This isn't Shakespeare, this isn't news/ It's just my thoughts on music and booze/ Read if you dare, leave if you must/ Though you'll miss out on my musical lust/ Depart and go on your own merry way/ But much is offered, should you choose to stay.
It's October! My favorite month! It's the 4th, and as of about 2 days ago, it finally actually feels like fall. No more temps in the 90s. This time next week I'll be up to my nose in Creole, Cajun and French influences, foods, histories and atmospheres. Yep, going to Nola! Taking my mom. We're pretty excited. Marie Laveau, Jean Lafitte, voodoo, absinthe, crawdads, etoufee... just to name a fraction of it. Oh! I finished my Poison Ivy painting a while back! Here she be:
I'm pleased with how she turned out. Now on to the next one... As for music, tonight I was reminded of a song that's in the show Orphan Black. It's called "Water Prayer" by Adham Shaikh, and it's the Matt the Alien Remix. It's got a good smooth feel to it, something worth dancing to. (If you're interested, the Orphan Black scene with the song is here.)
I also listened to the Nightmare Revisited album earlier. Give it a listen, if you haven't. And if you're into Nightmare Before Christmas. Alright, one more song. This one was on an episode of Grace and Frankie. It stuck with me and still gets played rather often.
Not much else to share, even after six and a half months... Ta.
The show "Gotham" has only 4 episodes left. They haven't had much in the way of music during its run, but there's one that sticks with me. "The Sinking Ship, The Grand Applause" by The Paper Chase. It's one that builds, and has a good rhythm to it. I'm glad the music vid is the way it is, because it doesn't distract you from what you're hearing.
I've also really been into Brody Dalle lately. More specifically, her Spinnerette album. Brody is wife to "Ginger Elvis" Josh Homme, who heads Queens of the Stone Age (among a few other high-profile projects, look him up). She began as a punk rocker in the band The Distillers, which disbanded, and moved on to Spinnerette, and has also done solo work. I came across a YouTube vid that is absolutely amazing, her and Garbage babe Shirley Manson, singing a song for Record Store Day back in 2014. Gotta get this vinyl.
Anthony Bourdain did not get recognition in the In Memoriam segment of the Oscars this year. Along with many other snubs like R. Lee Ermy, Carol Channing, Verne Troyer, Harry Anderson, Al Matthews, Dick Miller, Aretha Franklin, and EFFING JOHN MAHONEY. WTF, Academy?
Since my last post, I've acquired a new job! No more bartending, back to what I love... working with kids! I'm a para again! And absolutely loving it. It happened about a month after my last entry, actually.
I discovered a couple of songs via youtube. Sorry, what? Well hell yeah, of course I'm gonna share 'em! The first is from a band I hadn't heard of previously, called The Dead South. This song... something about it really stuck with me. I find it catchy.
It's difficult for me to understand what the song is about, but I gather it's a couple who meets a rather violent end, with him ending her and them himself, saying he'll "be in good company" in hell, since that's where they both are probably going.
The second song I discovered is from a band I already love, The Kills. Their album Blood Pressures is one of my top 5 favorites. And I don't think I can listen to this song without watching to music vid to accompany it. Greatness.
She (Alison Mosshart) is also in another band called The Dead Weather. (I may have mentioned this before. Totally bears repeating.) When I first discovered her, thanks to Anthony Bourdain's Nashville episode, I delved into her music and found I preferred The Kills over The Dead Weather. NOW, however, I find that the latter's Dodge and Burn album has really grown on me.
In essence, Alison Mosshart holds a special place in my heart. And my musical choices.
So I just watched the first John Wick movie, for the first time. I had a slight idea of what it was about, guy's dog gets killed, he seeks revenge. 'S'what I'd heard, anyway. And basically yeah, there's a bit more to it, but that's what it boils down to. I think what surprised/amused me was, EVERYONE'S reaction. "You killed his dog? F*ck!! You f*cking IDIOT!" Followed by a huge impressive violent revenge tale.
Finally painting again! As of about an hour ago! Something I've long had on my to-do list. Poison Ivy on canvas to go with my Harley Quinn. And it's off to a pretty good start.
It's finally that amazing time of year. Chilly. Autumn-y. Time for fires and hot tea. And of course Oktoberfest beer. As for the art projects I mentioned in my last post, I did accomplish a bit. First is the wooden 20-sided die I bought my husband.
This, let me tell you, has been pretty meticulous work. But I'm pleased. My first painting for my friend's hippie bar wasn't proceeding as hoped, so I took a different approach with my second canvas. Instead of sketching first, and being mindful of the lines, I loosened up and used nothing but paintbrush.
I think it worked out. My friend loves it. Also did a quick Joan Jett sketch while I was stuck between projects. Nothing special, but kinda got me pointed in the right direction.
So now I need to finish the first painting I started, and start either a Poison Ivy or Catwoman to go with the Harley Quinn I have. Speaking of Batman villains, Devon wants to go as the Riddler for Halloween this year, and he wants me to go as Ivy. Dude... I'm about 30 lbs over my "sexy" body, but... fine. If that's what you want. I caught a documentary on tv the other day, and I loved it. It was Pink Floyd: The Making of Wish You Were Here. And it made me fall in love with the album. They broke down every song... The background, the meaning... It was fantastic. What's interesting is, maybe a week before I saw it, I was reading about the band, and the whole Syd Barrett story stuck with me. He was an original founder, and the first lead singer. But, that Syd disappeared and left behind a shell of his former self. Family claims it was mental issues, like schizophrenia, while his bandmates say it was an overuse of LSD. At any rate, Syd and the band separated, and a few years later they made Wish You Were Here. The first and last tracks - the two-part Shine On You Crazy Diamond - is about, and dedicated to, him. Anyway, it's actually available on YouTube, so... Give it a watch!
