1. STOP BUYING NEW NOTEBOOKS! I realize I have so many still in storage. There are the expensive kind with nice paper and nice covered illustrations and the cheaper ones from national and random book/stationary stores and the journals gifted to me by friends. I should really stop being obsessed with moleskines as I've already bought so many but have only filled up three. The others: one is a large sketchbook hybernating in my drawer with a couple drawings I made last year. One a large unfinished squared notebook. One is an unopened plain reporter from papa. One red 2009 planner which I obviously wasn't able to use due to my transverse myelitis. Finally, my failed DYI-ipod holder pocket lined moleskine lying somewhere in a Parañaque dumpsite.
2. FINISH WRITING ON EACH PAGE ON EACH NOTEBOOK I START WRITING IN. Sayang ang pagputol ng trees kung hindi susulitin. After which I can gratify myself by purchasing a new notebook to "replace" the one I just filled up. This of course immediately violates resolution no.1. Bakit? Bawal ba maging ironic?
3. READ ONE (or more) BOOK(s) A WEEK. A suggestion by Jessica Zafra, which I decided to follow since she Ruler. Me servant/follower/avidfan.
4. WATCH LESS TV.
5. WATCH MORE FILMS.
6. PLAY LESS NINTENDO.
7. QUIT SMOKING DOPE, DOING DRÜGS, STOP HAVING SEX WITH THE THERAPIST. Just kidding! I already stopped last year. NGEK!Ö
(my fingers are fatigued)
Do you buy books out of pure love of books, or is it just avarice? To put it another way: Is it reading you love--or shopping.
-Jessica Zafra
I should ask myself this question whenever I purchase pens and notebooks and camera stuff. Hmm, what's your take?
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01/22/10
O2 Shepherds Bush Empire London
Discography
01/24/10 Tivoli Utrecht 01/25/10 Luxor Koln 01/26/10 Knust Hamburg 01/28/10 Nalen Stockholm 01/29/10 Parkteatret Oslo 02/01/10 Lido Berlin 02/02/10 Atomic Cafe Munich 02/03/10 Tunnel Milan 02/05/10 Divan Du Monde Paris 02/06/10 Trix Antwerp 02/08/10 Academy 3 Manchester 02/09/10 King Tuts Glasgow
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brettanderson.co.uk ♥ myspace.com
Those who follows our W♥M Podcast, you'll know that between Sally, Kristen, and I, that we really, really love our Britpop music. When Suede burst on the scene, with all their hype*, I was a bit, what's the word? Resistant.
I eventually got over it when I heard Metal Mickey, a nice rock n roll glammy track with aggressive Butler guitars and Anderson's unique voice. The songwriting duo of Anderson/Butler did not last for long, and Butler's replacement, Richard Oakes, seems only a pale copy of the original. I think everyone knew that, and eventually, Bernard Butler and Brett Anderson got over their differences and re-united - but not as Suede... they were then The Tears. I think everyone was confused on how to interpret it at first (personally I think it's like tears/crying, not ripped/tear).
The Tears didn't live for very long, and by 2007, Brett Anderson releases his inevitable solo self-titled album. I never bought his solo stuff, because I don't think his music post-Suede's Head Music** were ever re-release or re-marketed to the US audience, so the few promo downloads that he's made available for free, I wasn't so impressed with. I remember thinking his debut solo album was trying to be orchestral (based on what I've heard).
Imagine my surprise when I got a chance to listen to a few tracks from his latest album, Slow Attack, officially via We7.com. It was all very operatic, almost minimalistic in its approach of piano and percussions. I did like that it brings out Anderson's voice loud and clear, but it generally made all of his music to be on the sadder end of the scale.
While I think one or two slow songs would be OK for a full length, all of the tracks I sampled were in that very similar tone. Kind of ballady and depressing. I kind of miss the old Suede stuff. The only redeeming value is that at least, his voice isn't altered/over-produced as with Suede's Head Music and Coming Up.
