In euphoric bliss.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
There are places in the world in which you never think to look to find a particular brand of music. Though every country is eclectic, unique and full of diversity that applies to race, religion and interests (for the most part), there are genres of music that certain areas are frankly, just not known for.
For example, Chelyabinsk, Russia. This place is deep in Russia, okay? Deep enough that after stumbling upon Triagrutrika and seeing where they came from, I was like, they are from one of the most Russian cities in Russia. I bet. Chelyabinsk? Have you heard of this Russian city? Of course this question applies to U.S.A-ers because as an American I can admit that I like some other Americans, can be a little, um, oblivious to international geography and cities that cannot boast the position of capital. Know what I'm saying? Moscow, Russia, St. Petersburg, I know of those places for sure. I'm not an idiot or anything. But get this, Chelyabinsk is one of Russia's bigger cities (the ninth largest, anyway) but you know what, I bet the people in Chelyabinsk don't know anything about Toledo, Ohio so don't judge me, Russians of beautiful Chelyabinsk:
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| Chelyabinsk, Russia-the administrative center of Chelyabinsk Oblast |
So after that little tidbit I'll try to yank myself back on track. For you.
So I fell across this Russian RAP GROUP called Triagrutrika. Try saying that three times fast. It's easy for me but I bet you can't do it. The name translates as...who knows man I've tried to find out and believe me I searched and I couldn't. Listen, I'm a researcher, yes, but what the name is cool and its meaning is not as important as the music, and also, the name might not mean anything at all anyway. Remember the American band Hoobastank? Aerosmith anybody? Neither of those names have a real meaning and though Aerosmith is on a whole other level than Hoobastank who have by now faded into obscurity, both are examples that a band name doesn't neccessarrily have to have any meaning. So now that I've made excuses for my sub-par reasearching skills we can continue.
Clearly if you're still reading you come for the digressions and run-ons and stay for the miniscule snatches of discussion of the actual subject of my posts. Thanks, it's great to have you!
So Triagrutrika from Chelyabinsk, Russia consists of the the members...damn I can't even find that information. Listen, these guys are an underground Russian rap group. They are like phantoms in the night. Maybe one day they'll stumble across this site and decide to tell me all about themselves.... which would be great because their music is amazing. I was pleasantly surprised by the infectious production and the way the guys' flows rode the rhythm as it were. Nice lyrical delivery, their videos are AMAZING because it's just them rapping! I can focus on the music and not be distracted by vaselined rumps of well-endowed female dancers gyrating before the lens! Imagine that. Well, you don't have to imagine it, here it is:
Mmmmmm delicious. No, you don't know what they're saying unless you know Russian, which I don't. But dammit I still appreciated it. And I still listened to them for hours on YouTube. And they're easy on the eyes as well. I would flirt these guys under the table if I met them and also, drink them under the table and also, interview them about their music extensively before catching a flight back to Toledo and telling you all about it on Prosepunk.
What did I just do here? Introduce you to what I consider to be an amazing Russian rap group--no, amazing Rap Group in general. Go ahead, disagree with me. You wouldn't dare.
*I was gonna try to end this post with a translation of the lyrics of "Big City Life"...but wouldn't you know it? I couldn't find those either. Sigh. Enjoy anyway though. Prosepunk commands it.
Peacy Weacy!!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
For some reason....
My fiction has been suffering horribly lately. I'm wondering why. I still feel the urge to write. It's not that I don't feel like writing because I do, but my fiction is wilting fast and I'm not sure why. I know stress caused me to slack on my writing in the past months but trust me when I say that I have excised a large chunk of stress out of my life and feel amazing about it. So why are my creative juices clogged like so many hairballs in the shower drain of an individual with abundant locks?
Ho hum. Nothing more than that to offer today. Just wanted to lament my fiction-based writer's block I suppose. I even wrote an article about Writer's Block before. Too bad I seem unable to take my own advice today. But dammit if it isn't great advice. And the truth, too. I'm so brilliant, you are too if you're reading this. Isn't it great to be brilliant?
Peacy Weacy!!
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| Now do you get it? This picture symbolizes my creativity perfectly. |
Ho hum. Nothing more than that to offer today. Just wanted to lament my fiction-based writer's block I suppose. I even wrote an article about Writer's Block before. Too bad I seem unable to take my own advice today. But dammit if it isn't great advice. And the truth, too. I'm so brilliant, you are too if you're reading this. Isn't it great to be brilliant?
Peacy Weacy!!
