Name: Natalie Location: New England, United States
I'm older than I care to accept, so I refuse to act my age.
Comment policy: Any and all comments accepted, but if you spam, your comment will go "bam."
About the Music:
All mp3 files are for sampling, but if you like the artist, please go buy their work! I include links, but you can hit up your local merchants, too!
What, That's Not Enough?
I'm joing Sue Doe-Nim in making a Friday Confession.I know this is going to come as a shock to many, but I actually voted for Dubya the first time. I did it to keep my husband off my ass and shut him up about my liberalness. Woe is I. This will never, ever happen again. Ever. I am fifty now and I know better.
..it makes no sense for the FBI to investigate Clemens for possible perjury to while testifying to Congress about whether or not he used steroids or HGH or whatever. What's next, an investigation into whether or not he lied during the investigation of the investigation of the alleged steroid abuse? How long does this tie up resources that should otherwise be used for actual fucking crimes?
Oh, and I just buried my last post, which is one of my better ones of late. Just look right down below this one, ok?
I know it's only February, but I'm tackling the spring cleaning early this year. While dusting the shelves in the living room, I paused to look through this book, one I had found while helping my son move out of an old house he lived in while away at college. We stumbled upon a jackpot in a closet: stacks and stacks of antique books. Most of them were old college texts, some dating back to the 1930's, but there were a few gems I just had to grab. One, in particular, cracked me right up. I can't find a date inside the thing, but from the author's photo, it looks like something from the 30's. Your author and man-catching expert, Helen Gardom. Hey, Helen, are you cheating and employing the use of some magic greenery and a low-cut dress to entice your Perfect Man! Uh huh. I knew you were a slut!
Yes, ladies, this is the book you needed before you went and married that schmuckMr. Wonderful. Single ladies, I could be doing you a favor by sharing this vital information, and saving you from repeated divorces. Everything you need to know is here, in 57 pages.
For today, we'll just examine the cover. The Perfect Man is, apparently, Cary Grant. Girls, skip those scrubs in their baggy pants hanging down to the knees and their boxers sticking out the top. That's a recipe for doom. Forget the tatooed, pierced nutcases. Your Perfect Man wears a suit and tie, because you are worth dressing up for. Would Helen Gardom lie?
This book will get you the man you deserve, honey! You don't even need to go beyond the inside flap! And even if you don't catch your perfect mate, you can read all the Fortuny's books and gain a fortune. Who needs the man?
Check out all of the other fab books in the series, so you can totally screw up your kids, too! There's valuable info for all of us in our middle years, errrr I mean, the "delicate age." When my Perfect Man asks what's for dinner, I guess I can say, "Fuck you, I'm too delicate to make dinner," and since he's perfect, he won't mind a bit!
RollerKaty ofThe Roller Blog is having a contest, and I am trying to decide which horrific rockin' 70's-era photo to use. Be a good blog pal and help me pick my submission, please? And please have a giggle at my expense. I insist.
Nat Impersonates Marcia Brady - Summer of '71. This was my favorite dress; I think it was from Sears' junior department, which had a funky name like "The Lemon Frog" or something at the time. I was probably humming "One Bad Apple" and dreaming of Donny Osmond.
Knee socks? I plead the fifth, people.
Ah, those 70's jeans. I'm rockin' the red, white, and blue, and trying to pass for Rita Coolidge. Do you not love the lovely ponytail, fashionably pulled back over the ears? The two girls are my little sisters, and they both still have better fashion sense than I do.
The Braid Era Begins - (Summer of '72) That's me on the far right, spending a summer day in my one-piece high school gym outfit. Yep, that sucker had a big zipper up the back. Some of those kids are my siblings, others are cousins from Indiana, but the grownups are my parents. Dad had a heart "event" a day or two after this photo was taken, probably due to all of the "damn kids running around screaming!"
The Braid Years, Part II - (circa summer of '73) Still rockin' red, white, and blue. I'm sporting Lisa Loeb glasses, and proving that I'm horribly uncool. See the resemblence to Mary Catherine Gallagher yet?