I suppose, Anderson's much older now, wow you can see his cheek bones sticking out of his face... such a difference of imagery, from a time when mean-spirited fans were calling him "fatty" (we all kind of knew it was the getting off the drugs that was causing the weight thing... allegedly).
Anyway, if you were looking for the glory rock days, don't bother looking into Slow Attack. If you're a hardcore fan, chances are you probably own the limited edition anyway. The album will probably not be released in the US, as were all his previous releases. Import costs are generally cheaper these days, but expect to pay about $20 for an import album (Amazon is listing $19).
Brett Anderson is touring in 2010, so if you live in the UK, you can relive your youth days. If he were touring the US, I might leave my hibernation to see him. As you know, I've met the band before at a special "after-party", I'm sure he'll have no idea who I am.
* "Best Band in Britain" before releasing their album? Really, Melody Maker, really??)
** Suede's last album, A New Morning was never released in the US.
TRUE NATURE
truenatureband.com ♥ myspace.com
As you know, I also run a website on artist George Perez, and it's rare when my music and comic website mix. How does True Nature and George Perez cross paths, you ask? The cover artwork for True Nature's EP, Feels Like Centuries, stars actress/model Tonya Kay (with some artwork and directions from Glen Wexler).
Perez, through his associations with Fetish Con, have actually drawn Tonya Kay as a print, for Fetish Con's "Who's the Best Bondage Super Heroine?" contest. The original artwork was auctioned off for charity.
CREATURE (Tonya Kay) (2008), art by George PérezSo, there's the connection. As for True Nature's EP, Feels Like Centuries, based on the cover artwork, it looks like they're also marketing themselves as somewhat of a spiritual rock band. I reckon if you like classic American progressive-type rock, you might enjoy this EP. Despite having only five tracks, the EP is "centuries" long (so long that it felt like a chore to get through). It's not that I dislike singer/songwriter, Lou Barlow's vocals, it's just really not the type of music I enjoy.
Their best track is the opening song, "Truth I Have To Steel (Simple Heart)", which started off strong and remain steadily so throughout the song. You can sample the entire track on their official website.
You can pick up Feels Like Centuries at CD Baby or Amazon. Although, not really my thing, I'm glad that there was at least a common connection for me.
12/26/2009 19:48:38 ♥ vu (
) ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com
I am trying with great difficulty to be in a good mood today. It's Christmas for goodness sake! It's all my fault anyway, but I'd rather blame my caregiver instead because she slept too soundly last night that she forgot to turn me to the left side of my bed for six hours (I had to be turned every 3 hours so I won't get bedsores). So when she did decide to wake up, I was already awake for two hours and lost my will to get more sleep. This was five in the morning. I opted to play Animal Crossing on my nintendo dual screen until it gave me a headache. Then mama came from driving my brother to work. Breakfast time. I wanted yesterday's chicken joy, but when I took bite it wasn't as good as it was yesterday, which made me in worse mood. Now not only does my head hurt, my tastebuds were also unhappy. Head hurts, can't sleep, have to finish morning routine. Then came lunch, I was supposed to have ribs estofado, guess what yaya came with. Bistek bangus. I don't hate it but when you are told that you are getting estofado, your mouth had already watered for it, tastebuds anticipating, then you get bistek bangus from two nights ago. It's disappointing.
My only consolation is when I got to drink cold Chocolite after the meal. There is something about sweets that can make people happy. Then mama read me some of Jessica Zafra's essay from Twisted 8. I could sense she enjoyed reading Zafra too.
Now I don't know what to do. Am sooo bored. I want to eat but I'm not hungry. And even if I will deftnitly eat I don't know what to eat. And if I asked for a burger, will they give me fruit instead? Gah!
Uh oh..
Yehey! I got another of Zafra's books from my brother this Christmas (not to mention two other self help books by Bo Sanchez). I've decided to regurgitate all of Zafra's books which I started collecting during college. I'm guilty though of not taking care of my collection. I should really have them wrapped in plastic cover. These books are after all artifacts of our culture, treasures of our time.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Dear reader(s),
As previously posted, I've moved my blog to http://coryrobertsintokyo.net. If you want to know about my problem back in the days, click this link to go to my "Chuck Taylor" incident.