Monday, August 29, 2011
When Soundtracks Attack Lite: Watchmen: Music From the Motion Picture
So today was a cool day, I'm going to ramble on at length--or at short--about the Watchmen Soundtrack depending on how long I can resist the urge to dash back down to my television to finish watching Adventure Time. I spent some of my day off work viewing Watchmen for the third of fourth time and I was of course aware of how expertly the soundtrack was chosen, it fit the tone perfectly and doused me in a wave of nostalgia for a time that I didn't have the pleasure of living in. (I will ignore the fact that living in the 1960's/1970's/1980's as a black woman might have been less than stellar as far as lifestyle, opportunities and rights but I'm not talking about that today and it is irrelevant to my discussion on the soundtrack so quit getting me off track, reader).
I imagined living in the time of these songs' creation and hearing this music so close to it's inception, so soon after these artists had penned and recorded these masterpieces of American music. Nice. Many of the songs were either on my Zune already (like one of my ABSOLUTE favorite pieces of music of all time from bomb-ass composer Philip Glass, a version of "Pruit Igoe" called "Pruit Igoe & Prophecies") or should have been, like Billie Holiday's amazing "You're My Thrill", Simon & Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence", or Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah". Really good songs. But then I was introduced to the voice of Nina Simone for the first time.
I've heard her name numerous times but never took the time to see what this woman was about. I wish I'd discovered her earlier because needless to say, she blew my mind. Her cover of Kurt Weill's "Pirate Jenny" from The Threepenny Opera, is absolutely perfect, haunting, memorable, amazing, look, I'll even put it here for you to listen to because it's just that good:
Whoa. So once again, as it happened when I viewed Pirate Radio, a Watchmen sent me to download its soundtrack and discover all sorts of amazing old music that needs to be spread in this century to remind us that music can be as transcendent as we always hope for it to be. Nina Simone, this post is for you. I was truly inspired and I am on my way to becoming a big fan.
Oh, and stay tuned for my post about the movie Watchmen, it will interesting and titillating, I promise.
Peacy Weacy!!
I imagined living in the time of these songs' creation and hearing this music so close to it's inception, so soon after these artists had penned and recorded these masterpieces of American music. Nice. Many of the songs were either on my Zune already (like one of my ABSOLUTE favorite pieces of music of all time from bomb-ass composer Philip Glass, a version of "Pruit Igoe" called "Pruit Igoe & Prophecies") or should have been, like Billie Holiday's amazing "You're My Thrill", Simon & Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence", or Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah". Really good songs. But then I was introduced to the voice of Nina Simone for the first time.
I've heard her name numerous times but never took the time to see what this woman was about. I wish I'd discovered her earlier because needless to say, she blew my mind. Her cover of Kurt Weill's "Pirate Jenny" from The Threepenny Opera, is absolutely perfect, haunting, memorable, amazing, look, I'll even put it here for you to listen to because it's just that good:
Whoa. So once again, as it happened when I viewed Pirate Radio, a Watchmen sent me to download its soundtrack and discover all sorts of amazing old music that needs to be spread in this century to remind us that music can be as transcendent as we always hope for it to be. Nina Simone, this post is for you. I was truly inspired and I am on my way to becoming a big fan.
Oh, and stay tuned for my post about the movie Watchmen, it will interesting and titillating, I promise.
Peacy Weacy!!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
When Soundtracks Attack : Pirate Radio Soundtrack
Oh, hello, didn't see you there. You're a sneaky little bugger aren't you? Is what a hot British man would say upon finding an unexpected person creeping up behind him. Despite my surprise, I welcome your presence, and want to dose you with a little bitty album review.
I'd like to discuss a good soundtrack for those of you who like old music but aren't quite ready to indulge in B-side oldies as of yet. Take an intrigued yet cautious gander at the Pirate Radio Soundtrack. It's chock-full of the oldies you know and love, the hits of the 1960's.
Pirate Radio's double disc set kicks off with a cover of Lorraine Ellison's 1966 hit "Stay With Me (Baby)" an achingly sweet beg-a-thon of a song (I mean this in the most positive way) that Duffy's one of a kind voice oozes around like a comfortable burst of cold water to soothe an aching wound. Duffy's rendering is perfectly executed and properly honors the original with a strike that manages to add another dimension to Ellison's cathartic piece. While not seamlessly, it fit in very well with the authentic oldies on the album. Duffy's emotive treat gives way to some of the most emotional, well-written and composed songs of a different time, when music was more organic, voices clear and unaltered.
Take The Kinks' "All Day" for starters, you forget its constant brandishing in the media and pop culture and enjoy the song in its entirety for the actual quality of the production, the effect of the lyrics' repetition, the unique sound of Ray Davies' voice. The same can be said of The Beach Boys' ever ever present in films' opening credits classic "Wouldn't it Be Nice" which is a really amazing song when one takes the time to sit and really listen to the composition and the clear timbre of Brian Wilson's voice sliding over the melodic harmonies for which the Beach Boys are so well known. I smell a run-on, and it smells good so let's go with it.
