About half an hour later, soundcheck starts.

Their set was good. Energetic, fun, all that kinda stuff. I felt let down a little bit, I wasn't expecting Johnny Deaf to be such a screamer live, but that didn't bother me too much. The tunes I recognised from their MySpace were good, but the standout was definately Red Dice. Red Dice went off in my opinion, and had I been in a better frame of body (ie not in as much pain), I would've been up there with ALo and the others bouncing around. Red Dice has been my favourite track on my phone this week, and tonight just made it favourite for another week I believe.

A little disappointed to not stay around for Odessa. But then, I have no idea what they are like, so, I guess I don't know what I'm missing! That gives me time to search them out for next time.

Now, I get home, and both neighbours are partying it up. Currently one house is "Living On A Prayer" and the other is "Toxic". I knew I didn't like those particular neighbours, and I'll say hi to the others more often. Come on, what Wellingtonian in their mid to late 20s plays Britney? I wish that lot would turn down their music and just leech off the others. I dont much like the "Living On A Toxic Prayer" remix I'm getting.

Anyway, I've decided on a drunken fry up, minus the drunken. Then back to watching my movie. I have a goal of watching about 18 movies this month. Fun fun fun!

Ahh, The Box of einsam Past.

Part of the reason of staying the night at my sisters after their party, was so that she could drop me home with a bunch of my stuff that they've had in storage for me since I shifted to Wellington. This included my guitar and amp, and my box of CD singles.

On the way to my place, we called into MusicWorks to look into the middle nephew getting a bass guitar and lessons. Whilst there, they got replacement strings for my guitar which broke whilst in their care, and because the box I'd used for transport was pretty trashed, I splashed out and got a $37 guitar bag. Hehe. Pity it wasn't pink like the one that went with the butterfly guitar. So when I got home, I promptly replaced the strings (my first time, and I believe I did pretty good!) and then set about tuning it. Then reaquainted myself with a few chords.

Anyway, Mike mentioned that he may be interested in some of my CD singles. So I thought, I'd detail them here so you can all laugh at my taste in music when I wasn't a Wellingtonian.

Morning after

Had my sisters dick, er deck, warming last night. It was a quiet affair, but fun all the same. I forgot what Saturday mornings were like in this house! Not too bad, kids are getting older so they're not as resistant to getting told to do the dishes and clean up after the adults. When they get up. The oldest (almost 15) is still in bed. Oh to have that luxury.

Phantom Planet - First Things First

And telling me would be such a breeze, tell me if you want to leave

I think I'm getting the drift
You want some time with your friends
On the nights and weekends
You take the time for yourself
Both of us used to spend

Before you make it better
Before you make it worse
First things first

I don't think it's an accident you treat me like a dummy
Hold on, Hold on
I've been asking for the truth at least just tell me something
Hold on, Hold on

And telling me would be such a breeze
Let me know, don't let me be

It's almost too easy
I'm holding you by the hand
More like the nape of your neck
Why don't you draw up a list you have to frequently check?
And put some things in order
And lose it in your purse
First things First

Plutons

One of those music game things that go around last.fm Check it out for something interesting. Plutons

This is a Must Listen Album, This is Handy!

I'm so loving those Handee towel ads.

But anyway, to the point. About six weeks ago, Ambitious from KotB and I were discussing music tastes, and he recommended to me The Klaxons.

Naughtily, I downloaded the album, and listened to it maybe twice, then didn't listen to much music for a bit, apart from the few live gigs I went to over the weeks, or the horrendously old stuff on my phone's media player. Think 2003 top 100 (yes you may laugh), the odd 90s rock anthem and a tonne of Ben Folds/Five. Until... good old Mike told me that they'd got some copies in. So, last week, among other things, I updated my phone, stuffed it full of The Sproutts, Vorn, Grayson Gilmour (links in the sidebar, or soon to be), Flying Nun compilations and the Klaxons. And oh man, they are top on my "wake up with songs in my head" since then.

When buying Audio Agriculture last week, I committed myself to getting Myths of the Near Future in, er, the near future. Depends what time I finish work on Friday, maybe then on my way out to my sisters Dick warming party. Whoops, I mean deck (bleeming Australians mishearing her accent!), we're warming her deck. But moral of the story is, I'll be buying the album soon.

One review of the album I've read over at The Observer, states "What's endearing about the Klaxons is their lack of cool (pure rave, that) and their confusion. You get the sense they don't know exactly what they're aiming for, and the resulting mish-mash of crude energy and unfocused ambition leaves the listener gloriously befuddled." The intro to the track "Atlantis to Interzone" reminds me of EMF, "As Above, So Below" has elements that I believe are shared with Grayson, and so on throughout the album. Yet, it remains distinctly different.

I maintain that the Klaxons are cool, purely because I like them and then there's that gloriously befuddled feeling you get. I recommend them to anyone, just head over to their myspace and listen to the tracks there, get a taste! My favourites are Isle of Man (lyrics earlier), Totem on the Timeline, and well, all of the others. Give them a go!