That 70's Prom (1975)- How lovely it is to match your boyfriend, who's decked in a pink ruffled shirt. I'm wearing a chic little Scarlett O'Hara inspired designer number from the House of D in New Haven, Indiana (aka Grandma's House.) It's only two sizes too big! The flower shop on my shoulder weighed about 5 lbs, so it made that side of my dress sag even more. Behind us? That's the stereo/furniture piece we used to listen to Beatles records on. Grandma called it "the high fi." Off Duty Navy Fashions - The long locks were shorn right before I took off for boot camp in 1976, and I moved on up to the big glasses look. I totally ruin the hippie-vibe of the striped tunic by carrying my Navy-issue purse. At least my jeans were tight. It's All About The Hot Pants - (1979) I'm on a 30-day liberty from Guam, visiting relatives in Georgia. This was my favorite outfit, and I thought I looked fabulous in it. Later this very day, we went to Atlanta, where some guy offered me money, mistaking me for a hooker. I never wore those hot pants in public again. Too bad, too, 'cuz I do believe I looked a teensy bit hot, even with the Dorothy Hamill hair and the big glasses. In case you noticed a big change in the chest size, I lost a bunch of weight between '76 and '79, and, of course, the boobage goes first.
There you have them. Cast your vote in the comments. And if you want to enter the contest, click over to The Roller Blog and join in the fun!
I first heard the Athens, GA based Whigs when I maniacally downloaded songs from the SXSW Showcasing Artist site in 2006. Rolling Stone even dubbed them "the best unsigned band in America" back then. I liked Violet Furs, the offering from the SXSW list, but it didn't blow me away, so I just filed it in the back of my mind, preferring to concentrate on the tunes from Sarah Hepburn, Over The Rhine, Damone, Get Cape. Wear Cape.Fly, The Hazey Janes, and The Brian Jonestown Massacre.
Anyway, now The Whigs have earned buzz band status, appearing on Conan O'Brien's show, and garnering gleaming reviews for their new cd, Mission Control, from Pitchfork, and The New York Times. 'Bout time they paid this band some attention. This band rocks.
They're touring right now with Spinto Band, and will appear at SXSW on March 13, supporting My Morning Jacket and Yo La Tengo.
You can listen to some tunes on their myspace page, and I've got a few for you right here.
First, the song that turned me on to the band, from the 2005 EP Give 'Em All A Big Fat Lip:
And if you're interested in the full Showcasing Artist list, it's here. Not all artists have downloads posted, but you can poke around and find some free goodies!
The road trip has come to a safe end! I'm still wiped out from driving/sightseeing/trips to the hospital to see Dad/shopping (pick one or all!), so I'll be back to posting tomorrow.
Yikes, I've got 276 unread posts in my Google reader. Is this where I push "Mark As Read," and just go from here?
I will say, though, NO American actors won at the Oscars? WHAT is up with that?
People who break down in the left lane of a 2-lane highway need to get their car off the road ASAP. And idiot drivers need to keep their eyes on the cars ahead of them. Red lights mean THE CAR IS STOPPED. (No, I was not involved in an accident, but nearly so. The guy two cars behind me, though, got smacked, and he hit the car behind me. I got out of there as fast as I could!)
The Vietnam Memorial moved me more than I was prepared for. When you see a wall of granite taller than you are covered in names of dead soldiers, it makes your heart heavy, especially when you grew up watching the war coverage on the nightly news.
I have not been do DC since about 1973, and of course it's changed. One memory caused me to LOL.
You see the red arrow up there? Back in 1971 when my 8th grade came here on a class trip, we visited the Lincoln Mem. at lunchtime. We all sat on the steps with our brown paper bags (too cool for lunch boxes at that point in life), munching away. A bunch of boys in our class decided to be boys and slide down the flat stone area (it really does look like a slide, if you can tell by my crude arrow). So, one by one, they stood at the top and took a slide, thus making a playground out of the reverential memorial to one of our greatest presidents. The nuns and mom chaperones went ballistic, of course, and yelled at them. In my day, nuns were known for such things. The boys were under watch for the rest of the day. Anyway, what made me laugh is that there is now a sign at the top of the steps that says, "No Sliding." And there are tons of security people waiting to pounce in case the sign isn't obeyed.