The album contains many classic soul favorites of the late mid to late 1960's, such as Smoky Robinson's "Ooo Baby Baby". Smoky Robinson, that was a voice, right? Turn that song on and tell me that wasn't A VOICE? No autotune, nowhere near (if any) as much of the studio polishing that smooths out the kinks in the voices of many of today's most famous singers.
Otis Redding's "These Arms of Mine"? Just slide me a mattress now because I'm about to hit the floor with adoration for Otis' voice. Pure emotion, the perfect rasp born straight from the flesh of his vocal cords and not urged on by the press of a button or the turning of a dial. Do you get what I'm saying? These people could sing. They had talent. Their TALENT catapulted them into the limelight, not a gross amount of nepotism, not an exterior superiority, not a quota system put in place for the benefit of advertisers. I'm going on a tangent. That never happens here at Prosepunk.
While this album was making me fall in love with many quality yet overplayed songs of the past, it was also introducing me to songs that I never would have considered listening to, such as Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass' "This Guy's in Love With You". Expert. Phenomenal. Evocative. Grand. Dramatic. That enough adjectives for you? It better be because that's all you're getting and dammit that's plenty!
The album also re-introduced me to some of my old favorites, such as Cream's "I Feel Free" and Hendrix's "The Wind Cries Mary". Delicious.
This is a must have soundtrack, I learned how much I love the oldies and reawakened my appreciation for the style and realness in every note produced.
Music is a learning experience. Even someone like me who knows anything anyone should ever even WANT to know about music, stuff that would make people think I'm crazy or know a little TOO much, learn so much everyday! Such as in this case when watching the film "Pirate Radio" (it was just aiiiiiight) caused me to check out the soundtrack. And by gosh I'm glad I did!
Officer, I was attacked. By a soundtrack.
Pirate Radio Track List!!!
Disc: 1
1. Stay With Me Baby-Duffy
2. All Day-The Kinks
3. Elenore-The Turtles
4. Judy In Disguise-John Fred And Playboys
5. Dancing-Martha Reeves
6. Wouldn't It Be Nice-Beach Boys
7. Ooh Baby Baby-Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
8. This Guys In Love-Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
9. Hi Ho Silver Lining-Jeff Beck
10. I Can See For Miles-The Who
11. With A Girl Like You-The Troggs
12. I'm Alive-The Hollies
13. Yesterday Man-Chris Andrews
14. I've Been A Bad Bad Boy-Paul Jones
15. Silence Is Golden-Tremeloes
Disc: 2
1. Friday On My Mind-Easybeats
2. My Generation-The Who
3. I Feel Free-Cream
4. Wind Cries Mary-Jimi Hendrix
5. A Whiter Shade Of Pale-Procol Harum
6. These Arms Of Mine-Otis Redding
7. The Happening- Supremes
8. Cleo's Mood - Junior Walker & The All Stars
9. She'd Rather Be With Me-The Turtles
10. 98.6-The Bystanders
11. Sunny Afternoon-Kinks
12. Father And Son-Cat Stevens
13. Nights In White Satin-Moody Blues
14. You Don't Have To Say You Love Me-Dusty Springfield
15. Stay With Me-Lorraine Ellison
16. This Old Heart Of Mine-The Isley Brothers
17. Let's Dance-David Bowie
I'd like to discuss a good soundtrack for those of you who like old music but aren't quite ready to indulge in B-side oldies as of yet. Take an intrigued yet cautious gander at the Pirate Radio Soundtrack. It's chock-full of the oldies you know and love, the hits of the 1960's.
Pirate Radio's double disc set kicks off with a cover of Lorraine Ellison's 1966 hit "Stay With Me (Baby)" an achingly sweet beg-a-thon of a song (I mean this in the most positive way) that Duffy's one of a kind voice oozes around like a comfortable burst of cold water to soothe an aching wound. Duffy's rendering is perfectly executed and properly honors the original with a strike that manages to add another dimension to Ellison's cathartic piece. While not seamlessly, it fit in very well with the authentic oldies on the album. Duffy's emotive treat gives way to some of the most emotional, well-written and composed songs of a different time, when music was more organic, voices clear and unaltered.
Take The Kinks' "All Day" for starters, you forget its constant brandishing in the media and pop culture and enjoy the song in its entirety for the actual quality of the production, the effect of the lyrics' repetition, the unique sound of Ray Davies' voice. The same can be said of The Beach Boys' ever ever present in films' opening credits classic "Wouldn't it Be Nice" which is a really amazing song when one takes the time to sit and really listen to the composition and the clear timbre of Brian Wilson's voice sliding over the melodic harmonies for which the Beach Boys are so well known. I smell a run-on, and it smells good so let's go with it.
