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?

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!!

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!!

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 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.

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?

Psychedelic question marks to drive home my question.

Skunktastically Refreshing

This is maybe a bit of a blast from the past, but, remember Skunk Anansie? If you just  thought to yourself, "Skunk-a-who-who?" Get ready to have your mind blown to the point where you will be inclined to use Google or some other search engine to find out more about this band that I will mention in a very general way in this recommendation. Run-on city; population: me.

This is Skin, Skunk Anansie frontwoman:

I know, right?! Black Girl Rocker!!!!!!!!!*ALERT*!!!!!!!!

Feast your hungry eyes on Skin. Her voice is as intriguing as her very existence. I'm sleepy at the moment, so I'll edit and lengthen this post tomorrow, or not, we shall see.....but in the mean time, check them out, listening to their infectious "My Ugly Boy" right now and it's hitting the spot. Plus they've been knockin 'em dead for a while now. I still remember their live ass performance in Strange Days. If you haven't seen Strange Days get yourself together, you can't even begin to call yourself a movie buff.

 But if you take nothing else from this post, hold this close to your grey matter: Skin's a black female rocker!!! A rare and endangered species that must be enjoyed and experienced and appreciated....

Oh and this list is lame and these people have no taste. How dare they vote Skunk Anansie so high!! Poppycock! Yeah, granted some of the bands probably sucked but the moment I even saw Radiohead's name even near that list for anything bad I almost slammed my laptop shut and biked to Bad Musical Tastesland to destroy their power supplies so that none of them have access to the internet anymore. Hahaha. Just kidding, all in good fun. Look I even linked to your wretched site so that crap tastes can exposed for what they are, different from mine.

Also, I've never attended a Glastonbury Festival outside of YouTube but I stand by the snarky and antagonistic tirade against the unsuspecting users of said site.

Welcome to Prosepunk!!

Peacy Weacy.

Hide Your Throat, Hide Your Neck Because True Blood is back!!

HBO's True Blood returns to a TV screen near you on June 26th!

The title is as catchy as I could make it on this glorious Wednesday afternoon and since there's no doubt it caught your attention --you You Tube/pop-culture addict, you-- I'll go ahead and pat myself on the back for creating a titillating title for your enjoyment.

After enduring an onslaught of cookie-cutter, angst ridden bloodsuckers for a year (I'm talking about you, Twilight and Vampire Diaries on CW!) I am all too ready to experience the harsh unbridled sexuality and won ton violence of True Blood, which makes its return June 26th, 2011 on HBO.

True Blood vampires are the type of vampire I grew up loving; vagrant yet independently wealthy undead on a mission for sustenance all the while being tortured by murky moral compasses and insatiable blood lust. I like my characters flawed but irresistible (Eric Northman, anyone?) I like the humans that co-exist with the vampires to either display a faculty-robbing fear of the vampire or an unrelenting desire to bask in the shroud of their enticing darkness. My vampires must either be  unapologetic, ruthless predators of the night or ruthless vampires of the night trying to suppress their murderous instincts all in the name of love--in a believable and entertaining way that doesn't involve sparkling  skin or teenagers with a penchant for flat irons.

Season 1 of True Blood ripped the colorful lifestyles of Bon Temp's dead and living from the pages of Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series and slapped viewers across each of their faces with it all at the same time with no hesitation! It gave us our first delicious peek into the sultry lives of a town of unsuspecting yet magnetically attractive Southerners. It introduced the multi-cultural group of characters that boasted a supporting cast that surpassed the suggestion of their supporting cast label! To top it all off, all these attractive Southerners dabbled in just enough sex and violence to appeal to the darkness in us all--even we mild Midwesterners!

Last but not least, True Blood's debut introduced us to the seemingly innocent and good-natured Sookie Stackhouse who just happened to have the enviable talent of reading the minds of her friends, family, customers and the like--and where would Sookie be without the brooding southern gentleman Bill Compton by her side, licking his chops--irresistibly of course. These two, while I found myself staring daggers at them from time to time as they traipsed across the screen in some feverish embrace or yelled at eachother or saved one another form harm or had sex (all the time), really hit the spot. They are the dysfunctional foundation for a bevy of enthralling storylines--isn't that the point of a story? For it to ENTHRALL you? You don't even have to look at your Word-A-Day calendar today after reading this post! Enthrall- to captivate or charm. OR.....TO ENSLAVE!!! Okay enough of that.

Season 1 was a shocking yet seamless barrage of crazy plot twists, vivid violence, and naked bodies entwined in the throes of passion all topped off by a cliffhanger finale that left me beside my self with longing for season 2, and trust me when it came I was completely sated!

Season 2 convinced True Blood's growing fan base that it would not be one of those shows that jumps the shark after the first season, Mary Ann was an absolutely sweet villain, right? Oh yeah--this is a spoiler free review, the type I specialize in because there's nothing I despise more than a spoiler--well maybe I hate bad movies that somehow take the nation by storm while masterpieces sit forgotten and under-appreciated on the shelf more but I, as I often do, digress. So I won't spoil anything, I'll just let you know, just in case you're a little slow on the uptake and have failed to ingest the delicious witch's brew that is season 2, that Bon Temp is running thick with more than smokin' hot, blood thirsty vampires and the hot pant-clad hotties that love them!! HOT! HOT! HOT!

Season 3 wasn't my favorite but it still had me glued to my seat every Sunday night, it still kept me entertained, and it managed to stay as dark and unpredictable as always. I got enough Eric, Sam, Tara, and Lafeyette to keep me satisfied for eons to come, and vampire politics aren't half as dry as human ones.

I love the show, and in about ten days, I will once again immerse myself in the delicious drama-filled lives of Bon Temps' addicting residents!! Season 4, welcome to air!