Time sure have changed.
The other thing that moved me yesterday was seeing a video in the National Archives of the Challenger blowing up. I know, it's something I've seen over and over since 1986. This time it hit me hard, just knowing that this video is preserved for all time in our archives, as are many other sad pieces of our history.
The Reflecting Pool is FILTHY, people, filthy.
Homeless people are all over the place. I wonder if Dubya can look out the oval office windows and see all of the scruffy people with shopping carts filled with their belongings. Naaaah.
My 10-year-old is having a great time tying in his social studies class with everything he's discovering here, and this is one of the joys of being a parent.
Later. We're out to see Archie Bunker's chair or something today.
What's one more meme today, among friends? Janet's is always thought-provoking, and her question is really fun this week!
Given the theme of this week's holiday, I want to know what your favorite things are in life. The list of ideas is as follows...
Favorite Food: Pad Thai Favorite Movie: Clerks and Monty Python And The Holy Grail (I can't pick one over the other.) Favorite Drink: Non-alcoholic: Iced Tea; Alcoholic: Tanqueray & Tonic Favorite Bands/Songs: The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Favorite Memory: My parent's 50th anniversary party Favorite TV Show: All time: The Andy Griffith Show; Current: Dexter Favorite Podcast: Contrast Podcast
The ??? one is where you come in. Assuming you're playing along on your blog, or even if you're not, I want you to add something to the list.
Favorite ???: You add something in the comments, if you like!
A special Valentine's Day word association since everyone likes them so much. As always, tell us the first song, album, artist, band that comes to mind when you see these 10 words.
Hearts: The Exploding Hearts - A very cool garagey band. Flowers: These Flowers - Martha Wainwright Broken: I Will Not Be Broken - Bonnie Raitt Wedding: True Companion - Marc Cohn - The perfect wedding song. Heartbreak: Heartbreaker - Pat Benatar - Rock out in your 80's gear. Bitter: Bitter Blue - Shannon McNally Chocolate: Chocolate Salty Balls - Chef - South Park fans, this is for you. And who wouldn't like Isaac Hayes singing "suck on my chocolate salty balls?" Have a listen, but remember that even though Chef is singing about something he bakes, it's quite suggestive. One of my favorites from South Park's musical history, along with Kyle's Mom Is A Bitch. (especially fun for me, since I have a kid named Kyle.) Chef - Chocolate Salty Balls
Candy: Candy's Room - Bruce Springsteen Alcohol: Alcohol - Barenaked Ladies Toy: Cuddly Toy - The Monkees - Truly one of my least favorite Monkees songs.
And you all know that this isn't my meme, don't you? Tuesday Tunes is one of The Music Memoirs' weekly memes. Check it out here.
I can't recall how I got pointed in the direction of this video, so I can't credit the blogger properly, but I've got this song stuck in my head now thanks to him/her.
The artist, Doug Walker, is an up-and-coming singer/songwriter from the UK, and his cd The Mystery will be released on March 10, according to his myspace page. There's a hint of Ben Folds in the piano driven pop, but Walker's lyrics do not carry the bite or acerbic wit that Folds is known for.
Still, this dang song will be stuck in my head all day. Sing along now: na na na na na na na. Now it can be stuck in yours, too! (Sorry about posting a video, but I scoured the place to find an mp3, and it's just nowhere to be found.)
Might I just shout my joy over Herbie Hancock's win of Album Of The Year at the Grammy Awards! That's amazing for a 67-year-old guy (and he does not look that old!), and also amazing considering it was for an album of Joni Mitchell tunes. I guess there's hope for the Grammies after all.
Also amazing: Flight Of The Conchords won for comedy album. Excellent.
Other Nat favorites that won: Amy Winehouse, Robert Plant/Alison Kraus, Springsteen, The White Stripes, JJ Cale and Eric Clapton, Levon Helm, and Steve Earle. Not too bad, and it makes up for Kanye West winning so many awards. I hate rap and always will.
I saw the last 5 minutes of the show and got the rest of the list online. It's the only way to watch now!