The album contains many classic soul favorites of the late mid to late 1960's, such as Smoky Robinson's "Ooo Baby Baby". Smoky Robinson, that was a voice, right? Turn that song on and tell me that wasn't A VOICE? No autotune, nowhere near (if any) as much of the studio polishing that smooths out the kinks in the voices of many of today's most famous singers.
Otis Redding's "These Arms of Mine"? Just slide me a mattress now because I'm about to hit the floor with adoration for Otis' voice. Pure emotion, the perfect rasp born straight from the flesh of his vocal cords and not urged on by the press of a button or the turning of a dial. Do you get what I'm saying? These people could sing. They had talent. Their TALENT catapulted them into the limelight, not a gross amount of nepotism, not an exterior superiority, not a quota system put in place for the benefit of advertisers. I'm going on a tangent. That never happens here at Prosepunk.
While this album was making me fall in love with many quality yet overplayed songs of the past, it was also introducing me to songs that I never would have considered listening to, such as Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass' "This Guy's in Love With You". Expert. Phenomenal. Evocative. Grand. Dramatic. That enough adjectives for you? It better be because that's all you're getting and dammit that's plenty!
The album also re-introduced me to some of my old favorites, such as Cream's "I Feel Free" and Hendrix's "The Wind Cries Mary". Delicious.
This is a must have soundtrack, I learned how much I love the oldies and reawakened my appreciation for the style and realness in every note produced.
Music is a learning experience. Even someone like me who knows anything anyone should ever even WANT to know about music, stuff that would make people think I'm crazy or know a little TOO much, learn so much everyday! Such as in this case when watching the film "Pirate Radio" (it was just aiiiiiight) caused me to check out the soundtrack. And by gosh I'm glad I did!
Officer, I was attacked. By a soundtrack.
Pirate Radio Track List!!!
Disc: 1
1. Stay With Me Baby-Duffy
2. All Day-The Kinks
3. Elenore-The Turtles
4. Judy In Disguise-John Fred And Playboys
5. Dancing-Martha Reeves
6. Wouldn't It Be Nice-Beach Boys
7. Ooh Baby Baby-Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
8. This Guys In Love-Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
9. Hi Ho Silver Lining-Jeff Beck
10. I Can See For Miles-The Who
11. With A Girl Like You-The Troggs
12. I'm Alive-The Hollies
13. Yesterday Man-Chris Andrews
14. I've Been A Bad Bad Boy-Paul Jones
15. Silence Is Golden-Tremeloes
Disc: 2
1. Friday On My Mind-Easybeats
2. My Generation-The Who
3. I Feel Free-Cream
4. Wind Cries Mary-Jimi Hendrix
5. A Whiter Shade Of Pale-Procol Harum
6. These Arms Of Mine-Otis Redding
7. The Happening- Supremes
8. Cleo's Mood - Junior Walker & The All Stars
9. She'd Rather Be With Me-The Turtles
10. 98.6-The Bystanders
11. Sunny Afternoon-Kinks
12. Father And Son-Cat Stevens
13. Nights In White Satin-Moody Blues
14. You Don't Have To Say You Love Me-Dusty Springfield
15. Stay With Me-Lorraine Ellison
16. This Old Heart Of Mine-The Isley Brothers
17. Let's Dance-David Bowie
Sunday, August 14, 2011
I feel the pulse
The electric vibration
From the foundation
It snaps to the forgettable extremities
It originates in the dark
Swell within me and teach me
Why the touch is what is craved
Why the world is at my toes
The pulse an idol
Suffering sneers from established gods
Pulsing in time to a techno beat
Sliding beside a jazz riff
The fire behind the strike of a rap lyric
As I live in it and I felt it today
With passion inside me I searched
Only to find a pulsating femininity
A need to be pressed against hard and different
Those creatures hailing from Mars.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
This will be a distinctly tumultuous day....
However, I couldn't be more excited about it. The knot in my chest will dissipate. I'll stop shuddering in horror at the state of certain aspects of my beautiful life--I will climb to the highest point in this flat Ohio town and sing out that I am ready to live the life I've always wanted.
Also, it's 7 in the morning and I realized I haven't blogged in ages. A fortnight or more. So answer this question lone reader, did you miss me?
Also, it's 7 in the morning and I realized I haven't blogged in ages. A fortnight or more. So answer this question lone reader, did you miss me?
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| Psychedelic question marks to drive home my question. |
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