Klaxons - Isle of Her

We'll reach the Isle of Her
We'll find the peacocks tail
We'll steal the mother of pearl
We'll eat the dancing girls

Cyclops gazing alone
Facing mirrors that show
The reflection of his own
Face to face

A hand on each of the oars
A hand on each of the oars
We're seven miles from shore
Just keep on going

Apparently

I need to make a post for my comments to start working?

I think I'm getting old

There are several signs that point towards my age growing ever closer to "over the hill".

First is that, I think there is a possibility that now I'm not drinking as hard and heavy as I have in the past, that I'm actually getting hangovers. I'll refuse to admit they are hangovers though. I call them migraines. In all honesty, I don't think today's is at all linked to drinking last night, because there's no nauseau involved for starters. And I drink too much water for it to be a hangover. I'll stick with that story, okay?

Secondly, there's the fact that "YOUNG HOOLIGANS!" are roaming our streets! Basically as I was walking home from work, and there was this dude, no older that 35, but closer to 25 I'd say, talking to his mate on the footpath outside the zoo. He glanced in my direction as he saw me coming, I'd jangled my keys to alert them to the fact they'd need to move out the way. His mate moved, all good. He just stood where he was, until I was basically standing on his stinky tootsies. I had my music on all loud in my earphones, so I said loud enough for me to hear even "excuse me", and even then he took his sweet mother time to move out the way. How faffing inconsiderate! His only excuse could've been to not move out the way earlier was that he was blind, but if that was the case, his mate would've pulled him out the way. He couldn't be deaf, because he reacted to both the jangling of my keys, and the extremely loud request for him to move. That leaves dumb, because he definately wasn't mute! I wonder what went through his mind as I was approaching him. Maybe "I'm bigger than she is, so I wont move" or maybe "If I pretend she doesn't exist, maybe she'll disappear"? My personal favourite for this fulla, was "Man, I so ugly, it's effecting my brain, how do I move these hands at the end of my legs again?"

In other news, in light of NCEA school stats being announced, I checked out a few colleges' scores. My old school, the "problem" schools when it came to moderation, and the third reason I'm getting old, checking which schools in the region looked to have the better results, you know, for future reference, for sending my nonexistent kids to. Next I'll be using the Ray White website to find somewhere to live within their zones!

But before my kids get to high school age, I've got plenty of time to dream up unique and interesting ways to punish those kids. That is for public use, and after they realise that giving them a smack while in the privacy of their family home could get mommy in big big trouble.

Anyway, plenty of television to rot my brain tonight. Must be off.

Scissor Sisters - Intermission

Don't let those precious moments fool you
Happiness is getting you down
A rainbow never smiles or blinks
It’s just a candy colored frown

You were going on at half-past seven
Now it's going on a quarter 'til nine
All the angels want to know
Are you lost or treading water?
And you're going on your fifteenth bender
But you've only got a matter of time
Yes we've all got seeds to sow
Not everyone's got lambs to slaughter

When the night wind starts to turn
Into the ocean breeze
And the dew drops sting and burn
Like angry honey bees
That is when you hear the song falling from the sky
Happy yesterday to all
We were born to die

Sometimes you're filled with the notion
The afterlife's a moment away
You want to tell someone the way that you feel
But then you ain't got nothing to say
You fight for freedom from devotion
A battle that will always begin
With somebody giving you a piece of advice;
By the way you're living in sin

Now there's never gonna’ be an intermission
But there'll always be a closing night
Never entertain those visions
Lest you may have packed your baggage
First impressions are cheap auditions
Situations are long goodbyes
Truth so often living dormant
Good luck walks and bullshit flies

Let the headlights guide your way
You know the place is right
When the treetops sing and sway
Don't go to sleep tonight
That is when you see the sign
Luminous and high:
Tomorrow's not what it used to be
We were born to die
Happy yesterday to all
We were born to die

Not quite a month in...

I'm proud of my progress with the diet so far, I thought I'd share. Not yet a month into really concentrating on it, and I'm already about a quarter of the way to my 6 month goal. Wahoo!!! And that's with the weekly $10 all you can eat pizza at Syn Bar. Probably because as the weeks go on, my tastes dwindle, to the point all I wanted tonight was Pandemonium.

We'll go together, float on a feather...

Phantom Planet - Anthem

'Cause this whole world needs an Anthem
And I'm trying to put the words where they belong
Yeah this whole world needs an Anthem
And I'm hoping everyone will sing along

Well I quickly got to work and put the song in gear
And my neighbor rang the doorbell said it caught his ear
I was playing it so loud the whole neighborhood could hear
And at night from every household it became quite clear
Everyone was singing along
The same notes the same song
Or maybe I heard it wrong

'Cause this whole world needs an Anthem
And I'm trying to put the words where they belong
Yeah this whole world needs an Anthem
And I'm hoping everyone will sing along.