It's difficult to play just one cut from The Soft Machine's debut album, Volume I, since there really is no defining line from one cut to another, but I'll post Joy Of A Toy, even with the awkward, abrupt ending.
This is a fine piece of jazz-infused psychedelia from a band who, along with Pink Floyd and Tomorrow, led the way in the British psychedelic scene. Although band members Kevin Ayers and Robert Wyatt have remained relatively obscure to US audiences, they have had long and fruitful solo recording careers. One band member most everyone would recognize is an early member, Andy Summers, who went on to a brilliant career in one of the most successful band of the late 70's and early 80's, The Police. Andy was only with the band for a short time, though, so it seems he was not a driving influence in their work.
Joy Of A Toy is an instrumental piece that breaks up two parts of the album opener, Hope For Happiness. It's kind of light and breezy until the last 27 seconds, when the tempo picks up, then slows down again to segue into Hope For Happiness (reprise), which is rather trippy, but features some very avant-garde vocals and a weird organ freak-out midway through the song. I'm only playing Joy Of A Toy today, to spare you of all the freakiness. Perhaps when I'm feeling a bit more freaked up, I will play the entire piece.
Anyway, here's your Psychedelic Sunday song for today.
Today's 5 features Cowboy Junkies, since I blogged about them earlier this week, and I was in the mood to hear them.
1. The Stars Of Our Stars - from 2004's One Soul Now.
2. Brand New World - A cut from last year's excellent At The End Of Paths Taken.
3. Townes' Blues - There was mutual admiration between the Junkies and Townes Van Zandt. Here is the Townes tribute song, as included on 1992's release, Black-Eyed Man.
4. Sweet Jane - from 1988's The Trinity Session. Some idiot wrote an iTunes review stating, "I was just thinking yesterday that if your band's most popular song is a cover, then that really says something doesn't it?" Yeah, it says, "We made a great record, did you?"
5. Southern Rain - Also from Black-Eyed Man
Now, as a special treat, a song I downloaded (you can too at trinityrevisited.com, a site from Cooking Vinyl Records.)
6. I Don't Get It - From TheTrinity Session Revisited, soon to be released in the U.S. This features Ryan Adams along with Margo Timmins on vocals.
With the big VD less than a week away, the theme is:
Top 5 songs that best say "I Love You"
Since my better half is away for awhile and I'm missing him, I'm going to get all personal and mushy here. He reads this blog, so he'll appreciate the public declaration. Brownie points for Nat!!
I know there's going to be some real schmaltz, but I promise not to delve into the depths of Celine Dion territory. Isn't Valentine's Day all about schmaltz anyway?
1. Journey - Open Arms - This was our song, people. OURS. Nobody else's. Got it?
2. Marc Cohn - True Companion - Would have been our wedding dance song if we had a traditional wedding and if it'd been recorded at that time. Janet seems to be looking for a wedding theme, so I say look no further. This song says it all.
3. The Jayhawks - I'd Run Away - We did run away, and we had a little baby boy, just like in the song. (But the baby boy was nearly two years later.)
4. John Hiatt - Real Fine Love - You've got a real fine, love, baby, one I am not worthy of.
5. John Hiatt - Love Like Blood - I have to go with another Hiatt gem here, because your love is like blood, baby, and this song oozes that sexy kind of love. John Hiatt - Love Like Blood
1.Laura Geller Lip Strip- I get the crumblies on my lips all winter and I won't wear lipstick, but this stuff gently exfoliates the delicate lip skin and leaves them feeling soft and smooth. It's is a sugar scrub, so it tastes divine, too! I can finally wear lipstick in February!
2.Lake Champlain Chocolates- Trust me, grocery store chocolate heart boxes pale in comparison to this. If you don't want a big candy heart, just splurge on a Five Star Bar. I'm particular to the Hazelnut and the Peanut variety, but the Caramel will melt in your mouth. The only one that doesn't thrill me is the Fruit & Nut, but if you like nutty, raisiny bars like Chunky, go for it.
3. Charlie Cox, as Tristan inStardust - Needs no explanation. I really liked the movie, too. His hair was short during the first part of the film and he was cute and all, but later his hair was magically longer and he was magically hotter.
