My history with Lawrence, part 2

I'm still utterly addicted (and I don't think nor desire this condition to ever go away). Bow down to the genius of Lawrence...

FELT
"I said those true stories are the hardest to sell..."


"You're so semi-precious about life and you won't let your feelings show."



DENIM
the song Middle of the Road:


the band Middle of the Road:


GO-KART MOZART
All those nights I danced to electric rock'n'roll...


"A massive shot of meth won't help you at the DDU"

Somebody

Drunk on so many things tonight as the sis drove us home to our folks, Martin Gore's "Somebody" came on the iPod. The last time I heard this was in jr high school in my bedroom feeling v pleased that Dave Gahan and I have the same birthday. I've listened to it 7 times just now. Just bypass the banality of the lyrics, channel the 12 year old in you and you'll see how honest and heartfelt this performance is... Feel it. Love it. Martin Gore. Martin Duffy. I just might name my next pet Martin.

My history with Lawrence

The wii mii of Lawrence:


felt... denim... go-kart mozart... from guitars to synthesizers... from melody to poetry... from poetry to melody.

I like whiny voices: Dylan, L Reed, Dan Bejar, John Darnielle, Mr. Bickerson... but I have a special spot in my heart for Lawrence. No need to tell you of his epic history as it's better written and documented elsewhere. McGee said it best here.


FELT
10 singles, 10 albums, 10 years. 10. 100. 1. 0. 10. 10. 10. 100. 1000. 0. 1. Perfect.

The World is as Soft as Lace
I knew I was going to fall in love with this song when I first read the title. The most beautiful song on their second album. Deebank's delicate, sublime classical and guitar work brings Lawrence's poetry to life. As elegant as love, this always breaks my heart.

The first verse: "…If I could, I would change the world / But you know my visions they're absurd / And all my great plans get blurred / By the softest touch, the gentlest word…."

Song for William S. Harvey
As dark and serious as Lawrence could be sometimes, how fun is this song? A bit cheeky eh? Deebank had just left but luckily Duffy comes in with his Hammond organ. I die. I die so hard for this song. I hear something new each time I listen to it. It makes me feel giddy and I can't stand still when I hear it. Why can't people recognize that this is POP, massive pop, candy coated pop, kiddie pop, France Gall Les Sucettes kinda pop.

Riding on the Equator
I think I've listened to this one particular song more than any other song in my life. If I am influenced by anything, anyone, this is it. Duffy brings what Deebank brought in the form of keys. And the exquisite dueling guitars: nothing aggressive about it, it's like sharing a dish, it's like opening the door for someone, it's like manners... the best manners.


Ben (my old bandmate) with Duffy circa 2003 somewhere in Europe... Mojo once said I was the demon "Duffy" of my old band! Do you know how high of a compliment that is? The highest. But how did they know I was a demon?


DENIM
Dripping with sarcasm, backed by the Glitter Band, it's Denim on Ice.

Tampax Advert
I took nitrous once to try to speak and sing like this... I can relate.

Glue and Smack
negative, negative, positive:
"My gay friends said that all naked women look like slaughtered pigs / They're caged anorexics, bulimics, put junkies heads on sticks / They're white washed cathedrals and thirteenth century ships."

City of the Dead + Men Look at Women
Denim Take Over - this was supposed to be the 4th album but never released. Some of the tracks were later released on the second Go Kart album but with different versions and different lyrics. Let me know if you want it. It's a bit of genius.


GO KART MOZART
This is when it gets a bit insane... fully synthesized... back to the bedroom.

Sailor Boy
We're Selfish and Lazy and Greedy
Delta Echo Echo Beta Alpha Neon Kettle (DEEBANK!!!)


Ben with Lawrence around 6 years ago at our London show! Lovely guy. Yes, he had a rather large bandage on his neck (that was kinda peeling off) but he was wearing YSL!!! When I look at this picture, I still can't believe it.

Shigenobu Twilight

Calling all Owleys in the NY area (and not just LOS).... you better go to this.

FFC (Special Holiday Edition)

It's gone all awry now. I don't know how it happened. As the co-founder of FFC (Fall Fitness Club), I've been very good about keeping it strictly ladies only but today something different happened. Special NY friends in town; how could I deprive them of this beautiful California weather in December? (What's the temperature in NY right now?) And we were already at Trails... a Fern Dell hike to Griffith Observatory was obvious... even necessary... Wiggles & I had to show why LA is THE place to be... it was the only polite thing to do.