Sadly, Vox won't permit me to export my posts/photos/etc. to take them with me, so it's all going to stay here. Have a Merry Christmas and a happy new year.
Take care - and thanks for reading.
Ciao for now,
Cory
Dear reader(s),
I now have a new blog, which is http://coryrobertsintokyo.net. It's hosted by Go Daddy, powered by WordPress. Do just visit. Tell me if you like it.
I'm keeping my Vox blog for archival purposes. I'll come back to check up on your posts, but I will be blogging on my new blog.
Take care - and thanks for reading.
Cory
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elizabethandthecatapult.com ♥ myspace.com
The last time we mentioned Elizabeth and the Catapult, the song "Race You", went straight to the top ten on The Hype Machine. And it's easy to see why, the song is such a fun and cute pop song.
This Christmas song, "Christmas with the Jews", is also fun and cute (and not to mention quite short). But what you're thinking when you're listening to this song, is "er, aren't you forgetting Hanukkah?"
Maybe you can ask them if you see them live:
- 01/28/10 The Barn Clinton, New York
02/05/10 World Cafe Live Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
02/06/10 8x10 Baltimore, Maryland
myspace.com ♥ twitter.com
Maybe there was a problem with my download, but the MP3 track is 4:56, where the last 30 seconds of the song is complete and utterly garbage... it sounds like it was encoded in error and not part of the song. I've edited out the crap part for you.
The tour information they sent me is as follows:
- January 2010.
Fri 8 USA New York Terminal 5 w/Passion Pit.
Sat 9 USA New York Terminal 5 w/Passion Pit.
Mon 11 USA New York Union Hall.
Tue 12 USA New York Pianos.
February 2010.
Sun 21 Norway Oslo John Dee w/The Temper Trap.
Mon 22 Denmark Copenhagen Vega w/The Temper Trap.
Tue 23 Denmark Copenhagen Vega w/The Temper Trap.
Wed 24 Sweden Stockholm Debaser Slussen w/The Temper Trap.
Fri 26 Germany Hamburg Molotow w/The Temper Trap.
Sat 27 Germany Berlin Postbahnhof w/The Temper Trap.
Sun 28 Germany Cologne Gloria w/The Temper Trap.
March 2010.
Tue 2 Germany Munich Atomic Café w/The Temper Trap.
Wed 3 Germany Frankfurt Nachtelben w/ The Temper Trap.
themanchesterorchestra.com ♥ myspace.com
My favorite track is "One Hundred Dollar", you can simply hear the anger as singer Andy Hull asks to borrow $100. While the song is short and doesn't offer much explanation, you, as the audience makes up your own background to the song. Anyway, the song is from their latest album, Mean Everything to Nothing, they'll probably be playing loads of their new songs on tour:
- 01/29/10
Salt Palace Convention Center^ Salt Lake City, Utah
01/30/10 The Fillmore^ Denver, Colorado
01/31/10 The Black Sheep* Colorado Springs, Colorado
02/02/10 The Marquee* Tulsa, Oklahoma
02/03/10 Juanita’s Cantina Ballroom* Little Rock, Arkansas
02/04/10 New Daisy Theatre* Memphis, Tennessee
^ with Brand New
* with Harrison Hudson
siamusic.net ♥ myspace.com
Finally, we have Sia. This actually has nothing to do with Christmas, unless you count getting a new music video as a holiday gift. But just talking about the video for "You've Changed" isn't enough to warrant its own article, so I thought I might as well stuck her here.
Sia has always seem to me to be this child trapped in a grown-up's body. The latest video is wonderful, it features this weird stop-motion, "dress up" video-gamey feel to it. I don't know who's idea it was, I'll bet it's a combination of Sia's child-mind and director Dennis Liu of @radical.media, but it came together pretty great.
Be sure to watch the high-resolution video of it (you'll need it to read the song lyrics scrolling at the bottom).
12/23/2009 04:58:16 ♥ vu () ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com
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