4. Amazing Grace- Trust me on this. Go to Sephora or Nordie's or some other store that carries this line and treat your nose to the amazingly soft, feminine scent. I sprayed it on my wrist and slathered on some hand cream, then walked around the mall. I just kept sniffing at it all afternoon. Other shoppers must have thought I was some kind of weirdo!
One thing that irks me about the philosophy line, though, is all of that smarmy claptrap on the packaging. "how you climb up the mountain is just as important as how you get down the mountain. in the end, it all comes down to one word. grace." That's it, no caps and all. What the hell does that have to do with how you smell? Did Elaine write this shit when she worked for J. Peterman?
I was going to leave it at four treats, but what the hell, let's go for the gold.
5. Clooney!
6. The Icicles - Sugar Sweet - Here is a song I discovered as a ringtone on my new phone. This little morsel of pop confection will get stuck in your head all day, but it's a good kind of stuck. Have a listen. The Icicles - Sugar Sweet
It's word association week. Tell us the first, song, artist, band or album that comes to mind when you see these words. And yes, they were inspired by the Super Bowl.
Oh great, my team lost, so I get to dwell on it for one more day!
Game: Queen - I Want It All Loss: James Carr - A Losing Game Excited: Warren Zevon - Excitable Boy Nervous: The Hooters - Nervous Night Win: John Hiatt - You May Already Be A Winner Run: Great Big Sea - Run Runaway Cheer: Blue Cheer Halftime: Lewis Black - Halftime At The Super Bowl 2001 - I'm posting this, which is definitely NSFW, since it's Lewis Black and he swears like a mo fo and is funny as hell. This is one of my favorite bits of his, since he invokes the name of Oprah. Lewis Black - Halftime At The Super Bowl 2001
Shuffle: Crash Test Dummies - God Shuffled His Feet Ring: Johnny Cash - Ring Of Fire
Ihad so much fun picking 10 - 15 Zep tunes for my "Best Of" for Tuesday Tunes, that I decided to go for it again today, and today's artist is Cowboy Junkies.
When Cowboy Junkies first hit the bigtime in the U.S. in the late 80's, I was irked by their cover of Sweet Jane. I hated the way they slowed it down so much, and I thought Margo Timmins was flat-out boring with her vocals. It took a few years and repeated listenings for the band to grow on me, and I am so glad I gave them a chance. Now, that slow tempo cover of the classic Lou Reed song is one of my favorites.
My Cowboy Junkies Best Of:
Originals: Sun Comes Up, It's Tuesday Morning Misguided Angel Brand New World Stars Of Our Stars Townes' Blues - A tribute to Townes Van Zandt Southern Rain Anniversary Song Miles From Our Home Angel Mine My Little Basquiat Miles From My Home
I love the way the band interprets when they record covers, so I have a small group of these. Covers: Powderfinger (Neil Young) Sweet Jane (Lou Reed) Isn't It A Pity (George Harrison) You're Missing (Bruce Springsteen)
If you're a Junkie junkie, let me know about your favorites, too.
Top 5 Songs that Help you get Rid of the Wintertime "Blahs"
Music Memoirs lady, I seem to pick the same old songs every time when the theme is similar to "what makes you feel happy" or something, so I'm shaking them up this time; I feel I'm stagnating. Every pick will be from my ever-changing list of Top 100 songs, though, and every song I love that much brings me out of any blues and blahs, not just the wintertime kind.
Thunder Road - Bruce Springsteen- From the first tinkle if the ivories and wail of the harmonica, I feel like dancing across a porch while the radio plays. You'd have to ask the neighbors if I dance like a vision, though.
Tiny Dancer - Elton John - Again with the dancing.
Dancing Barefoot - Patti Smith - Ditto. See, dancing around like a fool will just release any blah feeling from your body. Trust me.
Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles - Ok, so I'm caving and using a sun-themed tune, but this one's just so perfect. It has been a long, cold winter so far, and I'm lonely since Mr. Nat isn't home. So, when the sun comes out, it lifts my soul, just like this song does.
Here Comes Your Man - Pixies - If that doesn't chase away the blahs, nothing will.
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