Happy mid-September. I suppose. Just, y'know, waiting for October, and everything that comes with it. Just get here already... And bring that chill to the air with you.
Finally got some art projects going. I'm painting a flat wooden 20-sided die for my husband, and working on the first of hopefully a few canvasses for a friend. She just opened up a bar close to where I work, and it's hippie-themed. I'm also hoping to finally do the Poison Ivy (from the Batman universe) canvas I've wanted to do for ages. I'll share pics of them once they're done. The new house is going nicely. Got it all unpacked, now just need to get a couple projects done. A dresser for the kid, an entertainment center. Deep freeze. This 'n that. Apparently we moved into a nature preserve. Countless squirrels, rabbits, mourning doves, cardinals, other birds I can't identify, possums, a snake or three, and... two chipmunks. Yep. However, it's only when I keep the bird feeder filled. Leave it empty for a few days, and it's a ghost town. One of the chipmunks, the one I see regularly, is my favorite. When I fill the hanging bird feeder, I'll lay some food out on the ground for him. He fills his cheeks and disappears for a while, then returns empty. Repeat. The other chipmunk I only saw once or twice, and I thought "oh, you brought family, awesome!..." then suddenly he chased the new guy away with great hostility. "Or... not... ok..." Hopefully getting new ink soon. As in new tattoo. Again with the sharing of pics once it happens. Our family "vacation" this summer (I'm really not considering it a vacation, for reasons) included a sightseeing trip to "castle ruins" in/near the Ozarks. If you're ever in the area, it's worth the time. Here's a pic to give you an idea...
After a couple of paragraphs, I realized that I really don't have much to say tonight... Just excited to be doing art again, I guess, and wanted to share. Don't really have a lot to get excited about these days. Take care. Ta-ta.
The trip by train to the city went alright. Not as well as I'd hoped, but hopefully still memorable. It's difficult to keep an autistic ad/hd kid entertained during 2 long train rides to a mostly-by-foot two day romp around the city. Where things he wants to do, like river boat tours, cost $40... for one of us. But that's not to say that fun wasn't had. He loved going up in one of the skyscapers to the skydeck. And we found a very interesting, imaginative and extensive playground. I just hope that he remembers it, and fondly. The fun stuff. Just got back from a trip to see my mom's side of the family three states away a few days ago. Drove 14.5 hours one way with my son and mother. Stayed for 6 days. Once we got there, the time flew by. Suddenly we were leaving the next day to drive the 14.5 hours back. What reeeaaalllyyy sucked was we didn't have the satellite radio I'm spoiled with in our car. AND of course, my media player was nowhere to be found. So no RoadTrip PlayList '18. Erg. And the further south we went, the more stations on the radio were... gospel, religious, etc. No thanks. And unfortunately, the radio signal was so damn rare that I found myself settling for country music. I may have wiped blood from my ears once or twice. (No insult meant for gospel & country music fans. It's just really, truly not for me. You all say the same about Ozzy, Manson, Ramones, and Eminem.) So since my return, I've resumed work on the new-- wait! You nonexistent readers don't know yet! We bought a house! Our first! Moved in about a month ago. Right before the trip to the city. Anyhow, I've been working on the new place, but it's slow going. So effing busy with stuff this summer, and unsure of how I want things. Like stuff hung on the walls. And what to put in storage (now that we have sooo much more storage, thanks to the attic & basement space!). It's a process, but I've done things here and there. We'll get there. One fairly recent occurence that hit me hard... Anthony Bourdain's death. I deeply admired him. He's inspired me to find the lesser-known eateries in the places I travel to. To find out what said places are known for, and the history and culture. When we vacationed last year and ended up going to Nashville, I watched the N'ville Parts Unknown episode a few days before. While I didn't end up going to any of the places he went, it did introduce me to two bands, The Dead Weather and The Kills. I absolutely love the album Blood Pressures by The Kills. You may think Nashville is nothing but country, but there are a few hidden gems. Anyway... it still stings. And will for time to come. I remember the first ep I watched... It was at my mom's house, after she came home around midnight after work. We watched his Okinawa episode. I loved it, and had to see more. I loved the way it was written and filmed. It wasn't just food, it was as I said a bit ago, culture and history. And food. And adventure. I just started reading the book that got his stardom started, Kitchen Confidential. It emanates the same spirit you see in his show. Humorous, carefree, rebellious. Since I've been back from the south, I've started watching a new show: Orphan Black. Damn good! I'm hooked. They do a fantastic job with it. Making each "sister" her own character... and very believable, at that. Tatiana Maslany is phenomenal. Ta.
Yours truly is now 31. Had a very low-key birthday this year. But a good one. Spent with the two main guys in my life. Received some pretty awesome pirate-y gifts. Sextant, spyglass, and ship (Queen Anne's Revenge, which was Blackbeard's) in a bottle.
The Glitch Mob just dropped a new album! Their third, not including their remix releases. "See Without Eyes" is its name. I fell in love with their first album, Drink The Sea, but their second - Love Death Immortality - didn't catch on like its predecessor. Unfortunately. Even with my girl Aja Volkman from Nico Vega on a track! But alas... Anyway, giving the new my first listen now.
I like how they use Braille. And the image kinda reminds me of the opening credits of the American version of Girl With the Dragon Tattoo movie. Summer vacation nears. The 35 hours a week I have to myself will decrease significantly... by about 35 hours. Yeah I'm on track 5 and it's still not catching me like Drink The Sea did. Shame. Taking the kid on a overnight trip this summer. One I've wanted to do for a while now. Get on the train, ride to the city, let him see what the urban atmosphere is like. I think he'll love it.
Since the kid's currently watching Loony Tunes in the other room, I'll leave you with the classic...