* To activate the other portal which gives you access to James Dean's fantasies and powers, you must put your two fingers into his eyes. Tim was brave enough and took the risk for all of us to experience this magical, one-in-a-lifetime adventure. Think lasers...
** We ran into Ariel + Cole who had just missed the Planetarium show. I told them to wait for the next showing as it was must! Who wouldn't want to see a show about the history of the stars?

Bromance

After our "conflicting" events last night, I met up with Wiggles and we did some OTPing at Art Center's MFA thesis show reception. Maybe it was the tequila mixed with Red Bull mixed with some Stoli mixed with water but we were a bit stunned by what we saw. It wasn't even 4am at Sway on a Sunday! It was barely midnight in the parking lot of the school! Straight (it was obvs after speaking to them) skinny cute art boys just loving each other and singing along to Rihanna and Lil' Wayne. We left... Obviously, our attendance was not needed.





This entry is dedicated to Alexi's compelling Boys Boys Boys blog. Don't be fooled by the overall apparent message, dig a bit deeper and you'll see how amazing it truly is... What I'm taking from it is that it's okay to be a bit bloated (just don't be thick) and make-up is not required. These are transparent and illusory; they are expected social mores. Socially driven dudes (gosh they are just everywhere in LA) will fall for it, even think it's required! BUT all it takes is a bit of wit, charm and having an awesome blog...

With the spirit of a hustler and the swagger of a college kid...

Yeah that's me... He & I are the same.

I made this in haste. Actually my iTunes made it for me. Seriously, it was on shuffle last night and I picked the first 33 songs it played. I've been playing you guys like fools... as if I could put together a great mix (or even a passable one at that)! I've been extremely lucky (with the help of my iTunes of course)! With all the onslaught blogs telling you what is what these days, is there discernment? Is there personal taste? Are we human, or are we dancer? I'm just a fundy follower like everyone else I hang out with...

Cheery Christmas! Click here to download (be patient, it'll take some time). xoxo

Trimming the Tree

What was supposed to be just a simple tree turned out lovelier than expected! Color Scribble & Shades came over for a 3.5-course dinner last night and started putting the nicknacks from my living room onto my tree! Finally, they've come to some use! It was all good last night; so many good compliments, erm... wow... "you're so domestic," "you're a good egg, definitely not a scrambled one," and my favorite, "you should be a housewife!" Yes I was once (albeit brief)! I've had some proper practice though I'm a bit rusty these days being single and all (always A+ still you know, that's the A in me)... And 3 bottles of wine later, I handsomely won Scrabble!


The Muslim prayer clock TED got for me last year from Morocco.


Clockwise (from the bottom left): the Japanese bird Jenny got for me for my bday this past year, the man in a white dishdasha with his national symbol, the falcon which I got when I was in Dubai a few years ago (unfortunately you can barely see this), the Catalina Island horse YP gave me when we went there last year, the fat red-suited man bearing gifts the first Ex gave me when he returned from Columbia and of course, the beloved golden Lucky Cat from Little Saigon. Isn't this a handsome tree?


And how appropriate is this? The wooden Buddha Witty got for me from Thailand and my lucky egg from Romania!

4 (Pete's Sake)

So I went to Kenny's studio to have a listen to Mr. Bickerson's "unmixed" tracks tonight. I guess I'm back in the music bizzzzzz... I've been roped into managing Mr. Bickerson (as a solo artist... not personally, just to assure you skeptics). I do have to say that Banned is an incredible song (with a little more mixing, it'll be perfect). The first track on the album for sure, a continuation of the plot, part 4 of the story which began with All My Bastard Children, then to A Loner and Separate Cars and then now, it's Banned. We were friends before, we are friends again, it was just that "our march was out of time." Banned the band.

On Cyber Monday, my true love gave to me...

It's been years, but I felt like getting a tree this year. I no longer have any ornaments but I made do with these red bows. Looking at it makes me feel good and ready to bake some gingerbread cookies for my neighbor. A lovely phone call from a lovelier friend called it "nostalgic."

May I suggest listening to Belle & Sebastian's The BBC Sessions while decorating your tree? No Christmas songs please... Not yet anyways... Thanks to ds for the tracks; I can't stop listening to these versions.

The best lines from "Lazy Jane" - (try staying still to this song, you just can't... I love Belle & Sebastian so much.)
"Boo to the business world!
You know a girl who's tax free on her back and making
Plenty cash
While you are working for the joy of giving"

Now I can checkout all my online shopping items... especially this precious item... I can't wait to get this all the way from Glasgow.