Christmas Ought to Be Better.

Everyone is enjoying the lovely food downstairs while I'm up here lying in bed. I have a headache and no appetite. I wish I could trade my body in for one that works better.

I'll take this time to discuss, and by discuss I mean post cool videos by, a very grooving band.

Primal Scream.

Primal Scream is an interesting band for me in particular. They are the bridge between my two very favourite genres of music; 90's Brit-Pop and Noise/Psychedelic/Rock (I never know how to explain it. Genres have become so complex.). The thing about Primal Scream is they do not limit themselves to any genre. They've certainly evolved. Screamadelica (right) won the Mercury Music Prize in 1992 and is their most popular album. I mean even before I knew Primal Scream, I knew this image. It was a strange thing always seeing it and ignoring it. Anyhow I listened to Screamadelica hoping to fall in love and I was completely thrown off by the beats and the sampling. I already had an idea of what they would sound like and house/techno/gospel was not to be considered. Eventually the album grew on me and I adore its unique character.

I read a review on Pitchfork for their latest album Beautiful Future and found this quote from Stuart Berman was strangely accurate.

"Taken as a whole, Primal Scream's scattershot, trend-spotting discography doesn't so much represent a search for new sounds as a search for the best drugs: ecstasy (1991's epochal acid-house address Screamadelica), weed (1997's dubtronic odyssey Vanishing Point), speed (2000's explosive XTRMNTR), coke (2002's totally wired Evil Heat)..."

Here is a little insight into Primal Scream's evolution.

The Beginning

The Height of Success

Later on

I could have kicked myself for missing them when they were touring around me around a year or two ago. Now I'll have to wait and hope they'll tour again sooner than later

It's a little late.

This week was pure disaster. Beginning with Tuesday. I was totally late to a group project presentation that  I had already felt I did shitty on. Then today I became so stressed I couldn't even nap. Understand napping is my drug. I do it to forget bullshit and visit dreamland even if dreamland sucks (which there is a fifty percent chance of) And even if dreamland sucks it was not real. I love that. Anyhow I got my group project grade back. Twelve out of Twenty, talk about bombing it. I just hit the point where I feel like my effort is wasted. I did however finish a paper, which cured my massive funk. I hope to finish another tomorrow to get me really feeling good.

In Eliseland music has been strange. I just became incredibly intrigued by Rihanna's "Only Girl (In The World). Liked the tune, LOVED the video. I'm a music video person. I love a good music video, I know a lot of people who completely ignore this aspect of the music world. I adore music videos.
This video in particular is just gorgeous. The colours, wardrobe, setting, movement, everything is just perfect.



 I was completely unaware Rihanna had put out another album, but I remember her sporting red hair for a bit now and if Rihanna sporting a new do you can be sure there's a new album. I was correct, Loud is her most recent album and I was glad to know she recovered from Rated R (the music and the hair).

Pilot

This is my very first blog. It will be dedicated to music, maybe a movie or television show here and there. But most of the time music. Don't expect there to be a certain taste or type of music because that'll just be disappointing. I loved the Mamma Mia! soundtrack and I loved the Scott Pilgrim vs. The World soundtrack so you get the point. 


I'll explain myself briefly: I am so that embarrassing girl who does embarrassing things and sometimes someone sees it, but I'm so quiet and invisible I get away with being really fucking awkward. Just to explain that further, yesterday I found a leaf in my hair. I understand it's Autumn, but I wasn't jumping around in leaf piles I was just walking to and from class. I also tend to run into almost everything. I've even run into doors I've opened myself. So there's an idea.


Also you might have guessed, I adore music! and sometimes when I find something so fantastical, so brilliant, so extraordinary I go a little nuts trying to find people to share this with. Hopefully this blog will be the placebo to that disorder (and by placebo I mean I'm putting this out there for people to read while also knowing that I'll be lucky if someone stumbles upon it.)


I'll begin this blog with Elliott Smith. 

Everyone loves Elliott Smith and I am no exception. Yesterday and today I couldn't stop myself from searching for live performances and reading about him. His music is so simple, and absolutely beautiful. It's unique and it's a challenge to be unique with just an acoustic guitar. His lyrics are the best part. Listen to Elliot when you're moody, satisfaction guaranteed.


It's just so sad that no one will ever see a live performance of Elliot Smith again. I read that by the end of his years he was so fucked up that he messed up on most of the songs anyways. It's certainly a waste, Elliott Smith died at 34 in 2003 from two stab wounds to the heart. Which, until my ex-history teacher pointed out his method of "suicide", didn't seem odd. He was openly depressed and already attempted suicide. But come on, I have never heard anyone stab themselves. It's a strange way to do it especially considering its difficulty. There has been much debate about Elliott Smith's alleged suicide. Even some pretty solid homicide theories. The post-it note Elliott left is said to have spelled his name wrong, there might have been defense wounds on his hands, and as I mentioned earlier the difficulty of stabbing.


While writing about his death just now I got uber creeped out. I was listening to him on my iTunes and the melody was starting to get to me so I checked the song and it was "Bye."  Enough of that. 


Anyhow. Elliot Smith produced an abundance of brilliant music. I just downloaded Figure 8 and his self-titled. Watching his interviews aren't as satisfying as his live performances. He seems so much more open and honest with his music (then again you hardly find a musician who actually talks in an interview.) I read he had awful stage fright, I can't imagine what he felt when he performed at the Oscars next to Celine Dion. He was nominated for his original song "Miss Misery" off of the Good Will Hunting soundtrack. What a strange thing to be nominated for an Oscar as a little known singer-songwriter. Unfortunately Celine Dion took the cake for Titanic.


If you're new to Elliott Smith here's a little something.



Also.
Angel In The Snow



Also Also. 
Krispy Kreme's new bakery just opened today in Philadelphia. 

                                                  (That is a direct picture of myself)
I am beyond thrilled, but need to find out how to get there so I can see the true beauty that is a glazed, iced, and cream filled doughnut. Not that bullshit Dunkin' Donuts tries to fool Americans with. The only kind of cream filled doughnut you can get at Dunkin' Donuts is a powder doughnut. I cannot stand this. First of all, a cream doughnut is already messy. You are bound to get cream all over your face (avoid thinking about that statement out of context). Then add powder which you might avoid getting on your face but you will not avoid getting it everywhere else. And besides the mess, powder doughnuts are just mediocre. I just hate that an establishment who's name has the word doughnuts in it but hardly specializes in making a tasty doughnut. Wawa has tastier doughnuts! Anyhow. I've sure missed you, Krispy Kreme.